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Tusker FC became the first team to reach the quarter-finals of the FKF Shield Cup after a 1-0 win over minnows Luanda Villa at Ruaraka Grounds in Nairobi.

The Brewers went into the match knowing a win will see them storm into the last eight and they did exactly that as Henry Mejja scored the all-important goal in the 34th minute.

The win also ensured the Brewers, led by coach Robert Matano, kept alive their hopes of clinching a double this campaign as they are also in the race for the FKF Premier League title.

The veteran Matano rotated his squad with goalkeeper Robert Mboya starting ahead of regular Emery Mvuyukure, while captain Hashim Sempala was restored in the squad alongside Eugine Asike, who partnered Rodgers Aloro at the heart of the defence.

It was Tusker who threatened from the onset and in the 13th minute a sweeping ball from their own half was diverted to Mejja by the speeding Sempala, but before he could pull the trigger towards goal, the chance was snuffed out by a Villa defender.

Tusker continued to attack their opponents and Boniface Muchiri should have made it 1-0 in the 23rd minute but his well-thought effort went inches wide.

But they did not wait for long as Mejja finally broke the deadlock, the striker racing onto a long ball from Humphrey Mieno, before calmly slotting it past the Villa keeper for a 1-0 half-time lead.

In the second half, Matano moved to make a triple change, with Apollo Otieno, Kepha, and Muchiri coming on for Chris Onyango, Brian Marita, and Jackson Macharia, but they could still not break down the Villa rearguard which opted to defend and use counter-attacks.

In another match, Equity Bank came from a goal down to sink Vegpro 2-1 to reach the quarter-finals. Equity, led by coach John Baraza, scored their goals through Jacob Onyango, who grabbed a double, while Lusuma Oscarscored for Vegpro.

The Brewers will now have to wait for the other top teams, including Gor Mahia, AFC Leopards, Ulinzi Stars, Kariobangi Sharks,  to play their matches to learn their next opponent.

Aston Villa are leading Arsenal in the hunt for Norwich playmaker Emi Buendia, Goal can confirm, with Dean Smith's side putting a "very good" offer on the table.

The 24-year-old, who has made Argentina's senior squad for the first time during the latest round of international fixtures, has seen his stock rise since arriving in England back in 2018.

It is not known if the Gunners have tabled an offer for Buendia, with Villa now seen as the front runners to sign him having made their move.

How much will it take to land Buendia?

Norwich are looking for around £40 million ($57m) from any deal involving Buendia, who has been one of their star players over the last few seasons.

Villa are the ones to have shown greater willingness to get near that figure, with a big-money bid having been made.

It is unclear if Arsenal have made an official offer for the player although they seemingly need to act fast to avoid missing out on the Argentine.

Will Arsenal sign him?

Mikel Arteta continues to weigh up his options when it comes to additions in his creativity department.

Martin Odegaard impressed during his short-term loan from Real Madrid and remains of interest to the Gunners.

He is, however, returning to Real Madrid and it remains to be seen what role he'll have under new head coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Buendia is an alternative option that has registered on the Emirates Stadium radar for some time.

Villa, who have seen questions asked of Jack Grealish's future and will not be signing Ross Barkley on a permanent basis, are also in the mix.

They have moved to the front of a recruitment queue, but no deal has been done and that is keeping the door open for rivals to join the scramble for a much sought-after signature.

Further reading

Kaizer Chiefs sneaked into the top eight on the final day of the PSL season with a 1-0 win over TS Galaxy at the Mbombela Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The only goal of a somewhat cagey game between teams eighth and ninth on the log was scored by Samir Nurkovic in the 26th minute.

While the home side had plenty of ball possession in the opening half, they struggled to create openings against what was generally a well-organised Chiefs defence.

There was, however, a deflected effort from Nation Ndlovu which was not too far off, as well as a low angled drive from Masilake Phohlongo which drew a good save from Bruce Bvuma.

