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Manchester United star Marcus Rashford has become the fifth player to score a hat-trick as a substitute in the Champions League, with his 27 minutes on the pitch on Wednesday the fewest number played while also netting a treble in the competition's history.

Rashford entered the field in the 63rd minute with the Red Devils a single goal ahead courtesy of Mason Greenwood's opener, before scoring three times in his short time on the pitch to help the home side to a crushing 5-0 victory over RB Leipzig.

In doing so, he joined Kylian Mbappe, Walter Pandiani, Joseba Llorente and Uwe Rosler as the only players to come off the bench and bag three goals in Europe's top club competition.

Rashford also matched a feat set by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as he became the second Manchester United player to score a hat-trick as a substitute, after the Norwegian did it against in the Premier League against Nottingham Forest in February 1999.

"I think the manager wanted me to up the tempo," three-goal hero Rashford told BT Sport after the match. "That for us means going forward. There was definitely spaces there. We got Bruno [Fernandes] and Paul [Pogba] on the ball. We looked dangerous throughout and like we could score every time we went forward.

"It was a real team performance. The ones who started did well and the substitutes did well too. We can't ask for much more than that in terms of the attitude and the intent to go and kill the game off. It worked in our favour."

Leipzig came to Old Trafford with a high-tempo pressing game and did trouble United at times but it was the home side who went ahead after Pogba slid [Mason] Greenwood through, with the 19-year-old finishing clinically to score his first Champions League goal.

The match remained within Leipzig's reach until Rashford's introduction in the second half, with the England international running on to Bruno Fernandes' pass and streaking through to score, with VAR correctly ruling he was in his own half when the pass came.

Only four minutes later, Rashford snared his second after United won possession high up the field, before Anthony Martial got on the scoresheet from the spot after being fouled in the penalty area.

Rashford put an exclamation mark next to his performance and earned the match ball with a third deep into stoppage time, as he deftly finished again from inside the box.

The 22-year-old has also been kicking goals off the field recently, with the striker being told he has done more to combat child poverty in the UK than any politician has in the last 25 years by Manchester councillor John Leech.

United - who host Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday - are now clear on top of their Champions League group with six points, with PSG and Leipzig three adrift.

Neymar may miss Paris Saint-Germain's next few matches after limping off in Wednesday's Champions League win over Istanbul Basaksehir, Thomas Tuchel revealed after the game. 

The Brazil international felt slight discomfort in his left thigh and was replaced by Pablo Sarabia as a precautionary measure with 26 minutes played at the Fatih Terim Stadium. 

PSG have three matches in the next 10 days - against Nantes and Rennes in Ligue 1, either side of a trip to RB Leipzig in the Champions League - before the international break. 

And Tuchel is worried Neymar, who has two goals and three assists in six appearances this term, will not play a part in any of those games. 

"It was necessary to take him off," Tuchel told RMC Sport . "We now have to wait for a diagnosis. It was not serious pain, but he felt uncomfortable. 

"Because of the tight schedule, it might cost him a few games, though I cannot be sure at this point." 

Asked for a further update at his news conference, Tuchel said: "It is the adductor muscle. I hope it's not too bad an injury. We have to wait for the tests tomorrow."

Despite the early exit of Neymar, PSG earned a 2-0 win through Moise Kean's second-half brace as they recovered from last week's Group H defeat to Manchester United.

Last season's beaten finalists produced a largely laboured display and Tuchel, who has had to fend off repeated questions over his future, admits an improvement is needed. 

"We won - that's what we wanted to do," he said. "We know we will have to improve. Some things have been good for us, other things not. We play every three days, so we'll have time to work on that for the next few matches. 

"We know we can play better, but we have to accept that we can't do it right now. It's more difficult but I want to protect my players because I think they are doing the maximum.  

"We knew we were going to fall against a team that was going to put aggression in the game.  

"It's true that we may have lacked communication in the first half. We corrected that in the second and won the game." 

PSG managed only one attempt on target in the first half and were indebted to Kean for their victory. 

The forward became the youngest ever Italian player to score on his first Champions League start at 20 years and 243 days, overtaking Alessandro Del Piero's record. 

"This will give me the strength to continue working hard," said Kean, who has four goals in four appearances since joining on loan from Everton. 

"It has been a good start. I have to be ready for my team-mates and be ready when called upon." 

PSG have now found the net in 36 of their last 37 matches in all European competitions, the exception being August's Champions League final defeat to Bayern Munich.

Barcelona trolled Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus on Twitter following the Spanish side's 2-0 win over the Italian champions on Wednesday.

The Catalans took down Juve at the Camp Nou on Wednesday, moving atop their Champions League group with two wins from as many games.

