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Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema deserves to be given another chance in the France squad, Robert Pires says.

The 32-year-old has 81 caps and 27 goals to his name for Les Bleus but has not been part of the squad since October 2015.

In November that year, Benzema was arrested for allegedly playing a role in blackmailing national team-mate Mathieu Valbuena over a sex tape, but France’s highest court ruled in 2017 that the investigation of the attacker was unfair.

Nevertheless, France coach Didier Deschamps has decided against bringing him back into the squad, and former winger Pires says it is time he changed his mind.

“It’s a tricky issue, one that has created and continues to create a lot of debate in France,” he told AS.

“I’m not really interested in whatever happened between him and [Mathieu] Valbuena, but given all that he has achieved and is achieving at Real Madrid, of course he deserves a France call-up.

“He’s one of the best strikers in Europe. But [France boss Didier] Deschamps has the final say.”

In Benzema’s absence, Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe has emerged as the national team’s most prized attacking asset, scoring 14 times in 36 matches.

Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has previously revealed his admiration for Mbappe, who has six goals and five assists in seven games this season.

The 21-year-old has been heavily linked with a switch to the Santiago Bernabeu and Pires says he would benefit from making the move.

"Of course. I'm French, I like Paris Saint-Germain and I'd like him to stay in Ligue 1," he added.

"But if he wants to keep growing as a player, he should sign for Real Madrid."

Another rising star in France, Eduardo Camavinga, has also been heavily linked with a move since his breakthrough at Rennes in 2019.

But Pires believes it would be in the teenager’s best interests to stay put for a while before he makes the step up to one of Europe’s top sides.

“He’s only 17, eh? My opinion is that he should stay at Rennes for another couple of years to keep on developing, and then go to a top club like Madrid or Barca, or whichever he chooses,” he added.

“It’s too early for him. If they can, Rennes should try to keep hold of him.”

Zidane has also been under pressure at Madrid, who have won just one of their past four games in all competitions ahead of hosting Huesca on Saturday.

"I think it's incredible that people talk about a crisis and the end of an era when Real Madrid lose two games before the Clasico and then draw at the death against Borussia Monchengladbach," Pires said.

"I know there's a lot of pressure at Madrid, but the coach and the players need to be given a calmer climate in which to do their job.

"Just because they're Madrid or Barcelona, they can't always beat everybody. If that were the case, football would be very boring."

Eden Hazard scored his first Real Madrid goal for more than a year as the LaLiga champions eased to a 4-1 win over Huesca.

Making his first league appearance of the season, the Belgium star opened the scoring in brilliant fashion before Karim Benzema doubled the lead at Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano.

Federico Valverde scored the third after some fine interplay between Benzema and Hazard, who looked sharp throughout his hour on the pitch, before David Ferreiro's consolation.

Much of the pre-game talk had centred on Benzema and a recording of him appearing to tell Ferland Mendy not to pass to Vinicius Junior during the Champions League draw with Borussia Monchengladbach, and the striker should have scored his side's fourth when teed up by substitute Vinicius in what would have capped an improved Madrid display.

Benzema eventually got his second in the 90th minute, nodding in from Rodrygo's header across goal.

An obstinate Huesca kept Madrid at bay for much of the first half, although Sergio Ramos – making his 500th appearance in LaLiga – saw a header saved by Andres Fernandez.

The breakthrough came 40 minutes, as Hazard produced a moment of true brilliance too rarely seen in a Madrid shirt, rolling away from Kelechi Nwakali's challenge and blasting a left-footed shot beyond Fernandez from nearly 30 yards out.

Benzema doubled the lead just before the interval, chesting down Lucas Vazquez's deep cross before drilling a finish into the bottom-right corner.

Huesca started the second positively but the threat of a comeback was quashed 53 minutes in. After Hazard and Benzema had combined superbly down the left, the latter crossed for Valverde to take a touch and hammer home from 12 yards.

Benzema and Isco missed chances for a fourth before Ferreiro scored a consolation, steering a finish past Thibaut Courtois from Rafa Mir's cross, but Benzema had the final word when he turned in Rodrygo's header from point-blank range.

What does it mean? Hazard looks sharp again as Madrid return to top

The victory moved Madrid back to the summit of LaLiga, two points clear of Real Sociedad after seven games each.

It also marked an impressive return to form for Hazard and Zinedine Zidane's side as a whole, as they once again followed up a disappointing performance in Europe with a much-improved domestic display.

Huesca, one of just two sides without a LaLiga win this season, are 18th after eight games.