The breakthrough for Chiefs came after 25 minutes, via a long throw-in, as Galaxy defender McBeth Mahlangu headed Reeve Frosler's delivery towards his own goal, where Nurkovic was lurking and the Serbian sniper needed no further invitation as he headed the ball into the goal.

Ten minutes later Frosler was earning his keep in his own box with an excellent intervention to deny Mxolisi Macuphu the chance to shoot.

Macuphu did get a chance to go for goal a few minutes before halftime when he got on the end of a Mahlangu cross, but his header flew straight into Bvuma's hands.

The first opening of the second stanza fell to Amakhosi, although Pogiso Sanoka did well to snuff out the danger by getting between Nurkovic and the Galaxy goal.

Just after the hour mark the Rockets appeared fortunate not to concede a penalty after Luckboy Mokoena seemed to bring down Lebogang Manyama inside his own box.

As was the case in the first half, the Mpumalanga side were to have a lot of the ball, but again struggled to penetrate a stubborn Chiefs defence.

Amakhosi were close to adding an insurance goal 10 minutes before full-time when Nurkovic beat two defenders and played in a tantalising cross, but a slight deflection meant that Nkosingiphile Ngcobo was unable to make contact from five yards out.

From then onwards though, it was all hands on deck in the Glamour Boys defence as they closed up shop and saw out the match, surviving an anxious four added minutes at the end.

The result saw both teams finish on 36 points, but Chiefs had a +2 better goal difference and so secured eighth spot on the league table and with that, a berth in next season's MTN8.

Orlando Pirates were frustrated by a resilient Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila in their final PSL encounter of the 2020/21 season which ended in a 0-0 draw on Saturday afternoon.

The Buccaneers were looking to end the campaign on a winning note having claimed a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Baroka FC away on Wednesday.

Fortune Makaringe was recalled to the starting line-up as coach Josef Zinnbauer made one change to the team which faced Bakgaga Ba Mphahlele in Polokwane.

While Vhadau Vha Damani were hoping to avenge their 3-0 loss to Pirates in the first round clash after securing safety from relegation by drawing 0-0 with Chippa United on Wednesday.

Coach Dylan Kerr named an attack-minded team with six attackers starting, including Thabo Mnyamane, Meshack Maphangule and Joseph Molangoane.

Pirates started the match brightly with Thembinkosi Lorch looking lively for the hosts as he looked to link the midfield with the attack while operating as a playmaker.

Lorch played a through-ball for Vincent Pule, who was fouled by Tebogo Thangwane, but match referee Thokozani Mkhize surprisingly waved play on.

The Buccaneers continued to create goalscoring opportunities as Vincent Pule's effort narrowly missed the target, before Frank Mhango's shot was blocked by Alfred Ndengane in the box.

TTM had a chance to take the lead, but Thembisani Nevhulamba scuffed his shot and goalkeeper Wayne Sandilands snatched the ball before Maphangule could pounce and score just before half-time.

Pirates continued to search for the opening goal after the restart, but they were let down by some poor finishing as Mhango's shot was blocked by Thangwane and keeper Washington Arubi made a comfortable save from Deon Hotto's effort.

Innocent Maela's effort was bravely denied by Arubi from close range and Aluwani Nedzamba made an important goal-line clearance from Vincent Pule's corner-kick which was curling into the bottom right corner.

The last chance of the game fell for Terrence Dzvukamanja, who had grabbed a late winning goal against Baroka, but the 27-year-old forward failed to keep his free header on target, and ultimately the game ended in a 0-0 draw.

The result saw Pirates secure a third-place finish in the PSL standings for the second season running and they qualified for 2021/22 Caf Confederation Cup, while Vhadau Vha Damani finished their debut season in 12th spot.

Kevin De Bruyne has undergone minor surgery on the fractured eye socket he suffered during Manchester City's outing in the Champions League final, but has handed Belgium a boost as he is set to join their Euro 2020 squad on Monday.

The 29-year-old lasted just an hour of a European showpiece in Porto before being forced from the field following a collision with Antonio Rudiger.

