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‘I’ve done everything on my own part’ - Vitoria de Guimaraes’ Agu on fringe Nigeria role

The Brazilians ran out of steam against a TTM side who are growing in confidence in their first season in the top flight

Premier Soccer League newcomers Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila earned a morale-boosting point after playing to a 0-0 draw with defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Wednesday night.

After Sundowns had looked relatively enterprising in the first half, they struggled after the interval to create openings against the hard-working visitors.

The game got off to a lively start with the Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila defence doing well to close down Themba Zwane and deny him a shooting chance in the first minute.

The Limpopo side then created a chance of their own through former Orlando Pirates frontman Justin Shonga, who drew a smart save by Denis Onyango with a fourth-minute snap shot.

Having settled into the game, the Brazilians were unlucky not to go in front after 12 minutes when Hlompho Kekana won the ball in midfield before firing a shot against the woodwork.

The Tshwane side kept asking questions of the TTM defence and it took a very good save from Washington Arubi to keep out Lyle Lakay's shot from an acute angle on 26 minutes.

While Masandawana were dominating ball possession they weren't creating too much in the way of clear scoring chances, their next opening arriving in the 42nd minute, when Lakay crossed for Peter Shalulile, whose first-time effort was saved by Arubi.

Following the restart, TTM began to claw their way back into the match and they had a couple of sniffs at goal themselves, including a shot by Man of the Match Diamond Thopola which went wide on the hour mark.

As the second half wore on, Sundowns became increasingly frustrated at their inability to penetrate a stubborn TTM defence.

Indeed there was very little work for Arubi to do as his defence held firm.

A lack of urgency and creativity didn't help Sundowns either and in the end it was job well done by the Premier Soccer League rookies as they did well to stifle their illustrious opponents and to earn their secon point in two matches after opening with a 1-1 draw against TS Galaxy.

Players who have scored a hat-trick against Barcelona since 1990

79' Rashford has now scored in back-to-back Champions League games for the first time. That's three goals in two European games this season now. The striker's having a fantastic start to the season and is getting better and better. He's still only 22 too.

72' United have switched to a clear 4-2-3-1 now with Rashford wide right. Rashford slips Fernandes down the channel and Fernandes sends the ball across goal but there's no one in red there. Fernandes will pose a different threat to the one that van de Beek did.

71' United get another opportunity to swing the ball into the box from a free-kick. This time a foul goes Leipzig's way. The visitors haven't been able to lay a glove on United in this second half.

70' Fernandes floats a cheeky ball into the corridor of uncertainty between Leipzig's goalkeeper and defence. Martial tries to stab it past Gulacsi but misses and the goalkeeper clears with his feet.

69' Leipzig have got a lot more movement and urgency in their play now as we enter the final quarter of the game. Meanwhile, Halstenberg clatters Rashford on the edge of the box. United have a free-kick in a really good area. A few players will fancy this.

67' Maguire makes a decent block from Sorloth's snap shot with Leipzig now pushing five players forward. The offside flag is up against Sorloth anyway.

65' Chance for Leipzig! De Gea leaps to his left to keep out a strong header from Konate after Leipzig won a free-kick in United's half. Leipzig get a corner which they don't achieve very much with.

61' Leipzig are also preparing reinforcements in the form of Sabitzer. Play's still going on for now as Martial cuts into the box and lays off smartly to van de Beek. Halstenberg comes across to make the challenge and Leipzig clear. Halstenberg comes off a little worse for wear but looks fine to continue.

60' Pogba's eyes light up as the ball drops towards him. It's a tantalising shot in theory but whistles wide in practice. United are preparing McTominay and Rashford to come on.

59' The game's starting to get a little more frantic now. Kampl complains to the referee as he takes an arm in the face from van de Beek, leaving Leipzig temporarily down to 10 men while play goes on. Luckily for the official United don't manage to create anything.

58' Angelino's lifted delivery is headed out by Martial and Pogba is clipped by Henrichs. United free-kick/ Leipzig are huffing and puffing but haven't had a shot on target yet this half.

57' Meanwhile, Leipzig have a free-kick down their right. Nkunku's ball in hits van de Beek but United can't fully clear. Forsberg's shot clatters off Lindelof for a Leipzig corner.

56' There's an interesting ongoing battle between Maguire and Poulsen as the pair jockey for position. Poulsen feels he's been pulled over but the referee isn't interested in the slightest.

54' United get a timely free-kick as Martial is fouling, killing Leipzig's momentum. The visitors had started to lurk menacingly in United's half.

52' Leipzig survive the corner as Shaw can't find van de Beek with his try-again cross. Leipzig can't afford to go two goals behind if they want to get anything from this game.

50' Upamecano shows his strength to win the ball and charge forward from the back. The defender leaves space behind him though and United appeal for a penalty as Konate slides in to take the ball away from Shaw. Gulacsi saves from Greenwood at the near post and van de Beek's follow-up from Fred's slash wide is blocked. The ball goes out for a United corner.

48' Leipzig work the ball from left to right with Nkunku rolling a pass wide to Henrichs. Shaw's paying attention though and pokes it out for a throw-in.

45' Man United get the second half going. No changes for either side at half-time.

Only Brian Kidd and Wayne Rooney have scored a top-level European goal for Man United at a younger age than Mason Greenwood's 19 years and 27 days. It's enough to make you regret your own life choices. United will want to find their teenage talisman more in the second half. How will Nagelsmann respond at half-time to his side being behind?

Greenwood's strike is the difference between these two sides at the break after a fairly even first half. Although Leipzig have rallied since Man United scored, United have looked alert and solid at the back, especially Wan-Bissaka. More of this to come!

45' + 1' HALF-TIME: MANCHESTER UNITED 1-0 RB LEIPZIG

45' + 1' United haven't had an attempt on goal since Greenwood scored while Leipzig have had six. Solskjaer will want to see his side keep the ball better in the second half. 

45' The corner's floated towards Poulsen but it's a little too high for him. He leaves it for Angelino who tries to help it back into the danger area but makes a mess of it. There'll be one added minute in this half.

44' Angelino dances into the United box and Wan-Bissaka uses his Inspector Gadget legs to nick the ball off the Spaniard. It's a wonderfully clean tackle. United have a corner to defend though.

43' Maguire sends a free-kick from Man United's half forward and Martial succeeds in coaxing Henrichs into fouling him. Shaw sends the free-kick towards Maguire again but the flag goes up for an infraction by United.

41' Van de Beek squeezes the ball through to Fred who promptly gives it away again. Man United aren't getting anywhere fast but neither are Leipzig as things stand.

40' Fred makes a well-timed interception on Poulsen just as the Dane's about to move the ball on. Leipzig gather themselves and attack again but Wan-Bissaka is well-placed to clear. The right-back's had a great start to the game.

39' Upamecano angles a pass over to Angelino on the opposite side. Angelino tries to find a teammate in the middle but his intended cross just ends up with De Gea.

38' Leipzig are pushing men forward whenever they have the ball. They sense they can find an equaliser before half-time. 

37' Man United are struggling to get out of their half for the time being. Olmo has an opportunity to hit one from distance and Maguire makes the block.

36' Shaw does well to put a stop to the pacy Nkunku. Shaw's form is good enough at the moment to keep United's new signing Alex Telles out of the team.

34' A stat on Greenwood by the way. The 19-year-old's become the youngest Englishman to score on his first Champions League start since Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain back in 2011. He's had a tricky start to the season but he's still got plenty to learn and give.

32' Lindelof gives the ball away to Angelino. Henrichs crosses the play to Angelino who shoots first time. The shot deflects off Wan-Bissaka and loops into the grateful arms of De Gea. United have lost their way a bit since scoring.