Hazard levels rising

This was not a virtuoso Hazard performance: he created zero chances for team-mates, produced no crosses and only had one shot on target.

However, that solitary strike earned him his first goal in 392 days and seemed to breathe some life into his link-up with Benzema. Zidane will be encouraged.

Right-back worries

Auxiliary right-back Lucas Vazquez was taken off after 52 minutes and did not seem to be wholly comfortable. Given injuries to Dani Carvajal and Nacho, any further concerns in that position will be most unwelcome to Zidane.

Key Opta facts

- Hazard has scored his second goal for Madrid in all competitions (24 appearances), the other coming in October 2019 against Granada, 392 days ago.
- Madrid have scored four goals in a single game in all competitions for the first time since February 2020 and for the first time in a match at home this year.
-  Ramos has become the 10th player to reach 500 appearances in LaLiga history (461 for the Madrid and and 39 for Sevilla) and the third defender to reach this milestone, after Manolo Sanchis (523) and Miguel Soler (504).
- Benzema has been involved in 13 goals in his last 13 starts in all competitions, scoring nine goals and assisting four.
- Huesca coach Michel Sanchez has lost nine of his 10 LaLiga games against Madrid (D1), two as manager and seven during his playing career (D1 L7).

What's next?

Madrid host Inter in the Champions League on Tuesday before next Sunday's visit to Mestalla to meet Valencia. Huesca have a week off until they host Eibar.

Arsenal legend Martin Keown has drawn comparisons between Harry Kane and Dennis Bergkamp, while insisting the Tottenham striker can break Thierry Henry's Premier League assists record.

Kane has enjoyed a hugely impressive start to the 2020-21 campaign under Jose Mourinho.

The England international has scored five goals in his first six Premier League outings, while also setting up eight goals, including seven for strike partner Son Heung-min.

His contribution has helped Spurs emerge as genuine title contenders, with Mourinho's men currently sitting two points off the summit in sixth as the top scorers in the division.

Kane has established himself among the deadliest strikers in Europe over the past five years, but he is now showing off a more creative side to his game which reminds Keown of one of his most talented former team-mates.

The former Arsenal man says the Tottenham star is producing the same kind of passes Bergkamp used to on a consistent basis, and has backed him to beat the record for the number of assists in a single season currently shared by Henry and Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne (20).

"What anyone who played with Dennis will say is that his service was outstanding. I'm now watching what Harry Kane is doing for Tottenham and, dare I say it, he is starting to remind me of my old team-mate," Keown wrote in his latest column for The Daily Mail.

"I'm not saying Kane is as technically gifted as Dennis – I don't think anybody is. But the quality of the balls I'm seeing from the Spurs striker, and the way he is finding Son Heung-min, it is Bergkampian.

"He [Kane] is starting high, dropping deep, and showing there is more to his game than merely scoring goals.

"With eight assists in six games, at this rate, Kane would obliterate the Premier League record of 20, shared by Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.

"We've seen what Roberto Firmino does for Liverpool – how he drops into those pockets of space and has willing runners in Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, who start wide but come inside.

"Kane, likewise, has fast-paced forwards who he can pick out. That's been Son of late – most notably in that 5-2 win over Southampton when Kane took advantage of the hosts' high line to assist his team-mate four times."

Ryan Giggs believes it "could be 15, 20 years" before Manchester United win the Premier League title again.

Sir Alex Ferguson delivered a 20th league crown to Old Trafford in his final season at United in 2012-13, before passing the torch to fellow Scotsman David Moyes.

Unfortunately, the ex-Everton boss only lasted 10 months in the hot seat before being replaced by Giggs on an interim basis, and the Red Devils subsequently fell to their lowest ever Premier League finish.

Louis van Gaal was the next man charged with bringing back the glory days, but he was sacked after two seasons having failed to guide the club to a higher finish than fourth, with an FA Cup triumph seen as little more than a consolation prize.

United then turned to three-time Premier League winner Jose Mourinho, who won the Community Shield, EFL Cup and Europa League in his first full year at the Theatre of Dreams.

The Portuguese went on guide the team to a second-place top-flight finish, but ended up suffering the same fate as Moyes and Van Gaal after a poor start to the 2018-19 campaign.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer succeeded Mourinho in the hot seat, and has since set about restoring the identity which saw the Red Devils dominate English football under Ferguson.

The Norwegian is, however,  still on the lookout for the first major trophy of his reign , with Liverpool now back on their perch after winning a first league title in 30 years last season.

