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Manchester United and their supporters have no reason not to believe that they can win the Premier League, assures Gary Neville, after the Red Devils hit the summit following Tuesday's win over Burnley.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side went top for the first time since 2017 thanks to Paul Pogba's spectacular second-half volley, moving them three points ahead of champions Liverpool.

Victory over the Clarets has set up a mouthwatering north-west derby encounter at Anfield this Sunday, presenting United with the opportunity to open up a six-point gap over their bitter rivals.

In a notably open Premier League campaign marked by wildly fluctuating form and results, Solskjaer's oft-maligned side have emerged as genuine contenders, having now gone 11 games unbeaten in the top-flight.

Former United defender Neville, a cornerstone of the club's success under Sir Alex Ferguson, has admitted that he has been blindsided by their run to the top over the past few months - and that while he is reluctant to say they are headed for the title, they have no reason not to dream big.

"I don't think anyone is saying Manchester United will win the league but the fact that they are in a title fight…wow. I never would have imagined it," the ex-England man told Sky Sports.

"It's a strange season. Why shouldn't Manchester United fans believe? Why shouldn't this side believe? Look at the front three, look at that midfield four, look at Bruno Fernandes - they have some fantastic players.

"The other teams aren't in great form. Man City are sitting there cool and calm, nobody is really talking about them, but they are hitting very good form and that is a real danger. But in the next few days it is time to have a little bit of fun. It won't be a comfortable few days for Liverpool.

"l believe these players feel they can have a really special season. It's odd, it's changing every single week, you don't know what is going to happen and there's an element of unpredictability and Manchester United could exploit that."

Pogba - often a lightning rod for criticism within the United set-up - capped arguably his best performance for the club in several months with an exquisite finish to earn the three points, and was mobbed by his ecstatic team-mates in celebration.

Neville pointed to the reaction of the Red Devils players as further signs of a shared belief in each other, adding that it only serves to enhance the team's communal spirit.

"It's a big win," he noted. "To go top of the league before Sunday feels like a big moment in the sense that six to eight weeks ago you wouldn't have thought Manchester United would have been anywhere near this position.

"Yet, now, they find themselves with something building, the spirit is growing as you could see with the way they celebrated with each other, there's a resilience built off some performances which haven't been great all the time away from home but they have won when they haven't been at their best.

"You get confidence from that and now United are starting to play better. The players they have who are really top quality are starting to show those moments in a more consistent fashion."

Manchester City have been accused of creating a “fake” role at the club for the father of former academy prospect Gabriel Fernando Almeida as a way to circumvent Premier League rules and funnel thousands of pounds to the player's family.

Having joined City as a 14-year-old in 2011, Almeida was too young to be given a professional contract by the club and – as a highly-rated playmaker at the time – would have been free to negotiate with other sides after his 16th birthday.

Premier League rules for that season stated: "No club shall induce or attempt to induce a player to become registered as a student by that club by offering him, or any person connected with him, either directly or indirectly, a benefit or payment of any description whether in cash or in kind."

In essence, any money paid to an underage player's family in order to influence a decision on the individual's career is a contravention of the law, though clubs have in the past hired family members of youngsters in order to circumvent those rules.

Almeida Snr's case differs, however, as the Brazilian claims that he never actually did any work for the club despite receiving monthly expense payments of around £1,000 between September 2011 and June 2012.

He did admit to sitting through two separate scouting training sessions at City, but added that those sessions were exclusively in English – a language he does not understand.

Speaking to The Athletic, in Portuguese, Almeida said: “The truth is that they paid me but I did not work. In truth, they tricked us because I do not speak English. They did arrange for me to take a course in scouting. I went to the classroom on two occasions, to appear there at the course. It was inside Manchester City.”

City deny the allegations levelled against them, with a club spokesperson stating: “The limited records that exist given the nature of the work involved and the significant passage of time of almost a decade, suggest that Mr Almeida (Snr) was a casual scout for a period within Gabriel’s time with the club, for which he was reimbursed expenses.”

Almeida insists there was no 'casual scouting', however. 

“I didn’t do anything. It was a lie. I didn’t go and do anything,” he said, adding: “They know. They know everything. They put me down as a worker. There’s no way that the club would not know.”