He suffered nose and eye injuries, with fears raised regarding his involvement at this summer's European Championship, but a quick operation has him ready for international duty.

What has been said?

Belgium boss Martinez has told reporters when offering an update on De Bruyne: "It went very well, very positively. We are looking forward to Monday when he will join our squad.

"That small intervention was necessary with a view to the long term. He will not need a long recovery.

"The operation only took 20 minutes. The medical staff is satisfied with the result. De Bruyne is now doing well, that's all."

When do Belgium need De Bruyne?

The Red Devils have one more pre-Euros friendly to take in against Croatia on Sunday.

They are then due to open their quest for continental glory against Russia on June 12, before going on to face Denmark and Finland in their other Group B fixtures.

Martinez's men were held to a 1-1 draw by Greece in their last outing, with there acknowledgment from within a star-studded camp that standards need to be raised.

"We have to show that we have taken a step forward in the preparation," Martinez added.

"We are facing a strong team, with a lot of experience and technical qualities in midfield.

"We are going to have to be sharp and concentrated. It is a test for the group stage of the European Championship, and this is a match we need."

Further reading

Jose Mourinho was unable to help Harry Kane end his wait for major silverware at Tottenham, with the Portuguese expecting that barren run to work as added motivation for the England captain at Euro 2020.

A Portuguese tactician was relieved of his managerial duties in north London back in April, a matter of days before Spurs suffered a 1-0 defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final.

That setback nudged Kane a little closer to the exits, with a big-money move for the 27-year-old being mooted this summer, but he does have a shot at international glory with the Three Lions before returning to any trophy quests at club level.

What has been said?

Mourinho has told The Sun of the pressure that has been building on Kane with club and country: "Harry is the one that has a lot on his shoulders.

"The country expects a lot from him. He expects a lot from himself.

"He’s the captain and he wants to win something.

"He’s not doing that with the club, so, of course, he’s going to try everything he can to do it with the Three Lions."

Can Kane end his barren run?

The prolific Spurs star heads into Euro 2020 on the back of another Golden Boot-winning campaign, with 33 goals hit across all competitions.

He will now take the armband with England and lead an exciting young squad into a tournament that many are expecting Gareth Southgate's side to fare admirably at.

Pressed on whether the Three Lions could go all the way and end Kane's wait for collective glory, Mourinho said: "This is a generation full of good players, even the young players.

“The squad is amazing. England has to go with everything.

"The group phase is at home; the semi-finals and final is at home.

"It has to be now, because [the World Cup] was in 1966. I think they have to push with everything."

Further reading

Pep Guardiola has been named Premier League Manager of the Season for 2020-21 after guiding Manchester City to another title triumph.

The Blues restored domestic dominance at a canter after overcoming a slow start to hit their stride around the turn of the year, with a 12-point lead held over the chasing pack when passing the finishing post.

Guardiola has now captured three top-flight crowns in the space of four years, with the Catalan coach once again confirming his standing as one of the very best in the business.

What has been said?

Upon revealing their pick for a prestigious prize, the Premier League has said on its official website: "Guardiola wins the award for a third time in his managerial career, having also claimed it in his two previous title-winning campaigns, 2017-18 and 2018-19.

"The Spaniard made history this season as his Man City side became the first team to win the title after being as low as eighth on Christmas Day, masterminding a 15-match winning run to take the PL Trophy back off Liverpool.

"He matches the three Manager of the Season awards earned by Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho, with only Sir Alex Ferguson having won it on more occasions, with 11. Those three men are also the only managers in PL history who can match Guardiola's three title wins."

Who did Guardiola beat to the prize?

Having restored City to the loftiest of perches, Guardiola was the obvious choice to scoop a top coaching gong.

Others caught the eye, though, in 2020-21, with Leeds United, West Ham, Leicester and Manchester United seeing their efforts recognised.