Giggs fears United might end up enduring a similarly long wait for a return to the top, having seen their arch-rivals struggle to find a winning formula until Jurgen Klopp's arrival at Anfield in 2015.

"Yes, 100 per cent," the treble winner told the Greatest Game Podcast when asked if he is concerned that the Red Devils' Premier League drought could potentially continue for decades.

"It could be 15, 20 years before you know it, especially if [Jurgen] Klopp and [Pep] Guardiola stick around.

"They have got the resources and the players so we have Liverpool to look at, where the last time when they won it in 1990. They thought 'we'll win it again soon.'

"Even Klopp, it took four-and-a-half years for him to win it - it takes a long time.

"You have to think about what Klopp did.

"He improved the team every season or won a trophy like the Champions League and then you saw the improvement so the pressure was off a little bit.

"Every manager and signing [for United] is seen as that 'he will win us the league' and it's not like that."

Vipers SC new signing Manzoki Cesar Lobi has revealed why he signed for the former Ugandan Premier League (UPL) champions.

The former AS Vita player was confirmed as a Venoms player on Friday after agreeing to pen a two-year contract to join the St. Marys Kitende-based side for an undisclosed fee.

The striker had attracted interest from Olympic Club Beja of Tunisia and an unnamed Moroccan club after his contract with AS Vita had ended, but the Venoms moved faster to sign him.

The Congolese striker has now revealed the club’s ambitions to win trophies is what attracted him to sign a deal with them.

“I am happy I have signed for a team which I already know has great objectives and ambitions, I know it is a team which needs good results in and out so I am coming here knowing that I have a lot to do,” Manzoki told the club’s TV.

“I will do my best to add a plus in my team, I want to score goals in the Ugandan league, I want to leave a good mark, and I am confident this will happen.

“I want to use this chance well. My dream is to become an important player for Vipers. I hope I can become a starter immediately and hope to win some trophies with my new team. I hope I can push my career further. My goals are that simple.”

The 24-year-old added; “I don’t regret this move because it took me time to make this decision to move here. I chose the best team out of the many clubs that were after me and I am proud of it.”

Lobi spent three years at AS Vita where he featured in 58 matches and went on to score 38 goals. His time at AS Vita’s big domestic rivals TP Mazembe saw him score 12 goals in 21 games from 2016 to 2017.

The centre-forward launched his career when he started playing for Dauphin Noir De Goma for five seasons in the top-flight. Lobi has international experience too as he has scored three goals for the national side.

As Vipers shift their focus to the Caf Champions League, Lobi’s services might come in handy given he has scored six goals in nine games of the competition. In the Confederation Cup, the striker has featured in 12 games.

Emmanuel Amuneke has urged Nigeria national team coach Gernot Rohr to consider handing a call-up to Al Ahly forward Junior Ajayi.

The 24-year-old has been with the Egyptian Premier League since 2016 when he joined the side Tunisian club CS Sfaxien.

The attacker has been delivering consistent performances for the Red Devils and in the current campaign, he has bagged nine goals amid other dazzling displays.

The centre-forward recently helped the Cairo International Stadium outfit reach the final of the Caf Champions League.

Rohr recently released a 24-man squad that will play Sierra Leone in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying game in November and omitted the forward.

Amuneke, who had previously starred in the Egypt Premier League during his playing years with Zamalek, believes Ajayi merited a place in the Super Eagles team.

"I believe that Ajayi deserves to be given an opportunity like every other player and then it is up to him to take the opportunity," Amunike told ESPN.

"He has been with Ahly for many years now and he has been doing very well and playing at a high level consistently. I think that looking at what he has done with the Ahly club, he deserves to be given the opportunity.

"It will now be up to him to make a statement that will convince the technical staff that he has something to add to the team."

Former Nigeria international Jonathan Akpoborie also backed Amuneke’s suggestion for Ajayi to be invited to the Super Eagles, highlighting some of his attributes.

"Ajayi deserves the Nigerian shirt. Compared to most of the strikers I have seen so far for Nigeria. He scores and can create chances for his fellow players,” Akpoborie said.

"He is fast and he is an all-round striker that scores goals from inside and outside the box. He will be a valuable asset for the Nigerian team."

Ajayi is yet to make a competitive appearance for the Nigeria national team but has featured in a friendly.

The centre-forward has scored 28 goals for Al Ahly in more than 90 appearances across all competitions.

Malaysia forward Norshahrul Idlan's Thai League 1 club BG Pathum United will play away to Chiangrai United at 6.00 pm Malaysian time on Saturday, October 31.

The Rabbits will be looking to solidify their six point lead at the top of the standings, while the forward himself is starting the round 11 match from the bench.