31' Leipzig get a free-kick to the right of United's box as Pogba catches Olmo accidentially in the face. Upamecano is the target and gets his head on the end of it but the centre-back is judged to have fouled Wan-Bissaka.

30' Greenwood looks to find his strike partner Martial but Konate has it covered in the air. United have had control of the match in the main but Leipzig don't look disheartened yet. Nor should they be.

28' Kampl's shot from outside the box is blocked. Wan-Bissaka puts in a fine tackle on Angelino to stop Leipzig creating anything else for now.

27' Upamecano has all the time in the world to waltz through midfield.with United cautiously deep. Leipzig's French defender gets delusions of grandeur and spanks an effort well wide from distance.

26' Wan-Bissaka's alert defending puts Leipzig's latest attack to a halt but the visitors soon come again. Lindelof heads the ball out for a throw-in.

25' The corner comes in towards Upamecano who heads it on to Halstenberg at the back post. Matic does enough to put the Leipzig defender off, but Leipzig don't intend on being behind for long.

23' De Gea's called into action for the first time tonight. Forsberg moves the ball quickly to Nkunku who lashes a high effort towards the near post. De Gea raises his arms high to push it out for a Leipzig corner.

20' Martial goes down off the ball after a collision with Konate but play carries on. United are finding it hard to get around the back of Leipzig at the moment.

18' United pop the ball around for a while, going nowhere in particular. Matic decides to play it forward for Greenwood and ends up giving it away. United will be relying heavily on their wing-backs for width in this game.

17' A nice turn from Martial takes him away from Kampl. It's a promising attack for United but Shaw can't quite find van der Beek to keep it going. Nkunku is in space for a switched pass but Leipzig can't get the ball over to him in time. United sort themselves out quickly.

16' Shaw sends a ball down the line and Greenwood races Halstenberg to it. The young Englishman ends up fouling the centre-back in his eagerness to win it.

15' Matic ventures too far out wide and keeps the ball in play at the expense of losing possession. Leipzig break forward and Fred is there to tidy things up for United.

13' Leipzig are playing very patiently at the moment. The visitors look energetic off the ball and calm on it.

11' Henrichs and Olmo combine nicely to carry Leipzig down the right hand side. Olmo squares for Forsberg and United get in the way.

10' Martial darts in behind Leipzig's defence to cross from the right-hand channel. Martial cuts back looking for Pogba but does it a second too late, allowing Leipzig to clear. These are good early signs from United.

9' Halstenberg telegraphs his next pass to Fred who intercepts. Luckily for Leipzig, Man United don't manage to get sight of goal.

8' Pogba looks to find Wan-Bissaka with an angled pass wide right but doesn't get the power right. You can forgive the Frenchman for looking a little rusty early on.

7' United take the corner quickly and Shaw rattles a shot into the head of Poulsen. Poulsen knew nothing about it but it was heading on target.

6' Chance for Man United! Shaw floats the free-kick to Maguire at the far post and United's captain heads it back towards the middle. It lands to Fred who forces a diving save from Gulacsi! It'll be a United corner.

5' Man United get a free-kick in midfield for Kampl's foul on Pogba. United try to play on but the referee pulls play back. Shaw will take the free-kick.

4' Man United get a sniff of possession but Matic is forced to hurry with the ball and Leipzig soon win it back. The two teams are still scoping each other out.

3' Leipzig dictate the early possession. They're playing with a back three here to better handle Man United's two strikers.

1' The Slovenian referee Matej Jug blows his whistle and Leipzig get us underway here in Manchester!

The two sides are out on the Old Trafford pitch. Solskjaer and Nagelsmann embrace warmly before heading to their respective dugouts. It's nearly time for kick-off!

This is the first meeting between Man United and RB Leipzig in European competition as Leipzig become the 108th different team Manchester United have hosted in a home European match. United's recent home form in the Champions League hasn't been great, but the last time United lost on home soil to a German team was to Bayern Munich back in 2001. Will United win their first two Champions League group games for the first time since 2017/18 or will it be Leipzig who keep up the perfect start?

Solskjaer makes five changes from United's 0-0 draw with Chelsea last weekend. United switch to a 4-1-2-1-2 formation with van der Beek behind Martial and Greenwood. Leipzig make four changes from their 2-1 victory over Hertha Berlin as Julian Nagelsmann starts with Konate, Halstenberg, Olmo, and Poulsen.

SUBS: Lazar Samardzic, Marcel Sabitzer, Justin Kluivert, Willi Orban, Hwang Hee-Chan, Philipp Tschauner, Alexander Sorloth, Tyler Adams, Josep Martinez, Dennis Borkowski, Eric Martel, Joscha Wosz.

RB LEIPZIG (3-4-3): Peter Gulacsi (c); Ibrahima Konate, Dayot Upamecano, Marcel Halstenberg; Benjamin Henrichs, Christopher Nkunku, Kevin Kampl, Angelino; Dani Olmo, Yussuf Poulsen, Emil Forsberg.

SUBS: Bruno Fernandes, Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Brandon Williams, Daniel James, Juan Mata, Teden Mengi, Marcus Rashford, Scott McTominay, Dean Henderson, Odion Ighalo, Axel Tuanzebe, Edinson Cavani.

MANCHESTER UNITED (4-1-2-1-2): David de Gea; Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire (c), Luke Shaw; Nemanja Matic; Fred, Paul Pogba; Donny van de Beek; Mason Greenwood, Anthony Martial.

Leipzig, meanwhile, also come into this game with a win already on the board as they saw off Istanbul Basaksehir 2-0 last time out. Another victory for either team would do wonders for their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League knockout phase. Let's see if either of them get it!

Man United will be looking to make it two wins out of two in Group H as they host last year's semi-finalists Leipzig. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men picked up an impressive win away to Paris Saint-Germain last week and look to be recovering from their rocky start to the season. They'll be hoping that recovery continues here.

Hello! Welcome to our live text commentary of this UEFA Champions League Group H match between Manchester United and RB Leipzig at Old Trafford.

'Salah is better now than he was in first season at Liverpool' - Egyptian's goal record is 'computer game stuff', says Henderson

80' Dybala tries to take on Alba down the right flank, but he loses out to the Barca full-back. It has not been Dybala's best night for Juve.

78' WIDE! McKennie runs at Sergi Roberto down the left flank and cuts inside to shoot on his right foot. The American can only send his effort wide of the right post.

77' Danilo is the man on the spot once more for Juventus in the box with another block to deny Messi.

75' INCHES AWAY! Messi threads a pass through to Griezmann in the left inside channel. The forward has space and time to fire at goal on his left foot, but he sends his effort just wide of the right post. Agony for the Frenchman.

72' Messi takes a touch to beat Bonucci and lines up a strike at goal. However, Danilo gets across just in time with an inch-perfect challenge to deny the Argentine.

72' Pjanic works the ball to Fati in the box and the teenager creates space for himself to shoot at goal, but his effort is charged down by a wall of Juve defenders.

70' WIDE! Morata threads a pass through to Rabiot on the charge in the left inside channel. The Frenchman goes for goal with a first-time effort, but he fails to hit the target.

69' OVER! Kulusevski works the ball into the path of Morata and the Spaniard offloads back to his team-mate in space on the edge of the box. Kulusevski goes for a left-footed strike, but he clips his effort over the bar.

64' BLOCK! Messi runs at the Juve defence and offloads towards Pedri in space in the right inside channel. The teenager cuts inside on his left foot to shoot, but Danilo does well to deflect it wide of the target. Messi just fails to react in time to steer the loose ball towards goal.