Barca benefitted from a first-half goal from Ousmane Dembele, whose shot deflected up and over Wojciech Szczesny for the game's opener.

They added a second in the 91st minute with a Lionel Messi spot-kick, with Juventus having seen Merih Demiral sent off moments earlier for a second yellow.

Originally billed as a clash of two of the greatest of all time in Messi and Ronaldo, Juventus were without their talismanic striker once again on Wednesday.

The Portuguese star has been absent after testing positive for the coronavirus during the international break, and he did not produce a negative test in time to take part in Wednesday's Champions League clash. 

In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Ronaldo said he was "feeling good and healthy", but the Juventus star then commented questioning the accuracy of the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests that ruled him out for the Barca match.

"PCR IS BULLSH*T", he wrote, before eventually deleting the comment.

Without Ronaldo, Juventus were unable to produce a goal, although Alvaro Morata did see a trio of finishes ruled out due to offside calls.

And Barcelona took to social media to troll their opponents after the match, saying: We are glad you were able to see the GOAT on your pitch, @juventusfcen!"

Having defeated both Juventus and Ferencvaros, Barca currently sit atop the group, with Juventus just behind on three points.

Ferencvaros and Dynamo Kiev, meanwhile, have collected one point apiece, having played to a 2-2 draw on Wednesday in Hungary.

Barcelona are set to face Alaves this weekend in La Liga before then hosting Dynamo Kiev in their next Champions League match.

Juventus, meanwhile, will visit Ferencvaros after travelling to face Spezia in Serie A on Sunday. 

Alex Telles has missed Manchester United’s last two fixtures after testing positive for Covid-19, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed.

After an impressive debut against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last week he was a surprise omission from the squad as United were held to a goalless draw against Chelsea at the weekend. 

The full-back was also absent as Solskjaer’s side demolished RB Leipzig on Wednesday night and Solskjaer explained why.

He said: “Telles has tested positive for coronavirus, he's been out for a few days. No symptoms, he'll be fine, back soon.”

The defender becomes the second member of the first team to have tested positive after Paul Pogba missed international duty in September having contracted the virus. The Frenchman was back in the starting XI for United’s win on Wednesday night as Solskjaer changed his system to a diamond in midfield.

“I think we have had abundance of good midfielders at the club,” Solskjaer said. “Today [the system] worked. The work off the ball was incredible - Nemanja [Matic], Fred, Donny [van de Beek] and Paul worked their socks off. 

“I’m sure Fred covered every single blade of pass on the pitch and it’s amazing how he gets back for the next one.”

While the midfield were the architects for United’s fine European display, it was clinical finishing from Mason Greenwood and an 18-minute hat-trick from substitute Marcus Rashford that wrapped up a second group stage victory for Solskjaer’s side.

“Now is not the time to think how many goals he could end up with,” Solskjaer said about Rashford’s potential.  “We focus on the next job at hand. One step at a time - if you get too far ahead you’re going to lose focus. Marcus has showed he can keep focusing on what’s important on and off the pitch.

“We are very happy with the start, we have played against two very good teams and we have performed fantastic. If we focus on the next job and the next job, who knows how far we can go. Istanbul next week, hopefully we can go there and win."

Real Sociedad coach Imanol Aguacil has stoked the fires ahead of the Europa League clash with Napoli by insisting Diego Maradona would struggle to be selected in the La Liga's team XI.

Real are currently sitting first on the table in Spain's top flight, having scored a division-high 14 goals in seven games with new signing David Silva having a profound impact on the team.

The Spaniards welcome Napoli to Anoeta Stadium for the continental clash on Thursday, having won their first game in the competition 1-0 against Croatia's Rijeka last week.

Aguacil has been delighted with his team's performances to start the season and believes Napoli icon would battle to get in his team ahead of players with workrates like Silva.

"Maradona would find it hard to get into our team," Aguacil said in his post-match press conference.

"He could do it all on the ball, but not so much without it.

"We have David Silva who has almost the same talent, but also works hard."

Maradona scored 115 goals for Napoli across seven seasons as he led the club to two Serie A titles, a UEFA Cup and a Coppa Italia.

Silva joined Real on a free transfer from Manchester City prior to this season, where the Spanish international won four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and four Carabao Cups.

The 34-year-old has slotted effectively into the Real system, and while he hasn't scored yet across seven apperances in all competitions, he has contributed two assists.

Silva himself has admitted to having troubles adapting back to Spanish football, having spent 10 years in England after leaving Valencia for Manchester.

"I have played four games with Real Sociedad and I have been booked twice," he told the Times earlier this month.

"I think I may have a problem with the referees and I need to get back used to it!”

He said, however, that he had similar issues when he arrived at Manchester City from Valencia in 2010.