Catch the livestream here.

It's "too early" to call Manchester United Premier League and Champions League contenders, according to Dimitar Berbatov, who says the Red Devils need to become consistent again.

United are beginning to hit their stride after a slow start to the 2020-21 season.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's are unbeaten in four matches since their return to action after the international break, with defensive leaks plugged and a cutting edge in the final third rediscovered.

The Red Devils beat Newcastle 4-1 away and produced a solid performance in a 0-0 draw at home to Chelsea in the Premier League, but have so far saved their best displays for the European stage.

A 2-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes was followed up by a hugely impressive 5-0 victory against RB Leipzig at Old Trafford on Wednesday, with Marcus Rashford grabbing the first hat-trick of his career and Mason Greenwood and Anthony Martial also getting on the scoresheet.

Solskjaer has talked up United's chances of making it all the way to the final, while admitting that the Premier League title race is open amid the continued absence of supporters, but Berbatov says there is still work to be done before his old club can be considered as genuine challengers for major honours.

"This result at home will do wonders for United's confidence, as their home record hasn't been fantastic. Not only have they won at home, they've beaten Leipzig 5-0! That is an incredible result," the ex-Red Devils striker told Betfair.

"Hopefully, this win will change their fortunes going forward.

"Ole deserves credit for performances like this, it can't be a situation where good results are the players, the bad results are the manager, that does not work.

"I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that United all of a sudden can win the Premier League or the Champions League, it is too early and they need to become that word again - consistent.

"They have lacked this over the last while, if they find that then we can wonder about titles, but they need to win games regularly."

Berbatov added on how effective United's forwards were in the final third against Leipzig: "Marcus Rashford was amazing. To score a hat-trick coming on as a sub speaks volumes. By now, he's well established as a superstar, but the impact he had when he came on was just outstanding.

"Sometimes when you come on as a sub, you don't feel right, or you're annoyed not to start, and you don't play well. For Marcus, he knows he is integral to the team, and Ole would've explained to him that he was going to rest him. This allows him to relax about his position and focus on playing.

"All the attackers had the ball in the net, though [Edinson] Cavani had his disallowed, but it's fantastic to see all your attackers in a rhythm like this. There was controversy that maybe [Mason] Greenwood was offside, but I don't think he was - maybe a toenail, but to me he was onside.

"I was happy to see him bag his goal, he is a brilliant talent."

The Red Devils will be back in Premier League action at home to Arsenal on Sunday, three days before they take in a trip to Turkey to take on Istanbul Basaksehir in the Champions League.

Former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Josta Dladla believes playing inside an empty stadium will ease pressure from Amakhosi and Orlando Pirates players in the usually tense Soweto Derby.

Traditional foes Chiefs and Pirates clash in an MTN8 semi-final at Orlando Stadium on Saturday.

Chiefs get into the derby showdown with familiar players and no additions from elsewhere after they were banned by Fifa from signing new players.

They face their rivals who made big-name signings in preparation for this season and Dladla feels it is a huge opportunity for Amakhosi’s young players to “raise their hands” and be recognised in a match of such magnitude.

“They didn’t have a lot of time to prepare, plus he [Hunt] can’t sign any player at the moment,” Dladla was quoted as saying by IOL.

“He had to inherit the players from someone else. But that gives an opportunity to the younger players that we haven’t seen before. Are they going to take the opportunity and raise their hands?

“It’s going to be interesting to see. Coming to the derby, it will be interesting to watch, considering that there won’t be fans and that might ease the pressure on some of the players.”

To counter the transfer ban, Hunt has invested more trust in young players who had limited playing opportunities under his predecessor Ernst Middendorp.

Players like Nkosingiphile Ngcobo and Njabulo Blom are slowly becoming regulars under Hunt, while 17-year-old Keletso Sifama and Lebogang Lesako are also getting their chances.

Dladla says playing against Pirates should be in itself a motivation for Kaizer Chiefs.

“It’s still early stages. And I think that we just need to give Mr Hunt a chance to build the team,” said Dladla.

“He won’t have to do much against Pirates. If playing against them doesn’t give you motivation, then there’s something that’s wrong with you.”

To reach the MTN8 last four, Chiefs edged Maritzburg United 2-1 and they have also encountered mixed fortunes in their two Premier Soccer League (PSL) matches; first losing 3-0 to Mamelodi Sundowns, before a 1-0 win over Chippa United.