The Premier League added on those that Guardiola edged out: "The 50-year-old beat fellow nominees Marcelo Bielsa, David Moyes, Brendan Rodgers and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to the season award after votes from the public were combined with those of a panel of football experts to decide the winner. 

"He becomes the third 2020-21 season awards winner from Man City, after Ruben Dias was voted the EA SPORTS Player of the Season and Liam Delap named the PL2 Player of the Season."

The bigger picture

While Guardiola was able to capture another Premier League crown, and a fourth successive Carabao Cup in 2021, European glory once again proved elusive.

City did make the Champions League final, but were edged out 1-0 by Chelsea in Porto.

Righting that wrong will remain a top target for Guardiola next season, with a new contract committed to in Manchester that is set to take him through to 2023.

Further reading

Bangaldesh coach Jamie Day is painting a picture of cautious optimism ahead of their crucial 2022 World Cup qualifier against India at the Jassim Bin Hammad stadium in Doha on Monday. 

While the Bangla Tigers are at the bottom of Group E, they are coming off a morale-boosting 1-1 draw against Afghanistan on Thursday. They also managed to hold India to a 1-1 draw in 2019 in the reverse fixture. 

Those are the only two points Bangladesh have notched so far while India have managed three draws in six games. India come into this match after a 1-0 loss against Qatar where they were reduced to 10-men for most of the match. 

"It's a fantastic achievement to get a draw against a very good team (Afghanistan). We are looking to take that confidence into the India game. We know it's going to be an extremely tough game again. We are asking the boys to repeat that performance and reach their maximum levels, which we know we are going to need to do against India," added Day.

Day is aware that his team are not the favourites against India who are ranked 79 spots higher than them. 

"India have far better quality and showed it last night when they lost only 1-0 [to Qatar]. This is the simplest way I can put it," he was quoted as saying by Daily Star. 

"There are always one or two games where the other team can cause an upset but that's not consistent. They have better technical players than us," added Day, referencing the 1-1 draw the two sides played out in 2019 at Kolkata. 

Day went on to add that Bangladesh will be looking to play the game defensively and eke out a result. 

"I personally don't think we can attack better teams and players from the start although another coach may have a different approach. I think it is better to be in the game for 90 minutes than for the match to be over in 45 because we are two or three goals down," he stated. 

However, Day will be without the services of key midfielder Sohel Rana who has fractured his hand. 

"We are disappointed to lose Sohel Rana for the next two games with the injury to his arm. He has been a good player for us and a key player for the national team. But it gives someone else the chance to step in and play for the national team, perform and show that they are capable of playing at the international level."

Meanwhile, Bangladesh's goalscorer against Afghanistan, Tapu Barman, is eyeing an upset over India. 

"The India match is very important for us because we need to get points from this match to play the Asian Cup Qualifying round directly. This fact is on everyone's mind and our confidence has been boosted after the Afghanistan match," the centre-back told Daily Star.

Premier Soccer League champions-elect Mamelodi Sundowns will be looking to spice up their crowning moment with victory over visiting Cape Town City at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

It is a contest in which both sides would be playing for pride and whatever result is recorded, it has no bearing on either team. 

Sundowns have already bagged the league title and will be crowned champions at their home ground, but might perhaps want to conclude the campaign at least eight points clear at the top given that second-placed AmaZulu beat Maritzburg United on the same afternoon.

While Cape Town City started the season with the intention of claiming a top-three berth, they ended up readjusting their target and settled for a top-eight finish.

City, have already secured a top-eight berth and even if they lose, they will sign off the campaign in position seven on the table, but could climb up to fifth spot if SuperSport United and Swallows FC suffer defeats in their respective games.

TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch

Squads & Team News

This will be coach Eric Tinkler's second match in charge since his recent return for a second stint at the Mother City outfit. 

No City player is suspended for Saturday's encounter as Tinkler seeks to build on Wednesday's 3-1 win over Black Leopards which sunk the Limpopo side to the National First Division.