"I came from the World Cup and barely made the pre-season," he added.

"When I arrived I saw football pass so fast. Everything was flying over me and there was no pause. I felt overwhelmed in some moments."

“I prefer to isolate myself with my people and don’t listen to the noise, but there are some comments that end up coming to your ears and I could hear: ‘This Spanish guy is not going to make it here.’

Marcus Rashford came off the bench to score a quickfire hat-trick as Manchester United claimed back-to-back Champions League wins with a 5-0 hammering of RB Leipzig.

Mason Greenwood scored his first goal in the competition to give United the lead in the first half with a fine finish from a tight angle at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

But it was fellow striker Rashford, a 63rd-minute substitute, who left his mark on the game after twice breaking clear of the Leipzig finish and finishing emphatically.

Anthony Martial was on target from the penalty spot before Rashford put the gloss on the scoreline with another goal late on.

The victory leaves United top of Group H on six points, three clear of Leipzig and Paris Saint-German, who were 2-0 winners over Istanbul Basaksehir.

Leipzig headed into the game top of the Bundesliga after an unbeaten start to the season in all competitions but were comprehensively dismantled by the Red Devils.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side took a first-half lead with a goal which owed much to the dynamic play of Paul Pogba after fellow midfielder Fred won the ball with on the left flank.

The France international left four Leipzig's players in his wake as he burst forward from midfield and slipped a clever pass into Greenwood, who clinically guided an angled finish into the net, the goal awarded after a tight VAR offside check.

It meant Pogba registered an assist in back-to-back Champions League games for the very first time.

Leipzig dominated the remainder of the half, but the game was quickly beyond them when Rashford replaced Greenwood just after the hour.

Rashford netted his first when he latched on to a pass over the top from Bruno Fernandes and broke clear of the Leipzig defence before slotting home – the goal given after a VAR check deemed his run had begun in United's half.

The England striker scored a second with an emphatic low finish after United stole possession high up the field before the home side were awarded a penalty when Martial was tripped.

Rashford declined to take the spot-kick – allowing Martial to register his first goal of the season – but he still had time to complete a treble in the second minute of injury time, drilling home clinically.

What does it mean? United mean business

A surprise away victory over PSG in their opening game signalled United's intent in the competition and this was a real statement.

Leipzig had not been beaten this season, so for United to record their biggest Champions League victory since 2013 could be a significant moment.

With consecutive fixtures against Istanbul Basaksehir to come Solskjaer will have one eye on wrapping up qualification for the knockout stage with two games to spare.

Rashford oozes class on and off the pitch

Rashford became only the second United player to score a hat-trick as a substitute after Solskjaer's treble against Nottingham Forest in February 1999 in the Premier League.

The United striker has grabbed the headlines off the pitch in recent weeks, but his football stock will be just as high after such a clinical exhibition of finishing.

Van de Beek fails to take his chance

With only two starts in the EFL Cup Donny van Beek finally got a start in a competition which really matters, but failed to make a significant impact in an advanced midfield position, creating two chances.

United were far more effective when Fernandes joined the fray and it is hard to see when the signing from Ajax will displace his rival.

Key Opta facts

- Leipzig conceded more goals in this game than in their previous seven matches combined in all competitions this season.
- United have kicked off a Champions League campaign with back-to-back wins for only the second time since Alex Ferguson left the club in 2013, also doing so under Jose Mourinho in 2017-18.
- Despite only making his debut in February, no United player has registered more assists in all competitions than Fernandes (12) under Solskjær, who took charge in December 2018.
- Greenwood has scored six goals in major European competitions as a teenager, the joint-most of any Englishman alongside Rashford.

What's next?

United are back in Premier League action on Sunday when they face Arsenal at Old Trafford. Leipzig are away to Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga 24 hours earlier.

Ousmane Dembele and Lionel Messi were on target as Barcelona defeated 10-man Juventus 2-0 in their Champions League Group G clash at the Allianz Stadium.    

Playing for the first time since Josep Maria Bartomeu announced on Tuesday he and the club's board of directors are resigning, Barca started sharply and went ahead inside 15 minutes thanks to Dembele's second goal of the season.   

Juve - once again without the self-isolating Cristiano Ronaldo - were largely second best to Ronald Koeman's side throughout but will feel hard done by after Alvaro Morata had three efforts ruled out for offside.   

Merih Demiral was dismissed after receiving a second yellow card in the 85th minute before Messi compounded Juve's misery with a cool penalty in stoppage time. 

Barca twice came close to taking the lead inside the opening two minutes, Wojciech Szczesny pawing away former Juve midfielder Miralem Pjanic's powerful drive before Antoine Griezmann lashed against the post from 10 yards.