62' WIDE! Messi pounces on a loose ball on the edge of the box and curls a low strike towards goal. However, his effort creeps inches past the left post. So close for a second for the visitors.

57' DISALLOWED GOAL!!! Morata is denied for the third time of the game. The Spaniard believes that he has finally found the back of the net, converting Cuadrado's cross at the back post. The goal is awarded on the field, but VAR spots that his trailing leg is offside and disallows the strike. 

55' Morata has the ball in the net for a third time, but the goal goes to a VAR check for a potential offside.

54' Bonucci has to act in the box to steer away a loose ball from Griezmann after Demiral breaks up an attempted ball over the top to Messi. Juve are having to defend deep at the start of the second half.

53' Sergi Roberto feeds Dembele in space down the right flank. He hammers a low ball towards the middle that Bonucci has to divert away from the lurking Pedri.

52' Messi angles the free-kick towards goal, but Bonucci rises in the middle to head it clear of danger.

51' Lenglet goes down under pressure from Demiral, handing Barca a free-kick on the right edge of the box.

51' Alba gets forward down the left flank and fires a low ball towards the near post that Demiral has to turn behind.

50' Messi makes a rare mistake with his first touch on the edge of the box, allowing Rabiot to nip in to win possession.

49' Juve work the ball around the edge of the box, but Bentancur slips as he strikes at goal, curling his effort over the bar.

46' We're back underway at Allianz Stadium.

Andrea Pirlo will be concerned by his side's performance in the first half. They were lacklustre in the final third, even though Morata did have the ball in the net twice. The Spaniard has been off the pace, being caught offside twice. Paulo Dybala has also been largely ineffectual. The Bianconeri need more from the two players in the second half.

Barcelona lead Juventus 1-0 at the break in their Champions League clash at Allianz Stadium. Ousmane Dembele put Ronald Koeman's men in front courtesy of a deflected strike from the edge of the box. Barca should arguably be out of sight, but Lionel Messi, Dembele and Antoine Griezmann failed to convert further openings. Alvaro Morata has had two goals disallowed for the hosts, who have been underwhelming in the final third.

45' + 3' HALF-TIME: JUVENTUS 0-1 BARCELONA

45' + 2' Danilo goes for a blast from distance, but gets his effort all wrong, sending the ball well over the bar.

45' + 1' Araujo requires treatment for the visitors, but he appears to be okay to continue.

45' There will be two minutes of added time.

45' Danilo and Kulusevski attempt to combine to release Morata in the box. However, Lenglet steps across to make the interception.

43' The home side are struggling immensely in the final third. They're not clicking at the moment. Dybala needs to see more of the ball.

41' Morata runs at the Barca defence and initially fends off Lenglet. However, he overruns the ball and dribbles it out for a goal-kick. Frustration for the Spaniard.

41' Lenglet sends a searching ball through the Juve defence, but it travels away from Griezmann and into the hands of Szczesny.

39' Former team-mates collide in the middle of the park as Rabiot brings down Pjanic. Juve are struggling to contain the visitors.

37' Morata and Kulusevski try to combine in the final third, but Alba does enough to whisk the ball away from the latter just before he can pull the trigger.

35' CHANCES! Messi charges at the Juve backline and works an incisive pass to Dembele. The Frenchman sees his effort saved by Szczesny, but the rebound falls back to him. He cannot get a second strike away and decides offload to Griezmann. The forward misses his initial kick and then sees his second effort charged down by a wall of black and white shirts.

33' WIDE! Alba pounces a deflected cross in the left inside channel as the home side fail to clear their lines. The Spaniard goes for a blast at goal, but he slices his effort wide of the left post.

32' Dybala angles a cross to the back post for Morata to chase, but Sergi Roberto tracks it and nods back to Neto. He had to make that interception.

30' DISALLOWED GOAL! Morata is denied for the second time in the game. He converts Cuadrado's cross on the slide, dispatching his effort past Neto. However, the flag goes up late and replays show that he was indeed beyond the last defender.

29' Szczesny takes a touch from a pass from Demiral and the ball travels dangerously towards the goalline. The Pole gets his clearance away before Griezmann closes in.

29' Messi tries to find the run of Pedri down the left flank, but he just overhits his cross-field ball out for a throw-in. 

27' Chiesa has another dart down the left flank and he fires a low cross towards the near post. There is no Juve player in the vicinity and it allows Neto to gather with ease.

25' Chiesa runs at the Barcelona defence down the left flank, but he loses out under pressure from Sergi Roberto.

23' CHANCE! Messi spurns the opportunity to double Barca's lead. The Argentine works a one-two with Griezmann, who opens up space for his team-mate in the left inside channel with a sublime backheel. Messi lines up the strike, but pulls it wide of the right post.

22' Alba has space and time on the left flank. He tries to angle a cross to the back post, but Szczesny comes off his line to claim ahead of Griezmann.

19' Morata tries to attack a deep cross from Cuadrado into the box, but he fouls Araujo in the process. The Spaniard has to display more nous in the fonal third.

17' The referee has a word with Alba following a strong challenge on Cuadrado on the right flank.

16' VAR! The referee doubles checks the Morata decision with VAR. It proves that there was both offside and handball infringements. It didn't have much going for it.

15' DISALLOWED GOAL! Morata surges through on goal after being played through by Cuadrado. He sees his first strike saved by Neto, but he bundles the rebound home. However, the referee spots a handball against the Spaniard, who was also offside in the build-up.

13' Cuadrado has space on the right flank and he sends a low cross into the box. Chiesa sticks out a leg and tries to flick it up for himself, but he fails to pull off the piece of skill. 

11' Barca win a corner down the left flank that Messi whips into the box, but Demiral rises highest in the box to head clear.

9' Juve are trying to get their foot on the ball to calm the game down. Barca will be content to find space on the break.

7' Bonucci sends a long ball over the top, aiming for Dybala's run. However, it skips off the surface and into the hands of Neto in his box.

5' Pjanic gives the ball straight to Chiesa in the final third, but Lenglet bails out his team-mate with an inch-perfect challenge to dispossess the forward.

4' Juve are half asleep to begin the contest, but the visitors are unable to capitalise.

3' OFF THE POST! Barca keep the pressure on from the corner. Pjanic sees his strike from the edge of the box saved before Griezmann pounces on the rebound. He blasts a left-footed effort towards the net, only to see his strike clatter of the post.

2' BLOCK! Demiral gives the ball straight to Messi in the left inside channel. The Argentine fires at goal, but Bonucci denies him with a last-ditch block.

1' We're underway at Allianz Stadium.

This will be the 14th match between Juventus and Barcelona in competitive football, with the Italian giants failing to score in their last three meetings with the Spanish outfit (D2 L1).

Barcelona also have a slew of injuries to contend along with Gerard Pique's suspension. Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Samuel Umtiti and Philippe Coutinho are all injured, resulting in Neto starting once again between the sticks. Araujo gets the nod to start in the backline in place of Pique. Busquets, Dest and Fati all drop to the bench from the side that was beaten by Real Madrid. Griezmann, Dembele, Sergi Roberto and Pjanic are all inserted into the line-up.

Juventus are still without Cristiano Ronaldo after the Portuguese returned a second positive coronavirus test. The Bianconeri are also without defenders Giorgio Chiellini and Matthijs de Ligt, although Dybala and Bonucci are available for Pirlo. There are three changes from their side that drew 1-1 against Hellas Verona as Ramsey, Arthur and Bernadeschi drop to the bench and Bentancur, Kulusevski and Chiesa start.