But what could be a huge concern to Hunt is his forwards who are yet to score in three games as defender Yagan Sasman grabbed a brace against Maritzburg while an own goal handed them victory over Chippa.

Former Simba SC coach Jamhuri Khwelo has revealed two key reasons he feels have contributed to the team’s back-to-back defeats in the Mainland Premier League.

The Wekundu wa Msimbazi have suffered two defeats in a row – a 1-0 defeat against Tanzania Prisons and the same margin result against Ruvu Shooting.

As the team prepares to take on Mwadui FC at Uhuru Stadium on Saturday, Khwelo believes the ageing players at Simba and injuries have contributed to poor results in recent weeks.

“For now Simba are struggling with bad results because of two things, first of all, the main problem affecting them is the ageing players they have in the squad, and it is giving them problems to dominate matches,” Khwelo is quoted by Sokaletu.

“Secondly, they have a lot of injuries to key players, and this has given the coach hard times to pick his squad for matches, and definitely it will affect the results of any team if you don’t have your key players in the squad.

“When the players pick up injuries, it takes much time for the team to get ready and return and it does force the coach to change a winning combination, the same problem now happening at Simba.”

Simba are currently playing minus key players – striker Meddie Kagere, winger Gerson Fraga, Shomari Kapombe – both of whom are out with long term injuries.

Against Mwadui, Simba will miss the services of forward Bernard Morrison who was banned for three matches following violent conduct during their match against Ruvu Shooting on Monday.

Morrison was involved in a physical altercation with Juma Nyoso – who has also been banned and fined - after Simba had been awarded a penalty in the 71st minute.

The Ghanaian was irked by a Shabani Msala poor challenge on Luis Miquissone as he entered into Ruvu Shooting's area. As the players surrounded the referee before he awarded a penalty, Morrison appeared from the back and punched the Ruvu Shooting star and that escalated the tension even further.

Apart from the Mwadui fixture, Morrison, who was also fined TSh500,000, will also miss the derby against Young Africans (Yanga SC) on November 7 and also the clash against Kagera Sugar.

Manchester United-linked head coach Mauricio Pochettino will be looking at the biggest teams in the Premier League, according to ex-Tottenham star Jan Vertonghen.

Pochettino quickly became revered as one of the best managers in European football after leaving Southampton to take up the top job at Spurs in 2014.

The Argentine transformed the Lilywhites from also-rans to genuine Premier League and Champions League title contenders on a shoe-string budget, while implementing an effective high-pressing, attack-minded philosophy.

His reign reached its peak when Spurs made it through to the 2019 Champions League final against Liverpool, but a 2-0 defeat in the showpiece clash marked the beginning of a downward spiral.

Motivation levels within the squad seemed to plummet the following season, and Pochettino was sacked in November after seeing his side drop to 14th in the top-flight standings.

The 48-year-old was heavily linked with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's role at Ole Trafford after leaving north London, but the Norwegian held on to guide the Red Devils to a third-place Premier League finish last season.

United have struggled for consistency once again at the start of the 2020-21 campaign though, leading to fresh rumours over a return to English football for Pochettino, with Verthongen certain his old boss will be desperate to get back on the touchline.

The Benfica defender, who was a regular fixture in the ex-Tottenham manager's starting XI throughout his five years in charge, insists he won't accept a step down after proving himself at the very highest level.

"I can imagine he's impatient," Vertonghen told CBS Soccer of Pochettino's search for his next post.

"I think the English league suits him very well as he's a manager that prioritises fitness levels and the physicality of the game.

"I think managing in the Premier League is probably the best thing he can do.

"He will always want to coach a big team I guess, so you have to look at the biggest teams in the league and there are only two or three you can really look at I think at this point.

"I won't name them out of respect for the other managers, but I think that's what he's looking at. He wants that big team to confirm him what he's been doing with Tottenham and what he did very well.

"If I was him I would be impatient because he really loved his job and you want to continue that."

The Federation of Uganda Football Association (Fufa) has cancelled the remaining two Regional League playoffs due to the surging cases of the coronavirus.

Two semi-finals involving Young Elephants against Northern Gateway from the Northern Region League and Calvary against Hot Springs FC from the West Nile Region League were remaining but now cannot proceed given the latest Fufa directive.

The returned results of eight players testing positive forced Fufa to convene a meeting that decided to end the matches.

Young Elephants and Hot Springs were stopped from travelling to the match venue, the Fufa Technical Training Centre, and their respective opponents Northern Gateway and Cavalry were consequently declared winners of the cancelled semis.