The report further states that it is unclear whether the Premier League will investigate the matter, or what the punishment would be if wrongdoing is found to have taken place.

However, similar offences involving illegal approaches for young players have in the past resulted in fines and transfer bans.

Fabinho has insisted that Mohamed Salah is "very happy" at Liverpool amid speculation over the Liverpool star's future.

The likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona have been linked with the Egypt international after comments made in December where he left the door open to a possible Anfield exit.

His Reds team-mate Fabinho, however, believes that it's "normal" to see Salah linked with some of Europe's top clubs and does not think that the speculation has affected his performances.

What's been said?

"Big players will always have their names involved in rumours. Salah plays for Liverpool, one of the biggest teams in the world. I think it's normal to see his name linked to other teams, especially from different leagues," Fabinho told ESPN Brasil.

"Anyway, I see him very happy here and pleased with his performances this season. He's very demanding with himself, he wants to be the best, he wants to help the team and works hard for it.

"It's always been the case and it hasn't changed at all. He keeps scoring goals, which everyone is used to seeing. In the changing room he's always talking to everyone and making jokes.

"I don't see anything affecting him. Overall, I am not following the news so I'm not sure about any rumours. As I said, top quality players will always be linked to big clubs."

The Goal view

Neil Jones | Liverpool correspondent

Salah's contract, worth £200,000 per week, still has two-and-a-half years to run, and so there is no huge concern at Liverpool at this stage - though obviously it is something that they will need to address over the next 12 months.

The aim has always been, and remains, to offer the Egyptian an extension, which would make him the club's highest-paid player. That would be both recognition for his incredible performances for the club in the past, and a means of ensuring the Reds maintain his value.

Despite his age, Salah's condition and professionalism mean he should still have many years at the highest level.

It's fair to say that the recent stories which emerged following Salah's interview with AS raised a few eyebrows within the club. It was seen as an unnecessary, and poorly-timed, distraction at a time when Liverpool were top of the Premier League and flying.

Since then, of course, things have changed in that regard.

From the player's perspective, there has always been a single-mindedness and a desire to achieve just about everything there is to achieve, collectively and personally.

Money is unlikely to be a big player in that, the question will more be one of relationship and opportunity - and at present Liverpool remain the club which satisfies in all regards.

Further reading

Nemanja Matic is confident Manchester United are ready to challenge for the Premier League title and wants his side to prove it against Liverpool on Sunday.

United moved to the top of the table with a 1-0 victory over Burnley on Tuesday thanks to Paul Pogba’s deflected second-half volley.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men next head to Anfield at the weekend to take on their biggest rivals and Matic is relishing the opportunity to face the reigning champions.

What's been said

“I think this kind of win shows that we are ready to compete for the title,” Matic told MUTV.  

“I’m happy for the team performance and spirit and let’s see Sunday against Liverpool. It’s the biggest derby in England and we go there to compete with them and see where we are against one of the best teams in the league. I think we are ready.

“We played 17 games [and] we are top of the table. That shows something. We didn’t play five or six games and you can say maybe it’s lucky. But, after 17 games, definitely it is not lucky, definitely there is quality.

“But we cannot relax, we need to be concentrated until the end – to go game by game. In football, the next one is always important; the next one is the biggest final, and we will see.”

Why does it matter & what's the bigger picture?

The Goal view

Charlotte Duncker | Man Utd correspondent

If United are to attain a positive result, the resurgent Paul Pogba will again be key. Like Solskjaer, he has been constantly questioned and ridiculed by pundits and fans but the 27-year-old oozes class both on and off the ball, and his performances in recent weeks have shown glimpses of the level of excellence that we all know he is capable of producing.

His movement, range of passing and, perhaps most importantly, vision set him apart from every other player on the pitch at Turf Moor.

Whether the critics like it or not, United, Solskjaer and their much-maligned midfielder are very much in the Premier League title race.

A win against Liverpool on Sunday would send them six points clear of the reigning champions and, on current form, you wouldn’t bet against them.

Further reading

Kenya international Michael Olunga has wished Kashiwa Reysol success and is hopeful he will join them in future after completing a move to Al Duhail SC.