BARCELONA SUBS: Sergino Dest, Sergio Busquets, Carles Alena, Martin Braithwaite, Riqui Puig, Trincao, Ansu Fati, Junior Firpo, Inaki Pena, Arnau Tenas.

BARCELONA (4-2-3-1): Neto, Sergi Roberto, Ronald Araujo, Clement Lenglet, Jordi Alba; Frenkie de Jong, Miralem Pjanic; Pedri, Lionel Messi, Ousmane Dembele; Antoine Griezmann.

JUVENTUS SUBS: Arthur, Aaron Ramsey, Weston McKennie, Carlo Pinsoglio, Federico Bernardeschi, Koni de Winter, Gianluca Frabotta, Manolo Portanova, Alessandrio Pio Riccio, Gianluigi Buffon.

JUVENTUS (4-2-3-1): Wojciech Szcesny; Juan Cuadrado, Merih Demiral, Leonardo Bonucci, Danilo; Rodrigo Bentancur, Adrien Rabiot; Dejan Kulusevski, Paulo Dybala, Federico Chiesa; Alvaro Morata.

Barcelona have endured a torrid week, suffering a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Real Madrid in El Clasico. They were soundly beaten by their rivals at Camp Nou before club president Josip Maria Bartomeu announced his resignation along with other members of the board. It has left the Catalan side in bizarre position off the field, but Ronald Koeman has to put that to one side to help his team get back to winning ways.

Juventus defeated Dynamo Kiev in their opener by a 2-0 scoreline to kick off their Champions League campaign on the front foot. Maurizio Sarri was sacked after their defeat to Lyon last season, therefore it was crucial for Andrea Pirlo to begin a victory. The Bianconeri earned the three points courtesy of a brace from Alvaro Morata to match Barca's start in Group G, but they face a challenge tonight against the Spanish outfit.

Good evening and welcome to the live commentary of the Champions League clash between Juventus and Barcelona at Allianz Stadium.

Atlanta United boss Gonzalo Pineda reveals key to Ezequiel Barco improvement

Orlando Pirates 1-1 Stellenbosch FC: Wasteful Bucs drop points ahead of Soweto Derby

The Soweto giants remain winless in the league after failing to take their chances against Stellies

Orlando Pirates let their lead slip to draw 1-1 with Stellenbosch FC in a Premier Soccer League (PSL) match which was played at Orlando Stadium on Wednesday night.

Bucs opened the scoring through Ntsikelelo Nyauza, but Nathan Sinkala levelled matters for Stellies a few minutes later. 

The Buccaneers were looking to record their maiden win of the 2020/21 PSL season after being held to a 1-1 draw by AmaZulu FC over the weekend.

Coach Josef Zinnbauer handed Richard Ofori his Pirates debut, while Happy Jele made his first start of the season joining Thulani Hlatshwayo in central defence.

While Stellies were also targeting their first victory of the campaign after holding newly-promoted Swallows FC to a 1-1 draw over the weekend.

Zinnbauer's counterpart, Steve Barker crowded his midfield as three holding midfielders Grandwald Scott, Nathan Sinkala and Robyn Johannes all started. 

The first chance of the match fell for Stellenbosch when Johannes set-up an unmarked Sinkala at the far post and the latter headed over the crossbar from close range and Pirates survived a scare.

This served as a wake-up call for the Buccaneers, who began pushing forward in numbers and Kabelo Dlamini's deflected effort narrowly missed the target.

The deadlock was broken from the resultant free-kick when Ntsikelelo Nyauza poked the ball home from close range to make it 1-0 to Pirates in the 33rd minute after the visitors had failed to clear their lines.

However, Pirates went to sleep at the back and they were punished by Zambia international Sinkala after Paseka Mako had lost possession in his own-half. 

Sinkala made amends from an early miss as he beat Ghana international Ofori with a looping header to make it 1-1 with 19-year-old midfielder Jayden Adams grabbing an assist three minutes before half-time. 

It should have been 2-1 to Stellenbosch when Ashley Du Preez was sent through on goal, but he was denied by Ofori from a one-on-one situation and the score was 1-1- at the interval.

Zinnbauer made a triple substitution prior to the start of the second-half as Terrence Dzvukamanja, Lerato Lepasa and Thabiso Monyane were all introduced.

Pirates controlled the match and they created goalscoring opportunities with Lee Langeveldt being a very busy man in the Stellenbosch goal-posts.

The experienced shot-stopper denied Fortune Makaringe with a good save, before producing a brilliant diving save to deny Lepasa as pressure mounted on Stellies.

Langeveldt was then beaten by Lepasa's low effort, but Alan Robertson made a crucial clearance on the goal-line in the closing stages of the match.

The 33-year-old shot-stopper, who was in top form, was not done as he produced two great saves to deny Monyane and Mako to ensure that the match ended in a 1-1 draw on the night.

The draw left Pirates and Stellenbosch placed ninth and 10th respectively on the league standings with two matches played.

Pirates have now turned their attention to their eagerly-anticipated clash with Kaizer Chiefs in the MTN8 semi-final first-leg match at Orlando Stadium on Saturday. 

Original author: Austin Ditlhobolo

Man Utd complete signing of Mason Mount from Chelsea

The Phobians legend reveals his coaching ambitions for a club which was once his rival

Former Hearts of Oak and attacker Bernard Dong Bortey believes he has what it takes to lead rival club Asante Kotoko to Caf Champions League glory.

The 38-year-old recently announced his retirement from active football in an interview with Goal earlier this year, revealing he has identified coaching as the next step for his career.

Kotoko have been on the search for a continental title since winning the 1983 Champions League title.

"Kotoko's Caf continental trophy droughts can be solved by me if I become coach for Kotoko," Bortey told Hot FM.

"I am ever ready to coach Kotoko and I can win Africa for Kotoko.

“Kotoko have a good strong squad for the Ghana Premier League but they have to buy players outside Ghana to blend the players for them to be able to succeed in Africa."

Kotoko's closest chance of winning a continental trophy in recent times came in 2004 when they reached the final of the inaugural Caf Confederation Cup competition. In the end, their attempt ended in disappointment as they lost to rivals Hearts in an all-Ghana final, interestingly with Bortey on the side of the Phobians.

Two years earlier, the Porcupine Warriors succumbed to Moroccan club Wydad Athletic Club (WAC) Casablanca in the final of the now-defunct Caf Cup Winners' Cup.

In the Champions League, Kotoko have not progressed beyond the group stage of the competition since 2006.

This season, Maxwell Konadu's outfit is set to make another attempt for the cup.

"I want to be a coach now. I’ve retired. I was not 100 per cent sure but I have done it," Bortey told Goal in April.

'I’m still playing football but not competitively. I don’t want to play any more competitive leagues like the Ghana Premier League because I have made my name already.

"Everybody knows my name in Ghana football. So I have to leave for the young ones to take over. Now, I’m a coach. I’m not a footballer anymore. I’ve retired."

Bortey, who played over 20 times for Ghana at senior level, also won four Ghana Premier League (GPL) titles with Hearts and the 2002 league goal-king award.

Original author: Prince Narkortu Teye

Man United's frantic transfer chase: Sancho, Dembele, Ocampos in frame

Jose Mourinho started the Welshman in last week's win over LASK and he is set to play from the off again on Thursday

Gareth Bale's fitness is "improving a lot" as the Welshman prepares to make his second start of the season for Tottenham in the Europa League

Bale started for the first time since returning to the Premier League club in the 3-0 win over LASK last week. 

The 31-year-old has been eased back into first-team duties following his return to north London on a loan move from Real Madrid agreed in the summer transfer window.