Match Preview

With very little at stake in this match, it is yet to be seen if Sundowns will field a full-strength squad but striker Peter Shalulile is almost sure to start as he chases Bradley Grobler for the Golden Boot.

The Namibian struck a brace during Masandawana's trip to Celtic, to come three goals short of Grobler who has found the back of the net 16 times in the league this season.

The Brazilians have won four of their last five PSL games and drawn one which is an impressive run of form.

City on the other hand have won just once, drawn twice and lost as many times in their last five matches in which they have scored four times and conceded seven goals.

The number of times they have let in goals is reflective of their season as they are the team which has conceded 37 goals, the second highest number of goals this season and a record they share with Kaizer Chiefs.

But they have tried to compensate for that by scoring 42 goals, again the second highest number of goals scored in the league behind Sundowns' 46 who beat the Citizens 2-0 in the reverse fixture last November.

Yanga SC have come out to underline some of the efforts they put in to make sure winger Carlos Carlinhos stayed at the club until the end of his contract.

The Angolan player, who signed for the Jangwani giants from Angola Premier League side Interclube at the start of the 2020-21 season, left on May 31 after he had tabled a request to the club’s management wishing to terminate the deal he signed when he joined on September 6, 2020.

His exit was not received well with some of the Yanga faithful who felt the club’s management had done very little to convince the winger to stay.

Yanga Media Officer Hassan Bumbuli has clarified they did all that was at their disposal including the hiring of cooks from the Angolan embassy in Tanzania so as to make the player stay and see through his contract but in the end, it never worked.

What has been said?

“First of all let us accept one fact, the exit of Carlinhos gives us a chance to sign another foreign player,” Bumbuli told Goal. “It is true Carlinhos has left but it is good for everyone to understand the management of Yanga did everything to make sure he stays.

“When he arrived in Tanzania, Carlinhos had issues with his food and we were forced to hire cooks from the Angolan embassy here in Dar es Salaam, and they stayed in camp cooking for him every type of food he wanted and they even trained our cooks on the kind of food he loved to eat.

“He later demanded that we have his wife brought on board and we accepted and did that, so we did all we could to make sure he is happy and he settles in well to life in Tanzania, and also see through the contract he had signed when coming in.

“But after doing all this, we could not stretch ourselves more than that, and when he started saying he doesn’t like living here, things are becoming tough for him, then we had no option, we could not force him to stay, we had done our best to keep him but when he said he wanted to leave, we let him go.”

Bumbuli continued: “But if you ask me, I feel the player is not trained yet on how to cope with life outside Angola, he needs to be an all-weather player, and when he goes somewhere, he must adapt quickly and move on with playing football, but for him, he struggled with reasons best known to him.”

How did Carlinhos fair at Yanga?

Carlinhos started his season well in the Mainland Premier League but was later plagued by injuries that kept him out of action for some time.

He left the club after managing three assists to his name and had also scored the same number of goals, and was involved in a total of six goals scored by Yanga in this campaign.

Carlinhos made history by being greeted by a large crowd as he arrived in Tanzania to sign the deal and was carried in an open car accompanied by a convoy of vehicles that drove him from Julius Nyerere Airport to Yanga Headquarters, Jangwani Street and he later burst into tears saying he had never been received like that before.

It seems there is no end to the East Bengal vs Shree Cement saga as the investor now suggests that they are yet to receive clarity on the differences in the signed term sheet and the final binding document which the club officials claim to exist.

On Tuesday, East Bengal's football secretary and Executive Committee member Saikat Ganguly, had stated that the club has decided not to sign the final definitive document in its current state due to the differences in the final document from the term sheet that was signed in September 2020.

Now, a source close to the Shree Cement management has told Goal, that while they have received another letter from the club officials on Tuesday after the club's executive committee meeting, the officials did not specify the clauses that they claimed to be different. 

The source also stated that the Shree Cement stance on the matter remains the same - that a dialogue can happen between the investor and the club only once the final binding agreement is signed.