However, they were rewarded for their bright start in the 14th minute when Dembele's shot from outside the penalty area looped over Szczesny after taking a significant deflection off Federico Chiesa.

Morata saw two efforts ruled out either side of Messi dragging wide at the other end after some smart play from Griezmann.

Szczesny denied Dembele and Griezmann in quick succession as Juve - who had just two shots in the opening 45 minutes - contained Barca to a one-goal lead at the interval.  

Morata then completed his unwanted hat-trick 10 minutes into the second period when his close-range finish was again chalked off following the use of technology to check.

Any hopes Juve had of salvaging a point were extinguished late on when Demiral picked up a second caution for a late challenge on Pjanic.

Messi ensured Barca extended their unbeaten away run in the Champions League group stage to 11 games, slotting home from the spot after substitute Ansu Fati had been brought down in the area by Federico Bernardeschi. 

What does it mean? Barca cranking into gear, Juve lifeless  

Koeman had called for patience from Barca fans ahead of the game, insisting it will take time to turn the team into one capable of winning top honours amid a backdrop of boardroom uncertainty.  

There were at least signs they are moving in the right direction in this game, the Catalan giants making 227 more passes than Juve and enjoying 59 per cent of possession in a dominant display. 

Juve, meanwhile, once again missed the presence of their talisman, Ronaldo. Andrea Pirlo's side inexplicably failed to have a shot on target as they missed the opportunity to win their 100th Champions League game.  

Messi too hot to handle 

Messi was in imperious form, scoring his 70th goal in 74 Champions League group games, as well as providing his 35th assist in the competition. He also made five key passes – none of his team-mates managed more than one. 

Dybala off the pace 

Making just his second start of the season, Paulo Dybala endured a game to forget. The Argentina international had three shots, all of which were blocked, and failed to make any key passes.

Key Opta facts

- Barcelona are just the third Spanish team to win a Champions League away game against Juventus, after Real Madrid (3-0 in April 2018) and Deportivo La Coruna (1-0 in March 2004).
- Dembele is the second Barcelona player to score an away goal against Juventus in the Champions League, after Javier Saviola in 2003.  
- Barcelona did not allow a single shot on target, the third time this has happened in 2020 in all competitions.  
- Messi created five chances, more than any other Barca player in a game this season. He was involved in nine of his team's 13 shots (four attempts and five key passes).
- Barcelona are unbeaten in seven matches against Italian teams in the Champions League (W5 D2) since losing 3-0 to Roma in April 2018.

What's next? 

Juve travel to Spezia on Sunday hoping for a return to winning ways after two consecutive Serie A draws, while Barca visit Deportivo Alaves a day earlier in LaLiga with the aim of bouncing back from their home defeat to Real Madrid in El Clasico. 

Orlando Pirates head coach Josef Zinnbauer says it is time for his charges to wake up after dropping points against Stellenbosch FC on Tuesday night.

The Buccaneers were held to a 1-1 draw by Stellies in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) match at Orlando Stadium.

It was Pirates' second successive 1-1 draw having started the new 2020/21 season with a draw against AmaZulu FC over the weekend.

Zinnbauer's side struggled to contain Stellies in the first-half, but Bucs played much better after the restart. 

"I'm not happy with the first-half, but we demonstrated what's possible in the second half, what we can do," Zinnbauer told SuperSport TV. "This is something I don't understand. First-half, not playing, no build-up no defensive structure, and then in the second half, you see all that we can do.

"What we have to do in 90 minutes, you get the answer in the second half. It's not possible you can play 45 minutes with such a performance and get three points," he continued. "These are the things we have to change.

"I say it again. In the first-half, I don't understand this football we played and then in the second half, but it was not enough for three points. As a coach, I don't understand."

The 50-year-old mentor could not explain why his side finds it difficult to sustain the same level of performance throughout the game.

"It's five minutes after the game. We analyse the game, we find the key, but as a coach, I don't understand, why we don't play for the whole 90 minutes," he continued. "We can say now it's substitutes, but the other players on the field have the same quality.

"I think we need a wake-up call. It's not possible to go into a game so casually. This is my meaning. You see what we can do. You see it, and this is the things I don't understand, but we come back."

Pirates' key striker Frank Mhango was substituted at half-time after picking up an injury and Zinnbauer is unsure whether the Malawi international will be fit for Saturday's clash against Kaizer Chiefs in the MTN8.

"No, I'm not happy with a point. It's clear.

"The performance I can live with but we need more points, you need three points it's a home game," he noted, "but that's football. We have one point. We have to work on the next game now.

"Yes, it's a cup game, am MTN8 game. It's important to focus on the next game, but also the league is important. We have to play well in the league.