He had previously been used off the bench against West Ham, coming on midway through the second half before Jose Mourinho's side conceded a three-goal lead to draw 3-3. 

However, Bale remained an unused substitute during Spurs' 1-0 victory over Burnley on Monday, a result which helped the club climb up to fifth place in the Premier League standings with six games played so far in the 2020-21 season.

His fitness is being steadily managed by Spurs, but Mourinho's assistant head coach Joao Sacramento has confirmed the Real Madrid loanee will start the clash with Antwerp on Thursday. 

"I can tell you that we will make some changes but like in every previous match, the changes don't mean that the team is weak," Sacramento told Spurs' official website ahead of the Group J clash.

"We believe that with the squad that we have, even with rotation, the team will keep the level and the quality of play. 

"Tomorrow, Gareth Bale will start. Gareth is improving a lot – in terms of fitness level, his condition is much, much better, he's feeling better every day and with the interaction that we have with him, he's feeling very positive and we believe that soon he will be at his top level again." 

In his 66 minutes on the pitch against LASK, Bale had 44 touches and attempted 25 passes, finishing with a 72 per cent accuracy. 

However, he failed to have a single effort on goal and did not create any chances. His replacement, Son Heung-min, scored Spurs' third and final goal, which came from one of his two on-target attempts. 

Japan's quest for gold over but historic Olympic medal still beckons

The winger lasted just 26 minutes in his side's second group stage match before being replaced by Pablo Sarabia

Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar was forced out of Wednesday's Champions League clash with Istanbul Basaksehir as the Brazilian star limped off with an injury.

Neymar was forced off inside half an hour in Instanbul with match still scoreless as PSG faced the Turkish side in the second match of the group stage

The winger was forced out after 26 minutes, having previously come off the pitch a few minutes earlier due to an apparent injury.

He was replaced by Pablo Sarabia, who joined Kylian Mbappe, Moise Keane and Angel Di Maria in the PSG attack, with Neymar becoming the first PSG player to be substituted in the first half in a Champions League game since Thiago Motta against Manchester City in April 2016

Wednesday's injury comes after Neymar recently overcame a back issue after previously dealing with a calf issue.

The Brazilian winger has made four appearances for PSG in Ligue 1, scoring two goals as the defending champions sit atop Ligue 1 with 20 points through eight games.

He also started PSG's Champions League opener, earning a yellow card as last year's runners-up fell to Manchester United at the Parc des Princes.

Neymar scored three goals in seven appearances throughout PSG's run to the final last season, featuring in the finale as they fell to Bayern Munich in a 1-0 defeat.

While Champions League success has eluded Neymar and PSG since he made the move from Barcelona to France in 2017, the Ligue 1 giants have claimed three league titles, two Coupes de France and two Coupes de la Ligue.

The winger's injury could have a major impact on PSG's season, with the Ligue 1 side set to visit last season's semi-finalists RB Leipzig in their next Champions League clash.

Before that, though, they'll visit Nantes in Ligue 1 play, with their opponents currently sitting 15th in the league. 

Any extended absence could also see Neymar miss matches for Brazil, with the Selecao facing World Cup qualifiers in November.

Having topped Bolivia and Peru during the last international break, Brazil are set to host Venezuela on November 13 before visiting Uruguay four days later.

Foden ensures Man City continue to 'hide in plain sight' in title race

The next election for positions in the African football governing body is scheduled for March 2021

The Confederation of African Football President Ahmad Ahmad has announced his intention to run for a second term in office.

Ahmad’s confirmation comes on the back of a reported endorsement from 46 African Federations who are rooting for his success in the elective Extraordinary General Assembly in Morocco on March 12, 2021.

Three years ago, Ahmad ended Issa Hayatou's 29-year reign as Caf boss, after defeating the Cameroonian by 34 votes to 20.

"I accepted to be a candidate while listening to the presidents of the federation, around 46 of whom asked me after receiving my assessment of my initial mandate," Ahmad told BBC Sport Africa.

"As I have previously announced, I said I would pursue a second mandate if the need was there.

"This is an outcome of working together, of management which involves everybody, which has been happening since 2017.

The President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick is a potential rival that could face the 60-year-old Madagascan in the race for the top Caf job.

Pinnick, a former Caf vice-president, said he was considering his options for the position last month but Ahmad remains unfazed by any challenge.

"It's always good during an election to have a rival candidate, but we wait," he continued.

"I know that some people are awaiting other things unrelated to the elections - but as for the elections themselves, they all know they cannot beat me given I represent a group of people who want to go forward together."

Egypt's Amr Fahmy, a former Caf General Secretary, also announced his candidacy for the presidency seat but he lost his battle with cancer earlier this year.

Original author: Taiye Taiwo

Thierry Henry in talks to become new Bournemouth boss

The team's coach has named her squad for the regional youth championship billed for next month in Nelson Mandela Bay

Simphiwe Dludlu has announced her Bantwana final squad for the Cosafa U17 Women's Cup to be held from November 4-14 in South Africa.

Dludlu has trimmed her initial list to 20 players, with two goalkeepers, seven defenders, six midfielders and five strikers for the tournament in Nelson Mandela Bay.

Commenting on her final list, the coach, who led the team to a 1-0 friendly defeat to Banyana Banyana, believes her side are in good shape to challenge for the trophy this time on home soil.

“When you go to Cosafa you find players that are bigger and stronger and our practice game against Banyana Banyana gave us that resistance," she told Safa.net.

"We wanted to see how they behave and analyse their mental strength. We still have some work to do but I am happy with my squad selection.”

Bantwana are hoping to win the regional youth competition for the first time after they finished as runners-up in the inaugural age-grade regional championship held last year in Mauritius.

As African 2021 Women's World Cup qualification finalist, they will aim to surpass last year's feat but must edge Comoros, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Comoros in a round-robin event.

They will start their campaign against Zambia on November 4 at The Oval before taking on Zimbabwe two days later, Tanzania on November 8 and will wrap up against Comoros on November 12.

 

Bantwana Squad

GOALKEEPERS: Karabo Mohale, Manana Myeki

DEFENDERS: Mihle Lumko, Hlela Philisani, Nkateko Nkhuna, Shannon Macomo, Thimna Mphele, Flora Khosa, Yolanda Nduli

MIDFIELDERS: Jessica Wade, Janica Andrews, Nabeelah Galant, Aliyaah Allie, Lithemba Sam Sam, Cimone Sauls

STRIKERS: Oyisa Marhasi, Kananelo Taiwe, Jade Leask, Ronnel Donnelly, Tyler Scott

Original author: Samuel Ahmadu

The Tottenham Hotspur Lineup That Should Start Against Crystal Palace

The former Gunners boss believes that a new mega-competition could have a disastrous effect on English football

Arsene Wenger says that a potential European Super League would "destroy" the Premier League, but the former Arsenal manager believes that it could become a reality if English football's biggest clubs to agree to it.

Talks of a potential European Super League have heated up in recent weeks, with outgoing Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu adding fuel to the fire by saying the club accepted an invitation to join the new league.

Although the idea of a mega-competition is not a new one, talks gained traction in recent weeks after a Sky report stated that a £4.6 billion ($6bn) package is being put together from Wall Street bank JP Morgan to see the creation of a European Premier League.

The competition, which would reportedly kick off in 2022 and feature either 16 or 18 teams, would see clubs play a minimum of 30 matches over the course of a season.

LiverpoolManchester United, Arsenal, ChelseaManchester City and Tottenham are said to have been approached, with some of the world's biggest clubs expected to join.

The news comes in the wake of a recent discussion surrounding the Premier League's top clubs, Project Big Picture, which would have seen the biggest English teams seize more power.