After three years with Kashiwa Reysol in Japan, Olunga joined the Qatari club but as he recalls the moments he shared with the J1-League club, he did not rule out the possibility of signing for them again.

“Hallo Kashiwa Reysol fans, I just want to thank you for all the support that you showed me and the club throughout my time here in Reysol,” Olunga said in a video posted on Kashiwa Reysol’s Twitter handle.

“It has been fantastic to play for this beautiful club and I really enjoyed every moment of it.

“I can just hope that you continue to perform more and more and I wish the club success in all the assignments. I hope one day I can still come back and play for this beautiful team.

“So, cheers and I wish you more success in the year 2021.”

The former Tusker and Gor Mahia centre-forward made his name while with Kashiwa Reysol as he emerged their top scorer in the 2019 J2 League season with 27 goals.

He did not look back as he – after helping Kashiwa Reysol win the title in the second division – was key again in the top-tier, where he scored 28 goals in 32 games.

He emerged as the top scorer in the J1 League and was additionally voted as the Most Valuable Player of the completion, a feat no African has achieved before.

Although a section of Kenyans showed reservations on Olunga’s latest move, Football Kenya Federation president Nick Mwendwa welcomed the deal for the Harambee Star.

“The choice Olunga made is personal and we don’t have a problem with it,” Mwendwa told Goal.

“Our job as a federation is to make sure we give him the support he needs and we will provide the same.

“He has moved to a very good club, it is a big team with big-name players and we pray that many Kenyan players can follow Olunga's footsteps.

“He did not talk to me but he knows his life well, our job is just to support him and we wish him well at his new station.”

Olunga made his Al Duhail debut as they were beaten 3-1 by Al Sadd on Tuesday.

Former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler is one of many stars of the game who are looking forward to the 2022 World Cup which will be held in Qatar. 

With stunning stadiums that feature cutting-edge technology and world-class infrastructure, Qatar have already promised a wonderful experience for visiting fans. They have inaugurated four out of the eight planned venues for the World Cup and the work is progressing on schedule for the rest. 

Interestingly, the World Cup will be held in the winter months of November and December for the first time ever. It will also be one of the major sporting events to be hosted in a post-pandemic world. As such, it is set to be a unique World Cup in many ways and Fowler feels it will be a brilliant event for fans and players alike. 

“I actually think that the World Cup in Qatar will be brilliant,” Fowler, who is currently coaching SC East Bengal in the Indian Super League (ISL), told Goal. While Qatar have had its fair share of critics over time, Fowler believes the Middle-East nation will defy all of them and put up a grand show when the World Cup rolls into town less than two years from now. 

“All eyes will be on them. People will probably want them to fail but I don't think they will. I think they will put up a great show and make it an unbelievably great spectacle and they will want to prove lots of people wrong,” Fowler mentioned.

The Liverpool great, who has 26 international caps for England, is no stranger to the thrills and frills of a World Cup. He was part of the England side which reached the quarter-finals of the first-ever World Cup to be held in Asia, back in 2002.

He feels that England have now improved and are certainly among the best European footballing nations. As Asia’s second World Cup comes along, the 45-year-old believes the Three Lions will put up a good show in Doha. 

“On paper, England always have had good teams. But it was always a bit worrying not because of England, but there were other good teams. Sometimes you look up and say that other European teams are slightly better. I think that's always been the case. England now have got back a bit of parity because they have a few good quality players,” he said. 

He also pointed out England’s brilliant performance in the 2017 U17 World Cup, which was also incidentally held in Asia (India), with several stars from that title-winning team making it to the English national team including Phil Foden, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Jadon Sancho.

“You go back as far as 2017, England won the U17 World Cup, and actually, it was in India, so their progressions have been good. Some of them have gone on to the U21 side, some of them into great Premier League sides and some even into the England national team. So there is scope for England to do well. We always have that belief that we would do well in tournaments.”

Fowler believes that the semi finalists from the 2018 World Cup will have the desire to perform in Qatar as well. With talented players like Marcus Rashford, Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane leading the team, 2022 Qatar World Cup will be an exciting tournament for English fans.