"We have to see what happens with Gaba [Mhango], he had an injury, but [Lerato] Lepasa made a good game, and Terrence [Dzvukamanja] after coming in."

Pirates will host Chiefs at Orlando Stadium in the semi-final first-leg encounter. 

Sunday’s blank against Benevento – as Napoli came from behind against the resolute newly-promoted side in Serie A – saw Victor Osimhen’s goals per game ratio shrink ever so slightly.

The 21-year-old was peripheral for the most part, but it ultimately did not matter. Not when Lorenzo Insigne can find the top corner from outside the box with his weaker foot; not when Gennaro Gattuso can summon battering ram Andrea Petagna from the bench to intervene.

In those circumstances, the club can afford to absorb what is, for all intents and purposes, a slow start. Five games (four of them starts) have yielded just the solitary goal: a scuffed effort from outside the area that somehow managed to wrong-foot Marco Sportiello in the 4-1 thumping of Atalanta 11 days ago.

Whilst the transfer of the Nigeria international involved a club record fee and was the culmination of a protracted saga, Napoli were under no illusions; this was very much a long-term play.

Osimhen is far from the finished article, as Gattuso himself acknowledged following his cameo in the opening day victory over Parma. Nevertheless, there is certainly a great deal of belief in Osimhen, both within the squad and in the dugout.  Whether the former AC Milan player and coach is the right person to coax more out of him though, is one of this season’s more intriguing questions.

The evidence of his first five matches does not exactly offer clarity in this respect.

In the aforementioned substitute appearance on the opening day, his performance was very well received, as he introduced Calcio fans to his bounding stride and boundless work ethic.

Despite a lack of direct contribution, his presence on the pitch served to stretch the game, helping Napoli to a comfortable win.

“He has a great attitude,” Gattuso gushed afterward. “We knew that Osimhen could give us another gear in the final 20-25 minutes today”

For the next game against Genoa at San Paolo, he was handed his first start as the Azzurri ran riot, hitting their visitors for six. Remarkably, amidst the flurry of goal activity, Osimhen was unable to find the net himself, or even get a shot on target. He however laid on the second for midfielder Piotr Zielinski with a silky back-heel inside the box, signposting his baptism into the collective with a solid all-round performance.

In the following game against Atalanta, Osimhen finally put it all together, finding the goal to break his duck and crown a brilliant first-half. He seemed noticeably eager to shoot, often electing to have pops from acute angles, but on the whole he excelled at bringing others into play, and ran La Dea’s back three ragged all game long.

If the expectation was that, with the monkey off his back, he would kick on, it has proved misguided. Two games on, he has not found the back of the net again; a concern, considering not only the club’s outlay and the fact he has integrated surprisingly well already, but also his scoring record over the last 18 months.

So what gives?

Of course, Serie A is a tougher division to come to terms with than Ligue 1, where Osimhen was off the mark from the off and never looked back. That must be taken into account in any analysis. However, watching Napoli play is instructive; the problem is not quite that simple, and the root of it is more internal than external.

First, consider how Napoli have played over the last couple of seasons.

A staple of their attacking framework from the days of Maurizio Sarri – the classic Napoli goal, if you will – was Insigne receiving the ball on the left, cutting inside on his right foot, and curling the ball over the top and to the back post. There, Jose Callejon would arrive on the blind side of the defence, volleying the ball back across goal for the striker to tap in.

It was simple, but devastatingly effective.

However, Callejon departed this summer, and so essentially Napoli have lost that little automatism. His place in the side is shared between Hirving Lozano and Matteo Politano, neither of whom were a part of the Sarri side.

Even more pertinently, both have a preference for moving into the centre of the pitch as opposed to holding the width and servicing the centre-forward; Politano in particular has a fondness for cutting inside and blasting the ball goalward.

With Insigne coming inside from the left and Dries Mertens fielded in the no.10 spot, that’s three attackers all focused on getting their own shots away, and also contributing to a lot of crowding between the lines.

The upshot of this is that Osimhen’s movement and general play is geared toward creating space for the attacking midfielders: he is tasked with making a lot of runs into the channels to create depth, as well as with holding the ball up with his back to goal in order to compensate physically for the diminutive trio. Napoli signed a poacher, but they’re re-tooling him to fit as a target man.

It is no surprise then that, despite his slow start in front of goal, Gattuso has continued to affirm his satisfaction with Osimhen. After the Genoa game, Gattuso praised him for “creating the situations that allowed others to score”, and referred to him, tellingly, as the “missing link”.

It is all very selfless, but the message is clear: he may be the club’s record signing, but the man signed from Lille is by no means the top dog at Napoli just yet.