But those talks died down following pubic outcry, and Wenger hopes that the European Super League fails to come to fruition as well as the former Arsenal boss believes it could spell the death of the Premier League.

"I don't believe that Europe is ready for that," he told the Guardian. "The period is actually that the Premier League has a superiority. The project wanted to reinforce this superiority.

"The other leagues tried to destroy the advantage the Premier League has. For them, the best way to tame that is to create a European League. That means to destroy the Premier League basically.

"If they get the agreement from the English big clubs, then it will happen."

Wenger added that he believes there are footballing reasons to want a new league, which would see the best teams in the world face off regularly.

However, he says that, like most things, the real reason behind these talks is money, as club owners are looking to continue to find new ways to profit.

"It is football as well but we are in the period of owners or investors. [For] investors, their first target is to make money," he said. 

"The European Super League is one way, maybe, to make more money."

20 Brazilian wonderkids who flopped in Europe

The Africans did not make the Turkish outfit’s starting XI for Wednesday’s Champions League game against the Parisians

Istanbul Basaksehir take on Paris Saint-Germain in Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Senegal’s Demba Ba and Cape Verde’s Carlos Ponck excluded from the starting XI.

The reigning Turkish Super Lig kings would be hoping to make a winning home debut in the competition against the French team who finished as 2019-20 runners-up.

To achieve this, manager Okan Buruk has decided to start the duo as a substitute, while Nigeria’s Okechukwu Azubuike is ruled out due to injury.

In a 4-3-3 formation, Mert Gunok will start in goal while Belgium left-back of Congolese descent Boli Bolingoli-Mbombo will anchor the backline alongside Rafael, Alexandru Epureanu and former Liverpool star Martin Skrtel.

The trio of Irfan Kahveci, Mehmet Topal and Berkay Ozcan occupy the midfield, while the Fatih Terim Stadium giants will rely on Enzo Crivelli, Deniz Turuc and Edin Visca for goals.

For Thomas Tuchel's Ligue 1 side, Senegal's Idrissa Gueye, Bandiougou Fadiga and Madagascar’s Mathyas Randriamamy are among the named substitutes.

PSG stuttered to a 2-1 home defeat to Odion Ighalo’s Manchester United on the opening day with Istanbul Basaksehir losing 2-0 to RB Leipzig in Germany. Victory for either team would be crucial on Wednesday night as they hope to qualify from Group H.

Original author: Shina Oludare

UEFA cancel 2020/21 Youth League amid coronavirus travel restrictions

The Nigerian midfielder was on parade from start to finish as his Danish club lost to Jurgen Klopp’s men at Anfield on Tuesday

Frank Onyeka has described Midtjylland's 2-0 loss to Liverpool in Tuesday's Champions League encounter as 'an experience to take along'.

He produced a solid display in the middle of the park at Anfield but second-half goals from Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah condemned the Danish visitors to their second straight defeat in the elite European competition this season.

Despite being the strongest defensive force for Midtjylland in the encounter with most tackles (4) and most interceptions (3), Onyeka was the most fouled player on Tuesday night and he won five free-kicks for his team.

In his reaction, the 22-year-old applauded his teammates’ fighting spirit and wants them to learn from the result.

“An experience we take along. Great fight from the team,” Onyeka wrote on Instagram.

Earlier this month, Onyeka made his Nigeria debut in an international friendly match against Algeria in Austria which ended 1-0 in favour of the reigning African champions.

Meanwhile, Midtjylland manager Brian Priske reserved praise for his entire team for the performance on Merseyside despite the loss.

“There is no doubt that we are well satisfied with the performance that was presented today. We proved to each other that we can commit to the Champions League,” Priske told the club website.

“I am satisfied with the way we delivered as a team and that we were able to do it in just over 90 minutes without the big fluctuations. We gave very few chances away against a very strong opponent.”

Onyeka’s Midtjylland sit at the bottom of Champions League group D with no point after two games. They will be aiming for their first win when they welcome Ajax to the MCH Arena next Tuesday, after Saturday's Superliga fixture against Nordsjaelland.

Original author: Taiye Taiwo

The Manchester United youngsters who could make their first-team debut this season

1' Referee Andreas Ekberg blows his whistle to signal the start of this Champions League fixture!

The players are making their way on to the pitch and shortly the game will get underway.

The visitors are unbeaten in their last five matches in European competition versus Turkish teams (W4 D1), since a 0-1 defeat away to Galatasaray in December 2000.

Thomas Tuchel makes seven changes to his side that hammered Dijon. Mbappe comes back in to partner Kean, who grabbed a brace last game. While at the other end, Navas, Florenzi, Kimpembe and Kurzawa all return.

Okan Buruk opts for two changes to his last starting eleven, with Topal and Ozcan replacing Ba and Tekdemir. Both Rafael and Skrtel are deemed fit enough to play, despite lasting just 45 minutes against Antalyaspor.

SUBS: Abdou Diallo, Sergio Rico, Bandiougou Fadiga, Mitchel Bakker, Timothee Pembele, Pablo Sarabia, Kats Ruiz-Atil, Colin Dagba, Thilo Kehrer, Rafinha, Mathyas Randriamamy, Idrissa Gueye.

PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN (4-4-2): Keylor Navas; Alessandro Florenzi, Danilo Pereira, Presnel Kimpembe, Layvin Kurzawa; Marquinhos, Ander Herrera, Neymar, Angel Di Maria; Kylian Mbappe, Moise Kean.

SUBS: Volkan Babacan, Fredrik Gulbrandsen, Danijel Aleksic, Ahmet Said Kivanc, Demba Ba, Hasan Ali Kaldirim, Enes Karakus, Emre Kaplan, Giuliano, Carlos Ponck.

ISTANBUL BASAKSEHIR (4-3-3): Fehmi Mert Gunok; Boli Bolingoli-Mbombo, Rafael, Martin Skrtel, Alexandru Epureanu; Berkay Ozcan, Irfan Can Kahveci, Mehmet Topal; Edin Visca, Deniz Turuc, Enzo Crivelli.

Both sides were unsuccessful in their first group games, with the hosts losing 2-0 to RB Leipzig, while the French side were defeated 2-1 by Manchester United at Parc des Princes. However, both teams did make amends in their respective leagues over the weekend, thrashing Antalyaspor and Dijon.

Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Champions League group H fixture between Istanbul Basaksehir and Paris Saint-Germain.

Mumbai City's wide players are thriving in Sergio Lobera-ball

3' Hudson-Odoi makes the first move forward but can't make any inroads into what looks like an organised Krasnodar defence.

2' Chelsea are dominating the early possession, passing it around comfortably at the back.

1' Referee Ali Palabiyik blows his whistle and we’re underway here at Krasnodar Stadium.

The teams are emerging from the tunnel and kick-off is moments away.

This is the 61st unique starting XI that Frank Lampard has named in 65 games as Chelsea manager. He’ll be hoping this side can make it three clean sheets in a row and offer a lot more going forward than they did against Sevilla and Manchester United.

No such personnel headaches for Frank Lampard. Indeed, Thiago Silva is the only notable absentee as Lampard has opted to rest the veteran defender after an inspired performance at the weekend. Still, there’s four changes for the Blues as Antonio Rudiger gets his first start of the season. Mateo Kovacic is preferred alongside Jorginho and Hakim Ziyech makes his full debut for the club. Should it be needed, Lampard has named a strong bench that includes Christian Pulisic, Olivier Giroud, and Tammy Abraham.