“As directed by the President of Uganda and with guidance from the Ministry of Health and the National Council of Sports, Fufa carried out Covid-19 PCR tests for 20 players and officials from each of the participating teams in the playoffs,” the federation's statement read.

“Tests conducted for Young Elephants Football Club from the Northern Region and Hot Springs Football Club from West Nile Region returned eight (8) positive results each.

“This is high a ratio of infections and could easily endanger the entire community of the team.

“This matter was brought to the attention of the Fufa Executive for guidance.”

After deliberating on the matter via a Zoom meeting, Fufa came up with resolutions that decided on the fate of the matches.

The issue at hand was treated as a matter not provided for under the Fufa Competitions Rules.

“The playoff matches Young Elephants vs Northern Gateway and Calvary vs Hot Springs is decided in favour of Northern Gateway FC and Calvary FC,” Fufa added.

“A single match Calvary FC vs Northern Gateway FC be played on Saturday, October 31, 2020, at 12:00 pm to determine the team that will sportingly be promoted to the Second Division 2020/2021.

“Young Elephants FC and Hot Springs FC are encouraged to undertake measures and guidelines from the Ministry of Health to ensure quick recovery of the affected individuals of the teams.

“Fufa wishes to emphasise the importance of the health of everyone and will do all in its means to ensure support to the vulnerable in this Covid-19 pandemic.”

The playoffs were meant to be conducted ahead of the new seasons that are expected to start in December.

Jose Mourinho has played down talk of Tottenham winning the title, insisting the Premier League table "doesn't mean much" until February or March.

Tottenham are sixth in the table – two points behind leaders Everton – ahead of hosting Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday.

Spurs have lost just one of their opening six league games and have netted more goals (16) than anyone else, leading to suggestions they could challenge for the title.

But Tottenham head coach Mourinho said it was too early to make judgments based on the standings.

"I believe the table now doesn't mean much. I believe that by February, March, you look to the table and understand the reality of the competition," he told a pre-match press conference.

"A part of that special season with a special Leicester [in 2015-16], a part of that you get into February or March and the reality of the teams are expressed on the table, in this moment not yet.

"We had magnificent results away in the Premier League but at home we lost too many points and with these points we would be there but it is not a target.

"The target is to win against Brighton knowing that anything can happen in the Premier League."

Spurs dropped points in additional time in home draws against Newcastle United and West Ham, with the latter coming back from 3-0 down in the final ten minutes.

Winless in three home league games this season, Tottenham last had a run of four matches without a home league win in December 2013, but Mourinho said he had no concerns.

"I am not so worried about the home record," said Mourinho, whose side are coming off a shock 1-0 Europa League loss to Royal Antwerp.

"I am worried about playing well and getting points and against Everton, the frustration was we probably deserved, I think, a point but we didn't play well and in other games the feeling was different.

"We played very well against Newcastle, we played very well against West Ham so let's try and play very well against Brighton and when you play very well you normally win, so let's try."

Young Africans SC (Yanga SC) will miss the services of Carlos Carlinhos when they play Biashara Mara United on Saturday in their Tanzania Mainland League match.

The midfielder has been part of the reason why the 27-time champions have been performing well in the top-tier. But Timu ya Wananchi will now have to find an alternative when they visit the Francis Baraza-led charges.

"Two players will miss Saturday's game away to Biashara," Yanga team doctor Shecky Mngazija revealed ahead of this weekend's game.

"Mapinduzi Balama is still nursing his injuries meaning he will definitely be out of the game. Carlinhos is also down with malaria, so he is not available to play as well.

"I cannot give a timeline for [Carlinhos] return since it will depend on how his body responds to the medication."

"On our way to Musoma, our players got a rare chance to visit the home of the first President of the Republic of Tanzania, the late Julius Nyerere at Butiama," Wananchi revealed.

Biashara United are third and three points below Yanga and Saturday's match is expected to be an explosive one given the stakes it carries.

When they registered a 2-1 win over KMC FC in the previous encounter, coach Cedric Kaze partnered Waziri Junior – who had not enjoyed a start under Zlatko Krmpotic – with Michael Sarpong. He thereafter insisted every player will get his time.

Ahead of their Saturday assignment, the team paid a courtesy call to the family of the former Tanzania President Julius Nyerere.

Yanga were on their way to Musoma where they will be hosted by Biashara for the eighth game of the league season, and had to make a stop-over and visit the late President’s family in their rural home.

The visit also saw the club’s chairman and GSM’s Hersi Said give Nyerere’s wife, Mama Maria a club jersey.

On Friday, Azam FC dropped points again when they were held to a 1-1 by JKT Tanzania.