What is going on in East Bengal?

After Quess Corp parted ways with East Bengal in June 2020 after being the club's investor for two seasons, Shree Cement came on board as their new investors which facilitated the club's move to the Indian Super League (ISL).

They then proceeded to establish a joint venture named Shree Cement East Bengal Foundation, in which the cement giants held 76 per cent stakes while the club had the rest.

After Shree Cement's arrival, a term sheet was signed by both parties in September 2020 in the presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who had played an important role in bringing the company on board as the club's new investor.

Based on the term sheet, the club’s sporting rights as well all its assets and properties (including intellectual) were reportedly transferred to the newly formed joint venture between the two parties.

Even though the term sheet has been signed, a final binding agreement of the deal is yet to signed by the officials.

The club officials have remained firm on the claim that certain points in the final agreement are different from the term sheet that the parties had signed. The new management, on the other hand, claims otherwise. 

Shree Cement managing Hari Mohan Bangur also mentioned in the past that no meeting with the officials will take until they put pen to paper.

Repercussions of the delay in signing the final agreement

The Indian transfer window opens on June 9 and while most of the clubs have started their team-building process, East Bengal at present are in no position to sign new players as Shree Cement has clearly stated in the past that they will not spend a penny until the agreement is signed.

The majority of the East Bengal squad are now free players as their contracts with the club ended on May 31. The players who are still under contract are Mohammed Rafique, Mohammed Rafique Ali Sardar, Wahengbam Angousana, Balwant Singh, Loken Meitei, Bikash Jairu, Anil Chawan, Girik Khosla, Novin Gurung and Pritam Singh.

It looks like the deadlock has certainyl hampered the team-building process of the club for the upcoming 2021/22 season.

Orlando Pirates face a defining afternoon when they host Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila in Saturday's final day of the 2020/21 Premier Soccer League campaign at Orlando Stadium.

With the top-two spots already secured, on top of the Soweto giants' priorities is a victory to guarantee themselves a third spot finish and return to next season's Caf Confederation Cup.

It is an afternoon in which they just need at least a draw to confirm participation in Africa but a defeat could see them finishing fourth on the standings.

If Pirates lose and their closest rivals Golden Arrows post a victory over Stellenbosch, that will spell doom for the Buccaneers and probably ring a death knell to coach Josef Zinnbauer's reign as coach. 

But what could be encouraging for Pirates is that they face a TTM side which has already confirmed safety from relegation even if the Limpopo side suffers defeat.

In contrast, fourth-placed Arrows who are three points fewer face what could be a tough afternoon against Stellies who are desperate to avoid demotion as they are at a great risk of playing in the play-offs if they lose.

Stellenbosch are just two points better than Chippa United who are sitting 15th on the log.

TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch

Squads & Team News

Match Preview

This is a match in which both sides go into with contrasting intentions. 

While Pirates are hard-pressed to seal a top-three finish, TTM do not have much to play for as they are already safe from relegation which was their mission. 

The Buccaneers are keen to join their Limpopo opponents in next season's Confederation Cup.

But the biggest weakness for Pirates this season is maintaining consistency and after winning their last match away at Baroka FC, it is yet to be seen if they will manage a second successive victory. 

It is just on two occasions in which the Soweto giants have managed to complete two straight league wins this season and they go into Saturday's encounter with a record of three victories, a defeat and a draw in their last five outings. 

Their opponents TTM have equally been struggling for consistency in their maiden PSL campaign and have won twice, shared the spoils as many times and lost one in their last five games. 

Although much has changed during the course of the season, what could be encouraging for Pirates is that they face a team they beat 3-0 in the reverse fixture away at Thohoyandou Stadium in January.

India went down 0-1 to Qatar in a 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup joint qualification match at the at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday.

Igor Stimac's side were placed fourth in Group E with three points from five matches before they resumed with the remainder of their qualification matches.

Contents

Group E Standings

Here's how India can finish in the third position.

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What happens if India finish fourth or fifth?