As mentioned, this is a Krasnodar side that has been plagued by injuries and Murad Musaev has made three changes to the team from the weekend. The back four are unchanged but in comes Daniil Utkin to partner Tonny Vilhena in the midfield in place of Eduard Spertsyan. Kristoffer Olsson returns to the starting XI after missing the Spartak Moscow game and Marcus Berg starts up front on his own with Shapi Suleymanov dropping to the bench.

CHELSEA SUBS: Willy Caballero, Karlo Ziger, Reece James, Fikayo Tomori, Andreas Christensen, Emerson, N’Golo Kante, Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic, Olivier Giroud, Tammy Abraham.

CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Edouard Mendy; Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger, Kurt Zouma, Ben Chilwell; Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic; Callum Hudson-Odoi, Kai Havertz, Hakin Ziyech; Timo Werner.

KRASNODAR SUBS: Andrey Sinitsyn, Leon Sabua, Maksim Kutovoy, Vladislav Litvinov, Shapi Suleymanov, Evgeni Gorodov, Eduard Spertsyan.

KRASNODAR (4-2-3-1): Matvey Sofanov; Evgeni Chernov, Aleksandr Martynovich, Kaio, Igor Smolnikov; Tonny Vilhena, Daniil Utkin; Cristian Ramirez, Yuri Gazinskiy, Kristoffer Olsson; Marcus Berg.

In their respective league campaigns, a much-depleted Krasnodar squad are languishing down in eighth in the Russian Premier League after a 3-1 defeat to Spartak Moscow at the weekend, while their opponents aren’t faring any better. The Blues sit 10th in the English Premier League, without a win in their last two, and after playing out a dour 0-0 draw with Manchester United at the weekend.

This is the first time these sides will lock horns, and both come into the game sitting on one point after the opening round of group games. Krasnodar recorded a very respectable 1-1 draw with Rennes in their inaugural Champions League outing, while Chelsea and Sevilla finished goalless.

Hello and welcome to live coverage of this Champions League Group E clash between Krasnodar and Chelsea.

Eric Cantona inducted into Premier League Hall of Fame

The Superhoops boss is optimistic the Anglo-Nigerian will extend his stay at Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium

Queens Park Rangers manager Mark Warburton is hoping Bright Osayi-Samuel will sign a new contract with the club.

The 22-year-old has been with the Superhoops since the summer of 2017 and has been delivering consistent performances for the club.

His impressive showings saw him linked to a number of European clubs, including Premier League side Crystal Palace and Club Brugge.

The Belgian side made a bid to sign the Anglo-Nigerian in the summer and despite QPR accepting the offer, Osayi-Samuel turned down the move.

The midfielder has one year left on his current contract and has been offered a new improved deal but has continued to stall on signing the contract.

Warburton is optimistic the Anglo-Nigerian will extend his stay at Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium to enable him to continue his development at the club.  

“There is still very much hope [that he will sign a new contract]. He is at a very good place at the club, he is developing well with us and I hope very much that he can see that is the case,” Warburton told the club website.

“For me, I just want him to make a clear decision. He is a very talented young lad, I think a lot of him, but it is a difficult time for a young player and he has to make a very clear decision."

Osayi-Samuel was left out of QPR's 3-0 defeat against Barnsley in Tuesday’s Championship game and Warburton has explained the reason behind the decision.

“Contract talks with Bright have been ongoing for a while now. He’s a great lad, everyone knows what I think of him, but his head has to be in the right place for a game of football and I just felt that tonight it wasn’t right for Bright and for the team as well,” he continued.

“There a lot of lads who are working really hard and it does him good just to have a think about things. Contract discussions are moving along at a certain pace and I just want him to have a clear head and make the right decision."

Osayi-Samuel has featured in more than 95 games for QPR across all competitions since teaming up with the side from Blackpool.

The midfielder could be involved when Rangers take on Cardiff City in their next league game on Saturday as they hope to end their unimpressive run of form.

Original author: Gbenga Adewoye

AC Milan targeting 'best talent in the world' in January transfer market

The Serie A giants are back in contention, and they're hoping to stay there with a big winter window

AC Milan executive Ivan Gazidis says that he expects the club to chase "the best talent in the world" in January as the Italian giants look to build on a strong start to the Serie A campaign.

Milan lead Serie A with 13 points through five games, inspired in no small part by six goals in three appearances from January addition Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

They currently sit two points ahead of second-place Napoli and four points ahead of reigning champions Juventus, who currently sit in fifth place.

Following several down years, Milan appear to be pushing towards a return to Italy's elite, as the club looks to finally compete for a Serie A crown once again.

And, with that in mind, Gazidis says that he expects the club to strengthen when the winter window opens, even if the coronavirus continues to impact the transfer market for teams all over the world.

 "We are going through a positive moment, but the path is still long and challenging," he said. "The club has strong ownership behind it that has faith in the team.

"We have a clear strategy: to sign some of the best talent in the world and make them grow with us.

"The summer transfer window has just closed and we are very satisfied. The sports management, led by Paolo Maldini, is already preparing for the winter window and we are confident."

He added: "The world of football recognized, even before the coronavirus, that a more stable market would benefit everyone: clubs, players, agents and intermediaries.

"Personally, I have always been committed to bringing order and stability and I will continue to do so for the benefit of the world of football, both in Italy and internationally."

Gazidis announced that he would join AC Milan from Arsenal in September 2018, eventually taking up his current role with the club that December.

He was tasked with rebuilding a fallen giant in Milan, with the club falling on hard times as several competitors rose to power.

As talks continue regarding a potential European Super League including the world's biggest clubs, Gazidis says that Milan are playing an "active role' in those dicsisions, although he doesn't approve of any break from domestic leagues.

"For over 10 years, speculation has been heard about the Super League, there are many reflections underway on the so-called Super League," he said. 

"However, the main focus of the football world remains on the development of existing international competitions and there are no proposals that could lead to a break with the national leagues.

"Milan is playing an active role in all discussions on the development of football: our leadership and credibility make us influential and authoritative at the various discussion tables in Serie A, ECA, UEFA and FIFA."

'Our most complete game of the season' - Zidane delighted as Real Madrid qualify for Champions League knockout stage

The former league champions will open the season with a tie against the Pensioners on October 31 when nine other matches will be played

Zesco United head coach Numba Mumamba has claimed they have enough ammunition to deal with the 2020/21 Zambian Super League season opener against Napsa Stars.

Zesco will visit Napsa Stars and the new coach has said he is confident of his players and the ability to get good results then.

“Napsa Stars have shown that they are a good side in the last two seasons,” the former Zambia international told the club’s website.

“This can be seen through their qualification for Caf competitions meaning that they will be one of mother Zambia’s representative at the highest level of the African game.

“As we go to Napsa we need to be aware that this is a different team from what we were used to in the past. They are now another powerhouse in the country.

“We have enough ammunition in this team that can help get the desired results. What we need is to prepare the team and psych them properly for us to come back with a positive result.”

Napsa Stars defeated Zesco United 2-1 in their last game and the coach is far from worried about that result.

“This is a time to start afresh and not look at what happened in the past. You can lose a game but we expect ourselves to come back stronger. We are going there like a wounded team,” he added.

Since he was appointed, Mumamba has worked with Bruce Musakanya and Kelvin Kampamba who were promoted to the senior team and he says the two alongside the senior stars are ready for the season.

“These are senior players who have matured in the game and it is easy for them to adjust to what we want. We won’t have any problems because we know the type of players they are,” he concluded.

The 2020/2021 calendar opened with the Samuel Ndhlovu Charity Shield that was won by Nkana.  

The competition is held before every season begins to honour the football achievements of the late great Zambian footballer and coach after which it was named.