Debutants Gwambina FC fell 3-0 at home to Kinondoni-based KMC who moved to fourth on the log with 14 points.

Azam are now on 22 points after nine matches and Yanga might overtake them with a win on Saturday.

Lack of concrete financial muscle, that is the reasoning that Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) have given for deeming both Felda United and UKM FC to have failed to comply one of the criteria in their privatisation from FA to FC.

Even though a conditional approval was given to both teams on Oct 5, this latest decision came after a new deliberation was made in light of both teams having massive changes in terms of backers and sponsors following the structural changes within these two clubs.

Both teams were given until Oct 19 to explain and share the information of their new investors as neither Federal Land Development Authority nor Universiti Kebangasaan Malaysia wanted to proceed with another year of backing their respective competing football teams.

Under the new FC registration, Felda United and UKM FC are owned by FUFC The Fighters Sdn Bhd and Varsity Boys Sdn Bhd.

While both were able to attract new investors, the information provided to FAM was not secure enough for the governing body not to deem them as financial risk if they are allowed to compete in the new season.

FAM went on to explained that this is because the numbers provided by the two teams does not show complete financial capability to sustain an entire season.

As the salary arrears issue keep rearing its ugly head in recent seasons, FAM's stricter and more stringent move can be seen as positive preventive measure.

UKM FC finished in 9th place in the 2020 Premier League season, three spots away from the last spot in the division and as such were supposed to remain in the second tier next season.

Felda United were supposed to join UKM in the Premier League, having finished second last in the 2020 Super League.

Now with this decision, the next agenda will fall into the hands of Malaysian Football League (MFL) - who now have to decide what to do with the two vacant spots in the Premier League, having already previously stated that no M3 teams will be promoted following the cancellation of their 2020 season.

Former Simba SC winger Ulimboka Mwakingwe has claimed he will be surprised should the club sack head coach Sven Vandenbroeck.

Simba have lost their previous two matches against Tanzania Prisons and Ruvu Shooting and consequently, goalkeeping coach Muharami Mohamed and team manager Patrick Rweyemamu were fired.

Mwakingwe has maintained Vandenbroeck alone cannot be blamed for the poor results given soccer is a game played as a unit.

“Football is not played in the dark and everyone is seeing how Simba are currently playing,” Mwakingwe told Mwanaspoti.

“I do not have a problem with the playstyle because it is the same that brought good results initially so, nobody should be blamed because even big European clubs lose matches.

“The technical bench has to sit down and come up with ways to ensure that good results are achieved in both the continental and local matches.

“I will be surprised if Simba are going to sack the coach because I know football is not dependent on one person for success to be seen.

“The coach’s job is to train and he cannot get onto the pitch during games and demonstrate how goals are scored. It is upon the players to ensure they do their best especially when they see things are going against them.”

On his part, retired Tanzania international Adolph Rishard has stated Wekundu wa Msimbazi must put their house in order before the Caf Champions League matches.

“Simba have a huge job coming and they need to be in perfect form ahead of the Champions League matches. What I am seeing now is that they depend too much on some players in order to get results,” Rishard told the same website.

“The competitions ahead are tough and they should not lie to themselves that they have got a huge squad.

“If they prepare well they are going to get good results even if they are going to come across Arabian clubs. But if the preparations are going to be poor then they will struggle regardless of who the opponent will be. “

The two losses mean Simba are fourth behind Azam FC and Yanga SC after playing seven matches.

Donny van de Beek has addressed a lack of regular minutes at Manchester United, admitting that "players always want to play games".

Van de Beek completed a £35 million ($45m) switch to Old Trafford from Ajax on September 2, having enjoyed a meteoric rise to prominence under Erik ten Hag at Johan Cruyff ArenA.

Real Madrid were also reportedly eager to bring in the 23-year-old, but United ultimately convinced him to continue his development in Manchester.

However, Van de Beek has found himself on the fringes of the action at the start of his career with the Red Devils, and is still waiting for his first Premier League start.

Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba have enjoyed prominent roles ahead of the Dutchman in recent weeks, but he was included in Solskjaer's first XI for a Champions League clash with RB Leipzig in midweek.

The ex-Ajax star played 68 minutes of the 5-0 victory, and is now hoping to build up some momentum as the fixture list begins to pile up for United, with a huge showdown against Arsenal up next on Sunday.

“Players always want to play games. Training is also nice, but the games... this is why you're playing football,” Van de Beek told the club's official website.

“I think a lot of games [means] we can improve always and I am sure that we will win more if we stay focused.