Former Manchester United star Paul Scholes has called on the Reds to complete a move for Dayot Upamecano, suggesting that the centre-back might be the answer to their defensive problems. 

Upamecano, 22, has become one of the highest-rated young defenders in world football in recent seasons thanks to his exploits with RB Leipzig. 

He particularly impressed in 2019-20, playing a huge part in the club's historic run to the Champions League semi-finals with his commanding performances at the back. 

Reports suggest that this could prove his final campaign in the Bundesliga, with United apparently determined to land their man over the summer. 

The Reds moreover may be able to complete a deal for the bargain price of £38 million, Upamecano's reported release clause as stipulated in his most recent contract extension. 

And while no official bid has yet been tabled, Scholes believes the France international could make a huge impact at Old Trafford. 

“This is the type of defender I think United need, he’s very different to Maguire and Lindelof," the ex-England international explained to BT Sport. 

"He absolutely loves one-on-ones, he loves getting down that channel because he knows he’s gonna beat them. It’s very much the same as what Rio used to do, what Jaap Stam used to do.

"It frees the rest of the team to worry about attacking play, because you know you’ve got a centre-half who is going to defend and he’ll do it all day.”

Upamecano faced his possible future employers in Wednesday's Champions League clash. 

United, however, apparently had the chance to sign him as a teenager but declined to make a move after sending scouts to see the defender in action. 

Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was asked about Upamecano prior to the game, although he steered away from confirming United's interest. 

"There's always rumours and speculation about good players for Manchester United," Solskjaer said. "I've always tried to respect they are players for other teams and don't want to comment on every player we are linked to.

"But since he's playing against us tomorrow, I know he's a very good player and we can see him close up tomorrow."

Nigeria midfielder John Ogu has apologised for calling on his teammates to boycott the double-header 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sierra Leone in November.

Following the killings of peaceful protesters who were demanding an end to police brutality at the Lekki Toll Plaza last Tuesday, the former Hapoel Beer Sheva star took to social media in outrage.

Ogu who was actively involved in the #EndSARS protest on Lagos' streets, stated that 'politicians should ask their children to represent the Super Eagles in the next upcoming games' which are billed for next month.

The 32-year-old tendered an apology for his comments on Wednesday and he wants football to continue to unite the country in this crucial period.

He was part of the Nigeria team that won bronze at the 2019 Afcon in Egypt.

"I want to sincerely apologise to Nigerians, the Nigerian Football Federation and the players of the Super Eagles, both past and present and even those dreaming to wear the green and white jersey that I wore with great pride and honour,” the statement read.

“My comments about the Super Eagles boycotting the Afcon qualifiers, was said in the heat of the moment from a place of pain, frustration and anger for the shooting of harmless, flag carrying and national anthem singing Nigerians, at the Lekki toll gate.

“A national anthem and green and white flag that I have sung and carried all my life with joy and pride. I admit that I crossed the lines, by asking players to boycott the Afcon qualifiers. I have honoured all national team invitations with great joy and delight, with a deep desire to be part of a team that give joy to Nigerians and make them happy, football is the strongest unifying force in Nigeria.

“I wish that my comments that were spoken out of anger and pain would not cause more division in our football and even at a time such as this that the nation needs to pull together. Thank you.”

Gernot Rohr’s Super Eagles will resume competitive football at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin when they take on Sierra Leone on November 13.

They are scheduled to battle their West African neighbours in a reverse fixture four days later.

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Manqoba Mngqithi believes his side should have come away with more that a draw from Wednesday night's league encounter against Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium.

The Brazilians had a few chances in the first half but, having failed to take those, became increasingly frustrated in the second sytanza and seemed to run out of ideas as the game wore on.

Having beaten Kaizer Chiefs 3-0 in their previous match, Mngqithi would have been expecting much more against Premier Soccer League rookies TTM, and was unhappy with his side's inability to stamp their authority on the game.
 
"Two points lost, because honestly speaking, we pushed them from the first whistle," Mngqithi told SuperSport TV after the match. "We never gave them time to play.

"We created three good opportunities from our high press," he continued, "[and we were] unfortunate not to get a goal or even something on target."

Despite enjoying the lion's share of possession, Sundowns lacked dynamism in the final third, with PSL new boys TTM appearing largely comfortable in dealing with their incoherent attacking strategy.

"[Peter] Shalulile had a big chance, the captain had a big chance in the early stages of the game [Hlompho Kekana hit the bar], it was just unfortunate," the coach added. "When you don't take such chances against a team that is sitting back and hoping to catch you on the counter, you have to be worried.

"I was worried they would get one good counter attack and punish us."

The Downs mentor was also unhappy that his side was not given a penalty after Keletso Makgalwa and TTM defender Alfred Ndengane tangled in the opposition box.