Week one fixtures:

Power Dynamos vs Young Green Eagles

Kitwe United vs Prison Leopards

Buildcon vs Lusaka Dynamos

Green Buffaloes vs Red Arrows

Napsa Stars vs Zesco United

Zanaco vs Indeni

Forest Rangers vs Nkana

Kabwe Warriors vs Green Eagles

Lumwana Radiants vs Nkwazi

 

Original author: Kiplagat Sang

DC United 1-3 Nashville SC: Player ratings as Mukhtar dominates at Audi Field

On Sunday, the Super Eagles skipper ended his stay in Saudi Arabia after two years at the King Fahd Stadium

Former Leicester City and CSKA Moscow forward Ahmed Musa said he is aiming to return to Europe after departing Saudi Professional League club Al Nassr.

Musa left for the Middle East in 2018 after struggling to establish himself at the King Power Stadium where he played 21 Premier League matches in two years.

During his two-year stint in Riyadh, the Nigeria captain helped Al Nassr win the Saudi Premier League and the Saudi Super Cup in 2019.

After scoring nine goals in 50 Saudi top-flight matches, the 28-year-old is eager to come back to a familiar continent and challenge against the best players in the world.

"I have enjoyed my time in the two years that I have been here, and the club has been great to me," Musa told ESPN.

"But I have always wanted to return to Europe, and I feel that this is the best time for me to make that move.

"I want to get back to playing at the top level again against the best players in the world.

"I would like to thank everyone at Al-Nassr and all the fans for understanding and respecting my wishes, but especially for making me feel such a big part of the club and I will never forget them.”

Musa's exit might come as a shock to the Al Nassr faithful after the Nigerian star played the entire duration of their league defeat to Al Taawon on October 22.

He confessed to approaching the club management to terminate his contract before the close of the Saudi transfer window on Sunday.

"I met with the club and requested that they should terminate my contract, and they were kind enough to agree to let me go,” he added.

The former Kano Pillars star kicked off his European career in the Netherlands with a move to VVV-Venlo in 2010 before switching to Russian Premier League side CSKA Moscow two years later.

He spent four years in the Russian capital where he clinched three Premier League titles, and he teamed up with Leicester City in 2016.

In England, the Maiduguri-born forward struggled to gather first-team action with the Foxes which forced him to return to CSKA Moscow in January 2018 where he returned six goals in 10 league outings.

Original author: Taiye Taiwo

Kevin McDonald reveals he will undergo kidney transplant

The Gunners have managed just eight goals in their opening six Premier League games and languish down in 11th place

Mikel Arteta admits he has concerns about Arsenal's attacking play and not only the goalscoring drought of captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The Gunners have lost back-to-back Premier League games 1-0 to Manchester City and Leicester City and have failed to score more than twice in any of their previous eight matches in all competitions.

After having an Alexandre Lacazette goal disallowed early in the first half, Arsenal attempted just one shot in the second period against Leicester before Jamie Vardy's 80th-minute winner.

This season, Arsenal are averaging just 8.8 shots per match in the league – their lowest such figure since at least 1997-98 – and 1.3 goals per game, their worst rate in 25 years.

Aubameyang has scored just once in six league games in 2020-21 and has an expected goals per game rating of only 0.07, by far the lowest in his Gunners career.

But Arteta, who has omitted playmaker Mesut Ozil from his Premier League and Europa League squads, thinks his side's overall attacking approach needs to improve.

"I think there were two different halves [against Leicester]," he told reporters ahead of Thursday's match with Dundalk.

"The first half we interpreted really well what the game needed. We were dominant and aggressive. We won the ball back in really good areas. We didn't give the ball away in any dangerous areas, we created enough chances to go ahead but we didn't manage to do that.

"We scored a goal that was disallowed and the second half we started fatigue-wise to make more mistakes in more difficult areas and not be as threatening as we should have been to finalise the game.

"The moment we created open space they had a really good action and we conceded a goal. We lost the game on a very small margin and I'm disappointed because we should have done a bit better there.

"I'm concerned in the second half that we should have done better. We only had the chance from Hector [Bellerin] but they didn't have anything until after 75 or 80 minutes, but it's still something we have to improve on. To attack better and to sustain attacks in long periods. We've been working on that, so hopefully we can improve it.

"The pressure is related to this football game that you have to win every game. We didn't win against Leicester or Man City. Consider the demands everybody puts on us because we are the club that we are and that should never change.

"In the last eight to 10 months, the improvement of teams, quality and organisation has been the biggest I've seen than in the last few years. It's not a coincidence, you can see that in every Premier League game. The league is in a great place at the moment."

Arsenal will be without David Luiz against Dundalk and Arteta said the Brazilian is also a doubt for Sunday's league game against Manchester United.

Willian could return this week after resuming training, while Bukayo Saka is fully fit again after a knock.

"We try to go game by game, but in the last 10 days we have had a lot of issues at the back with central defenders," Arteta said. "If we lose another one, we're in big trouble.

"We have to keep an eye on it and how to manage the squad."

Ellis names Banyana Banyana final squad for Cosafa Women's Cup

The defending champions will launch their title defence with a tricky game against Angola at Wolfson Stadium on November 3

Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis has named her 20 players for the final squad for the upcoming Cosafa Women's Cup.
 
The South Africa women's senior national team will feature as defending champions in the eighth edition of the regional tournament which will run from November 3 to 14.

The usual selections include goalkeepers Andile Dlamini and Kaylin Swart, Bongeka Gamede, Sibulele Holweni, Robyn Moodaly and Gabriela Salgado, who were part of the 2019 title-winning squad.

On her decision behind the final selection, Ellis, who is fully aware of the threats Zambia and Malawi will pose, is optimistic her young talented players will leave a mark at the tournament.

“The Cosafa Cup is for local players and it is always great to give new players a chance to prove themselves," Ellis told Safa.net

"I have been impressed with the work that the current crop of players have put in and the pre-tournament week will be an important one for us to polish up before the tournament starts."

With the final squad out, the team had since departed for Port Elizabeth on Tuesday and will continue their camping preparations from October 28 to November 2, 2020.

Banyana are drawn against Eswatini, Comoros and Angola in Group B and will open their title defence against Angola on November 3 before meetings with Eswatini and Comoros.

The champions are eyeing their record seventh triumph and the third crown in a row at the third tournament on home soil.

 

South Africa squad

Goalkeepers: Kaylin Christen Swart (Unattached), Andile Dlamini (Mamelodi Sundowns FC)

Defenders: Karabo Makhurubetshi (Mamelodi Sundowns FC), Koketso Mmathabo Tlailane (TUT-Pretoria), Bongeka Gamede (University of Western Cape), Sibulele Cecilia Holweni (University of Western Cape), Xiluva Tshabalala (Ma-Indies FC), Ongeziwe Ndlangisa (Sunflower FC), Kaylyn Octavia Jordaan (Spurs W.FC)

Midfielders: Oratile Dikgosi Mokwena (Mamelodi Sundowns FC), Mamello Makhabane (JVW FC), Gabriela de Jesus Thomas Salgado (JVW FC), Robyn Kimberly Moodaly (JVW FC), Nonhlanhla Mthandi (Mamelodi Sundowns FC), Mapule Nomvula Kgoale (TUT-Pretoria), Karabo Angel Dhlamini (Mamelodi Sundowns FC), Lonathemba Mhlongo (Durban Ladies FC)

Strikers:  Hildah Tholakele Magaia (TUT-Pretoria), Neliswa Praiseworth Luthuli (Sunflower FC), Pride Itebogeng Nthite (TUT-Pretoria)

Original author: Samuel Ahmadu

FutPost.com