If India finish fourth then also they can qualify for the Asian Cup qualifying third round if they finish amongst the four best fourth-placed teams across all groups. The remaining four fourth-placed teams will advance to the Asian Cup qualifying play-off round.

If India finish fifth in the table, then they will have to participate in the Asian Cup Qualifying play-off round. 

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What next for the Indian national team?

India are set to take on Bangladesh next on Monday, June 7, and will finish their campaign with a match against Afghanistan on June 15. India's target will now be to finish third in Group E and avoid a play-off to get into the Asian Cup qualifiers.

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India take on Bangladesh in their penultimate Group E match of the second round 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup joint qualifiers. The fixture is set to kick-off at 7:30pm IST at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on Monday.

Igor Stimac's men resumed their qualifying campaign against Qatar on Thursday which ended in a 1-0 loss wherein Rahul Bheke was sent off in the 17th minute, after which Abdel Aziz Hatem (33') broke the deadlock. But the Blue Tigers averted an onslaught for the rest of the evening, thanks to some committed defending.

Contents

What time does India vs Bangladesh start?

Where to watch or stream Bangladesh vs India in India

The Star Sports network will be broadcasting the match in India on TV.

Commentary will also be available in vernacular languages across India.

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Can India qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup?

India started their journey in the qualifiers with a narrow 2-1 defeat at the hands of Oman at home followed by a historic goalless draw against Asian champions Qatar in Doha. In their third and fourth matches, the Blue Tigers managed 1-1 draws against Bangladesh and Afghanistan respectively but again suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat against Oman away from home in their fifth match. 

Following Thursday's 1-0 defeat to Qatar at the Jassim Bim Hamad Stadium in Doha, India are set to face Bangladesh and Afghanistan on June 7 and 15, respectively, at the same venue.

Currently fourth in Group E with three points after six games, India does not stand a chance of qualifying for the next round of the World Cup qualifiers but still have a lot to play for in the remaining two fixtures. If India can finish at least in the third position then they will qualify directly for the third round of the Asian Cup 2023 qualifiers.

Here's how India can finish in the third position

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What happens if India finish fourth or fifth?

If India finish fourth then also they can qualify for the Asian Cup qualifying third round if they finish amongst the four best fourth-placed teams across all groups. The remaining four fourth-placed teams will advance to the Asian Cup qualifying play-off round.

If India finish fifth in the table, then they will have to participate in the Asian Cup Qualifying play-off round. 

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Bangladesh team news

Bangladesh's last game was a 1-1 draw against Afghanistan in the qualifiers on Thursday. It was just the second point for Jamie Day's in the group after India held them to a 1-1 draw at the Salt Lake Stadium back in October 2019.

Currently at the bottom of the group, Bangladesh (Topu Barman 84') rallied back with a late strike to hold Afghanistan (Amiruddin Mohammad Anwar Sharifi 48') in Thursday's draw. Leaving aside the equaliser, Masuk Miah Zoni looked active on the left flank while goalkeeper Anisur Rahman had some work to do. There will be more expected from striker Rakib Hossain, though.

In the other Round 2 qualifying games, Bangladesh lost 1-0 at Afghanistan before losing 0-2 to in the first leg fixture against Qatar. The Bengal Tigers also have a remaining tie agaisnt Oman on June 15, with the previous meeting ending in a 4-1 loss.

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India team news

Sunil Chhetri made his return to the national team fold. However, coach Igor Stimac replaced the skipper at half time in lieu of the remaining two games against Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Glan Martins made his international debut in the absence of injured Rowllin Borges while India had to make do without Anirudh Thapa against Qatar after the midfielder tested positive for Coronavirus on Thursday morning.

Forward Manvir Singh was at the end of two chances that could have been scored on a given day that could have upset or least produce another draw against Qatar. Post Bheke's sending off, the defensive trio of Sandesh Jhingan, Pritam Kotal and Subhasish Bose held fort quite impressively in front of custodian Gurpreet Singh Sandhu who was also instrumental in preventing a humiliation with a number of crucial saves.