“Arsenal have showed that they have really good players and we need to be focused. We won [against RB Leipzig] and everybody's happy and it's good for the confidence and everything, but now we must go on to that game [on Sunday].

“A lot of big games are coming up now. A lot of games. We need to stay focused and then I'm sure that we'll make more nice wins.”

Van de Beek went on to talk up the talents of Marcus Rashford, who scored a stunning 18-minute hat-trick against Leipzig after coming on as a second-half substitute at Old Trafford. 

“He's an amazing player. I see already from day one [and] the moment that I arrived here his quality - and he's also a really good guy,” he said.

“He’s always working hard and [is] really talented. I like him also a person and I'm really happy for him. He's already a big player and will show a lot more of his quality. I'm sure about that.”

After United's latest home fixture against Arsenal, their focus will switch to another European encounter away at Istanbul Basaksehir on Wednesday night.

Former Orlando Pirates midfielder Daine Klate believes the team can have a “proven” coach like Josef Zinnbauer and “quality” in the squad but if the players are not motivated, they will lose Saturday’s Soweto Derby to Kaizer Chiefs.

Pirates and Chiefs clash in the MTN8 semi-finals at Orlando Stadium as both sides seek to end lengthy trophyless periods.

It is now six years since Pirates last claimed silverware when they won the 2014 Nedbank Cup and for Chiefs, the 2014/15 Premier Soccer League title was their last trophy bagged.

Klate who won the 2010 and 2011 MTN8 with Pirates appear to be exonerating Zinnbauer from ensuring victory on Saturday, saying that it would be up to the players’ “willingness” to get past Chiefs.

“At Pirates, we used to have a good run and we ended up losing the derby. And vice versa. So, it’s always been a little bit of the opposite,” said Klate as per IOL.

“But my experience tells me that it doesn’t look like it’s the team that will win the derby that actually wins it. On paper, I believe that they have the qualities. They have the squad. I think the coach has proven himself as well. In the second round of last season Pirates came good. They just need belief from the players as well.

“The coach can come with the best tactics ever. But if the players are not motivated and they do not apply themselves properly and are not willing to do the hard yards, then it won’t work. You can bring the best coach to any club but at the end it’s up to the players.

“We lost coach Ruud Krol after winning the first treble in 2011, and we went on to another treble with [Julio] Leal who was nowhere near Ruud Krol’s standards. But it was because of willingness. The onus is on the players.”

Pirates’ build-up to Saturday’s match has been affected by fitness concerns on their chief forward Frank Mhango who has a groin injury.

Federation of Uganda Football Association (Fufa) has confirmed the Premier League will start on December 3.

This is the third time the schedule of the 2020/21 season has been amended given Fufa had initially planned for an October 17 kick-off.

As the government had not lifted the ban on contact sports, the federation rescheduled the programme again and said the league would start on November 20 before the latest development.

“The Fufa Club Licensing Committee will issue 2020/21 UPL club licenses by November 3, 2020, while the Fufa Competitions Directorate is to issue players’ licenses and bench permits by November 10 2020,” Fufa’s statement read in part.

 “The UPL secretariat shall release the fixtures by November 10, 2020, and the Uganda Premier League kick-off is set for December 3, 2020.”

Tough regulations have been put in place in order to guide participating teams in adhering to Covid-19 protocols.

“Licensed players and technical staff for the 2020/2021 season who will undertake sporting roles at training and matches will undergo a mandatory Covid-19 test,” it added.

“Only persons who test negative and get issued with a Fufa Covid-19 clearance certificate shall be eligible to participate in the team training and matches.

“All referees and match commissioners for the 2020/21 UPL Season will undergo a mandatory Covid-19 test. Only persons who test negative and get issued with a Fufa-Covid-19 Clearance Certificate shall be eligible to officiate the matches.

“The Fufa Covid-19 personnel and the official Fufa Covid19-testing centre will administer the bi-weekly testing of players and technical staff.”

The good news for the club is Fufa will take care of the initial testing costs lessening the burden of the clubs.

“Fufa shall undertake the cost of testing referees and match commissioners and will also pre-finance the cost of Covid-19 tests for club players and officials,” the statement concluded.

“Fufa will procure a government authorised authority as the official Fufa Covid-19–testing centre and only results from such a centre will be recognised by the football regulations.

“Fufa will procure in-house medical personnel on a full-time basis for a renewable period of six months to undertake Covid-19 responsibilities as required of Fufa.

“Corresponding deductions will be made against future club incomes as reimbursement for this medical exercise.”