“Fundamentally, there are other teams as well who believe that they are as good as anyone else. So football is crazy at times. We all want our team to win but there will be one winner. You run that little bit harder, work that little bit harder. All national teams have unbelievably talented players and it's a case of who wants that little bit more. And it is up to England to show the world that they want it more than anyone. 

“It will be tough as all the other nations will be doing exactly the same.”

Steve Bruce has reaffirmed that he will not leave Newcastle United by his own choice, stressing that he will "never ever walk away from a challenge" as pressure continues to mount following poor form.

Bruce succeeded Rafa Benitez in July 2019 and guided them to a 13th-place finish in his first campaign in charge, notching key results against Manchester City and Chelsea.

But with just two points taken from his last six games in charge - plus Carabao Cup and FA Cup exits to Brentford and Arsenal in recent weeks - the 60-year-old has come increasingly under fire from supporters.

Tuesday's defeat to Sheffield United - who had previously only mustered two draws across the entirety of the current term - has only further enhanced calls for the ex-Birmingham City and Hull City boss to go.

But speaking afterwards at Bramall Lane, Bruce underlined that he had no intention of walking out of his own volition, while accepting that he must bear some of the burden for the club's on-field misfortunes.

"I'll never ever walk away from a challenge," he told Sky Sports. "I've been in it long enough to have that respect, but I understand - especially watching the first half - we weren't good enough and I take the responsibility for that, because I picked the team.

"We've been trying something different because over the last few weeks we've struggled going forward, so my thoughts were to get Ryan, someone fresh, and Sean higher up the pitch where he could be a goal threat. Unfortunately that didn't happen.

"I think we've had, apart from the last month which we knew would be difficult with the run of fixtures we've had, we've given ourselves a decent start to the season."

Bruce was also left fuming at the VAR-assisted decision to hand Chris Wilder's hosts a penalty for a handball against Federico Fernandez after originally electing to let play continue.

Billy Sharp subsequently converted from the spot to hand the Blades a first Premier League victory since July last year.

"I have to say the decision for the penalty is poor," Bruce added. "I thought the referee got it spot on when he didn't give it. We've spoken about it too much, we might not have got anything from the game but for it to be decided on something like that is poor."

Ex-Kenya coach Bobby Williamson says the decision taken by Harambee Stars striker Michael Olunga to opt for Qatar instead of Europe could set him up for a good life.

The 26-year-old striker left Kashiwa Reysol of Japan after two seasons in the country to sign for Al Duhail SC of Qatar, and was handed his debut on Tuesday as his team lost 3-1 against Al Sadd.

The news of Olunga moving to Qatar came to light two weeks ago when a source close to the player confirmed to Goal he was already negotiating with Duhail.

A week later, reports emerged in Japan that Kashiwa Reysol had already accepted a transfer fee of seven million Euros (approximately Ksh890m) from the Qatari club for the services of the former Gor Mahia striker.

After making his debut on Tuesday, it was a clear indicator the striker had opted against a move to Europe and his former coach at national team level has no problem with the transfer as long as it does not affect his availability for international matches.

“People don’t know what he was offered, football is a short career if he went to Europe and picked up a career-threatening injury he could be finished,” Williamson told Goal on Wednesday when asked whether Olunga had made the right decision to move to the Qatar Stars League.

“We don’t know if he has been offered anything in Europe, most top players who go to Qatar are usually near the end of their careers and are millionaires anyway, I don’t know how much Michael [Olunga] will be paid?

“It is none of my business but I’m sure he will be pretty wealthy if he’s not already, the team in Qatar have put their money where their mouth is, and his club have accepted.

“He should go because it could set him up for life.”

Williamson has further said he would have loved to see the former Thika United, Tusker, and Gor Mahia striker play in the Premier League because he could have been a success there.

“We all would have liked to see how he would do in the English Premier League,” Williamson continued. “Personally I know he would have been a success but that option doesn’t seem to be open.

“I wish him all the best wherever he goes as long he’s assured he can make international matches when Kenya needs him.”

On his debut, Olunga played for 65 minutes and was a threat to Al Sadd’s defenders, his best chance to open the goal account coming in the 20th minute when his glancing header went just wide.

Neither Bengaluru FC nor NorthEast United FC would've been the happier team after a listless 0-0 draw that saw the Highlanders coach Gerard Nus part ways with the club. 