India, earlier in March, played friendlies against against Oman and UAE in Dubai that ended in a 1-1 draw and 6-0 defeat respectively.

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Brazil captain Casemiro has indicated his team is united against hosting the Copa America.

The midfielder, speaking after a 2-0 World Cup qualifying win over Ecuador on Friday, said more would be explained soon but that "it's everyone, including (manager) Tite" taking the stance. He promised additional information would be provided following the squad's clash with Paraguay on June 8, declining for now to confirm a specific reason for the players' anger.

Many people in Brazil are upset about football coming to the country right now despite still-high Covid case totals. The competition was moved to Brazil by organisers last week after original co-hosts Argentina and Colombia were pulled from their duties. Argentina is dealing with its own Covid crisis, while Colombia has been shaken in recent months by political unrest.

What has been said?

"Everyone knows our position in the Copa America in Brazil," the captain said following the Ecuador match. "It could not be clearer. We want to express our opinion more after the game against Paraguay [on June 8].

"It's not just me, not just the players who play in Europe. It's everyone, including Tite. All together."

The day before the Ecuador contest, Casemiro had declined to talk to reporters, while Tite made the first indication of displeasure in the Brazilian camp.

When is the Copa America scheduled to start?

The tournament is supposed to start on June 13. If Brazilian players don't speak about it again until after the Paraguay game, as Casemiro has suggested will happen, then there would be just a five-day window for CONMEBOL to react to their statement before action kicks off.

More to come...

TS Galaxy and Kaizer Chiefs will meet on Saturday in an encounter between two teams looking to secure a top-eight finish in the PSL this season.

The two teams are placed eighth and ninth, respectively, on the league standings with Galaxy three points clear of Chiefs, but the two teams have the same goal-difference (-4).

Galaxy's form has been improving as they are undefeated in their two matches having secured an impressive 1-0 win over Orlando Pirates last weekend.

The Rockets will face a revitalized Chiefs side which ended a five-match winless run in the league when they secured a 3-2 victory over Lamontville Golden Arrows on Wednesday.

Amakhosi are desperate to avoid failing to finish in the top eight for the fourth time in the PSL era, while the Rockets are hoping to finish in the top half in their debut season in the elite league.

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Squads & Team News

Galaxy will be missing two influential players when they face Amakhosi as left-back Ebrahim Seedat and club captain Given Msimango are both suspended. 

Coach Owen Da Gama is likely to bring in centre-back Gerald Modisane and left-back David Matlala as replacements as he looks to mastermind a win over the Glamour Boys.

The 2005/06 PSL Coach of the Year will look to Masilake Phohlongo, who tends to up his game in big matches having netted twice against Pirates this term including the winning goal for Galaxy.

On the other hand, Chiefs will be without their club captain Ramahlwe Mphahlele, who is suspended, while attackers Dumisani Zuma and Khama Billiat are still out due to injury.

Local football legends Arthur Zwane and Dillon Sheppard could name an unchanged team for their clash with the Rockets after they began life as interim coaches with a win over Arrows.

The four-time PSL champions will pin their hopes of securing a top-eight finish on experienced attacker Lebogang Manyama, whose hat-trick inspired Amakhosi to a win over Abafana Bes'thende in midweek.

Match Preview

In head-to-head stats, Galaxy and Chiefs have met in just one top-flight league match.

The two teams played to a 0-0 draw in a PSL game which was played at the iconic FNB Stadium in November 2020.

Galaxy have collected 20 points from 14 home matches this season and they defeated Pirates 1-0 in their last game as the hosts on May 30.

While Chiefs have accumulated 17 points from 14 away matches in the current campaign and they succumbed to a 2-1 defeat at Black Leopards in their last game on the road on May 26.

This will be third competitive meeting between the two teams with Galaxy claiming a 1-0 win over Chiefs in the 2019 Nedbank Cup final.