"I honestly believe that was a clear penalty, but in football you must take what you get," he said. "It was an outcome of the situation when it was supposed to be a penalty.

"In my opinion, I have not looked at the video yet, but I believe that was a penalty."

Sundowns will have a week to regroup before their next match – a league fixture away to Cape Town City next Wednesday.

South Africa U17 girls suffered a 1-0 defeat to the senior women's national side in a pre-2020 Cosafa Women's Cup tournament friendly at the Safa National Technical Centre in Johannesburg.

Bantwana are preparing to claim the Cosafa U17 Women's Cup title billed to be staged from November 4 to 13 in Nelson Mandela Bay, having finished as runners against Uganda last year.

On the other hand, Banyana Banyana are gearing up for a title defence and a third in a row on home ground at the Cosafa Women's Cup at the same venue, beginning from November 3 to 15.

The two teams, who had been in camp for over a week, locked horns in a test-match but Simphiwe Dludlu's girls bowed to Desiree Ellis' side before heading to Nelson Mandela Bay.

On her assessments, Ellis hailed her side's display but challenged them to improve their fitness level before the regional showpiece.

“I think the game went well, it was a test because we had a lot of questions with regards to the fitness, technical preparedness, tactical understanding of the game and understanding of each other as a team,’’ Ellis told Cosafa.com.

‘’However, the most important part was the execution of the game-plan, as well as the mental state to be able to handle pressure and push for 45 minutes and more.

“Do we panic or keep calm? I saw players build-up from the back and find solutions for themselves. It looked better but we can still do more fitness-wise. 

"It is not where we want it to be for the tournament but it is better because they have an understanding as compared to when they first reported for camp.”

On her part, coach Dludlu hailed her girls' fighting performance in the disappointing defeat to their senior national side. 

“We also had no injuries now; just muscle strains because the players have been out of action for a while,” she said.

After the friendly, both teams had since moved to Port Elizabeth to continue their build-up for their respective competitions on Wednesday.

Bantwana will open their U17 campaign in a five-team round-robin preliminary stage against Zambia on November 4 at The Oval.

For Banyana Banyana, they will launch proceedings against Angola on November 3 at the Wolfson Stadium in Nelson Mandela Bay.

Hakim Ziyech scored on his full debut for Chelsea in their 4-0 victory over Krasnodar in Wednesday’s Champions League game.

The forward was afforded his first start for the Stamford Bridge outfit since teaming up with the side in the summer and impressed.

The winger featured 30 times for Ajax in the top European competition during his four-year stay with the Dutch side and in the 2018-19 season, he was named in the tournament’s team of the season.  

The winger made his experience in the Champions League count when he opened his account for Frank Lampard’s men at Krasnodar Stadium.

After playing out a goalless draw in their opener against Sevilla, the Blues started the encounter on a fine note and could have opened the scoring in the 14th minute but Jorginho was unable to convert from the penalty spot.

The Premier League club eventually broke the deadlock in the 37th minute with a fine strike from Callum Hudson-Odoi.

14 minutes into the second half, Timo Werner doubled Chelsea’s lead from the penalty spot before Ziyech made it three with 10 minutes to play.

The forward fired his strike past goalkeeper Matvey Safonov and has now been involved in 13 goals in his last 15 starts in the top European competition, scoring six goals and providing seven assists.

The Morocco international featured for 81 minutes before he was replaced by Tammy Abraham, who set up Christian Pulisic to seal the victory.

Ziyech has now made four appearances for Chelsea since joining the side, having also featured against Southampton, Sevilla and Manchester United.

The forward will hope to play a part when the Blues take on Rennes in their next fixture in Group E of the Champions League on November 4.

Before then, Chelsea will square off against Burnley in a Premier League game at Turf Moor on Saturday.

Hakim Ziyech scored his first goal for Chelsea on his full debut to help his side ease to a 4-0 win over Krasnodar in Wednesday's Champions League Group E clash. 

Frank Lampard's side had drawn their previous three matches, including two outings without scoring, but found the right balance between attack and defence in Russia. 

Callum Hudson-Odoi was gifted his first goal in the competition by a goalkeeping error from Matvey Safonov after Jorginho had earlier missed from the penalty spot for the second time this season. 

Chelsea were given a scare when Yuri Gazinskiy's strike came back off the crossbar, but Timo Werner succeeded where Jorginho failed in converting from 12 yards out. Ziyech got off the mark to secure the result, while substitute Christian Pulisic added a late fourth.

Jorginho had sent Safonov the wrong way with his penalty after Werner was clipped by Kaio in the box, yet the ball ricocheted back off a post. 