Both teams were struggling going into this game with Bengaluru looking for a sort of mini-revival under interim coach Naushad Moosa. After four losses on the bounce, a run that saw Carles Cuadrat leave the club, Moosa was desperate for a three points against NorthEast United. But that was not to be. 

The Bengaluru attack continued to struggle and whatever little they created was wasted by the forwards. NorthEast, on the other hand, were more profligate than Bengaluru and on the balance of play, should have won the game. 

When NorthEast United made a bright start this season, many labelled them as the surprise package and one of the ‘dark horses’. They started their campaign with a surprise 1-0 win over Mumbai City FC, a team who occupy the pole position on the Indian Super League (ISL) table currently.

They made a brilliant comeback against Kerala Blasters where they were 2-0 down before scoring twice in the second half to pick a point. They followed it up with another point against FC Goa after equalising through an Idrssa Sylla spot-kick.

In their fourth game of the season, they eased past East Bengal to register a comfortable 2-0 win. Eight points from four matches and the Highlanders looked like they would stake a claim in the top four at the end of the league stage.

However, what followed has been nothing short of a disaster. In seven matches, they have only amassed four points. A similar trend was seen last season when they had 10 points from the opening five matches and would go on to pick a mere eight points more from the remaining 13 games.

"There are more players now who were not here last year. I see the opportunity to use those statistics (from last year) to prove to ourselves that we can do better,” said Nus ahead of their sixth game of the campaign when he was questioned on NorthEast United’s slump last season.

Kwesi Appiah’s injury hasn’t helped Nus’ cause which has further reduced the goalscoring options for the Highlanders.

Bengaluru FC have struggled throughout the season and it wasn’t much different against NorthEast. They would thank their stars for picking a point thanks to a gift from goalkeeper Gurmeet Singh, who failed to collect a feeble shot, or cross, from Rahul Bheke.

What would continue to haunt Naushad Moosa and his players is the ease with which the opposition are able to create openings. If not for V.P.Suhair being wasteful on a couple of occasions, Bengaluru could have found themselves staring at yet another defeat.

The goals aren’t coming and the creativity from set-pieces, along with Carles Cuadrat, seems to have deserted them. They struggle to get behind the opposition defence and when they do, there aren’t enough bodies inside the box. 

Not much has changed for Bengaluru since Cuadrat's departure in terms of fashioning chances from open play and Moosa needs to address this as soon as possible.

NorthEast have opted to get rid of Nus and hand over the reins to Khalid Jamil. Whether it was the right decision or not, only time will tell. However, the onus is now on Jamil to ensure that the team do much better in the second half of the campaign, keeping in mind the limitations he has.

'All great players do not make great coaches'. This is a very common notion which persists in the world of football and this phrase was bandied about at East Bengal as soon as the club lost their first three matches in their maiden Indian Super League (ISL) season.

The Red and Golds had appointed Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler at the helm ahead of their journey in the ISL and there was a lot of hype at the beginning of the season. But as soon as the season began, the positivity gave way to criticism and negativity. 

Fowler was heavily criticised from all corners for East Bengal's initial bad results but what the critics conveniently ignored was how East Bengal entered the country's top league. Until September, East Bengal did not have an investor and it was almost confirmed they were going to take part in the I-League. 

The club's ISL participation was confirmed only when Shree Cement Limited came on board as the club's investor. Everything happened in the eleventh hour including finalising the squad. Most importantly, head coach Robbie Fowler had hardly any time to prepare the team before the season started. 

It must also be noted that the club did not have the pick of the Indian players since most prominent Indians had already signed for other ISL clubs before East Bengal's participation was confirmed. 

"I have said this before, how difficult it was at the start. Pre-season was for two weeks," Robbie Fowler told Goal. "Two weeks for any club in the world, whether you are Manchester City, Manchester United or Liverpool if you have two weeks of preparation for the season then you will not hit the ground running. What we did is we used the first games as pre-season games. I know that is not what people want to hear but that is what we had to do and it is the situation we found ourselves in.