However, Chelsea were gifted a goal 23 minutes later as Hudson-Odoi cut inside Igor Smolnikov and fired a weak shot on target that squirmed through Safonov's grasp. 

That goal forced Krasnodar to come out of their shell and they so nearly equalised 10 minutes into the second half, Gazinskiy hitting the bar with a volley. 

Krasnodar were competing at home in UEFA's showpiece competition for the first time and again went close through Marcus Berg's effort, which Edouard Mendy was equal to. 

But an unfortunate penalty decision against Aleksandr Martynovich - Pulisic's shot from point-blank range hitting the skipper's thigh and then his arm - allowed Werner to tuck home from the spot, five minutes after Jorginho had been substituted. 

Chelsea went through the gears and had a third goal via Ziyech's crisp finish, with the fourth arriving in the final minute through Pulisic's shot from a tight angle. 

Two goals from Moise Kean got Paris Saint-Germain their first win of the 2020-21 Champions League as they beat Istanbul Basaksehir 2-0.

A positive result for Thomas Tuchel's side, who lost 2-1 to Manchester United on matchday one, was undermined by the loss of Neymar to an apparent thigh injury in the first half.

PSG delivered a largely laboured display in Turkey, one that is unlikely to do much to ease some of the pressure on Tuchel, but Kean followed up his double against Dijon last weekend with a timely header from Kylian Mbappe's corner 64 minutes in and a clever finish 11 minutes from time.

Neymar hobbled off after treatment before the half-hour mark and his absence was telling as PSG mustered only one shot on target in the first 45 minutes.

They had Keylor Navas to thank for two saves to deny Edin Visca as Basaksehir grew in confidence going forward while remaining resolute at the back.

Kean's breakthrough came in disappointing fashion for the hosts, though, the striker simply nodding Mbappe's cross past the static Fehmi Mert Gunok after being left unmarked.

Navas made a smart save from Deniz Turuc's half-volley and PSG almost doubled their lead on the break, Mbappe eventually turning and shooting over the crossbar after starting a move in his own half.

Kean made the result safe with 79 minutes gone, volleying on the turn beyond Gunok from six yards out after Mbappe's good work in the penalty area.

What does it mean? PSG, like Neymar, look limp

PSG have their first three points in Group H but this display will not have convinced many onlookers that they are capable of matching last season and reaching the final again.

The loss of Neymar for any period of time would also be a significant blow as their hectic schedule continues towards the winter months in France.

Kean shows clinical touch

He might have had just 20 touches and seven successful passes, but Kean provided the killer touch to break Basaksehir's resistance with two well-taken finishes in the second half.

Epureanu deserved better

Alexandru Epureanu was defensively superb, making six clearances, three interceptions and three blocks, but he could only watch as Kean glanced home the opening goal after letting him out of his sight.

What's next

PSG face Nantes in Ligue 1 on Saturday before next Wednesday's visit to RB Leipzig. Basaksehir meet Konyaspor on Sunday, then head to Old Trafford to meet Manchester United.

Bundesliga matches will be played behind closed doors from November 2 after it was announced Germany would return to a partial lockdown amid a significant increase in coronavirus cases. 

German chancellor Angela Merkel and the regional leaders of the 16 states decided on a raft of new measures to control the spread of the virus on Wednesday. 

One of these is to prevent any supporters from attending professional sports in the country.  

Ahead of the 2020-21 season, Bundesliga clubs announced they would be ready to welcome back fans if public health authorities considered it a safe step to take, having played out the final weeks of the 2019-20 season behind closed doors. 

The largest attendance under the restrictions was Borussia Dortmund's home clash with Freiburg when 11,500 fans watched on, while other clubs - including reigning champions Bayern Munich - did not reopen their stadiums due to the high number of COVID-19 cases in the surrounding area.  

Dortmund's managing director Hans-Joachim Watzke accepts the decision but insists supporters were safe inside the club's stadium. 

"In view of the extremely increased number of infections in Germany, the decision by politicians to be able to continue gaming operations without spectators for the time being must be accepted," he told Sky.  

"Nevertheless, I would like to state that the Bundesliga never posed a threat due to an elaborate, coherent hygiene concept valued by experts. We all at BVB hope that we can play again in front of our great fans as soon as possible." 

The restrictions do not come into place until Monday, which means Bundesliga fixtures this weekend could still yet be played in front of supporters.  

The German government is expected to reconvene on November 11 to reassess the situation, but it is believed the new measures will be in place until at least the end of the month. 

RB Leipzig lead the Bundesliga after five games with 13 points, with champions Bayern Munich and Dortmund sitting just a point behind. 

Bayern star Robert Lewandowski, has taken a commanding early lead in his lead to retain the league's top scorer crown, netting 10 goals to jump straight to the top of the charts.