"This is a great traditionalist club with ideas and values we all love but it was tough because this season the squad was built for I-League and we can't hide that fact. It was a club that was going into the I-League and all of a sudden we are put in the ISL. We had to change our values as coaching staff and players. You are going from one league into the other and the ISL is a much tougher league. I am not being disrespectful to the I-League but it is me being a realist."

Along with an average squad, another thing that most critics do not take into consideration is the abnormality of the pandemic-affected ongoing season. The teams are staying in a bubble for more nearly six months where except for playing matches and attending training sessions, no one is allowed to step out of their hotels.

"From outside people might have thought that we were bad but we knew we weren't. We all knew how difficult it was and I can't stress enough how difficult it is to be in this environment. It is probably the toughest thing anyone would have to do. It is an environment where you cant leave or can't do something that you want to do freely. We leave the hotel to train and play games. That is the only thing you can do. We are in a lovely hotel no doubt but we can't do anything other than that," said the East Bengal coach.

Fowler also spoke about the challenges he faced at the beginning of the season including changing the mentality of the players. He feels the efforts are slowly bearing fruit now. 

"We had to change the mentality of the players. We had our ideas and we knew what we needed to do and it really tough at the start. But thankfully now people may start to see the fruits whereas at the start people were quick to get on our backs and say you can't be doing this, can't be doing that.

"Everything we have done is not because we are egotistical people. It is because we want this club to be a successful club and we were not after quick fixes. We wanted to gradually grow and be better. Everyone can see we are progressing, we are competing against all the teams in the ISL and we will continue to do that."

The Liverpool great suggested that he had come prepared for a tough challenge in India and he also drew the example of his previous coaching stint with A-League's Brisbane Roar and how he and his coaching staff took a lowly placed side on the league table and made them qualify for the AFC Champions League (ACL).

"I knew that things won't be all rosy. Nothing comes easy. We need to work hard if we want to achieve great things. That is what we have always tried to do regardless of people giving us the stick, we knew we have to build something here. If you see last year, we took a team (Brisbane Roar) that struggled the year before and we were competitive and we ended up getting into the AFC Champions League.

"We changed the squad, we changed their beliefs, ideas and mentality and we became robust. That has been the plan this year as well. We knew how tough it was at the start."

Fowler stressed on the importance of staying realistic and developing long-term fixes rather than short term ones.

"We knew it was never going to be easy and there was a chance to try and build again. Regardless of what people have said about me, nobody can deny that last year we took a club that had struggled the year before and made them competitive. This club, they are huge but they haven't won the league in 17 years (the I-League), of course.

"When you are a club of the size of East Bengal with a huge fan base, people demand things. But as much as we demand things from players we have to be realistic. This is something that is not going to happen overnight. We know we have to develop and we are not after quick fixes, we are after developing," said the former England star.

Ex-coach Hassan Oktay has claimed Gor Mahia were very lucky to return from Algeria with a 6-0 defeat against CR Belouizdad.

The Kenyan champions came up against the North African giants in the Caf Champions League playoffs, and the first leg they suffered a 6-0 defeat before they lost 2-1 at home in the return leg to exit on an 8-1 aggregate scoreline.

The Cypriot-Turkish tactician, who helped the team reach the quarter-finals of the Confederation Cup for the first time in history in 2019, has now told Goal K'Ogalo should be thankful because they only lost by a 6-0 margin, insisting the level of the game displayed by their opponents meant they deserved to lose 10-0.

“They should thank their God because the game was supposed to end 10-0 or even more,” Oktay told Goal while pointing at the number of chances CR Belouizdad squandered at home.

“It was a gift to Gor Mahia because the embarrassment was not as huge as it was supposed to be.

“They were very lucky but in the return leg, at least they [Gor Mahia] showed some improvement and played very well, it was a tight game and it was better football from them but the problem was, the damage had already been done from the first leg.”

Asked to explain what the problem could be at the club, Oktay said: “Gor Mahia are simply suffering because they don’t keep their key players in every transfer window. If you want to compete at the highest level, you must keep your best players and your technical bench intact, and also move to sign potential players to make your team stronger and better.

“But that is not the case at Gor Mahia, they are losing key players every window and in return sign more than 15, spoiling consistency in the process.

"Somebody told me they signed players from Western Stima [during the last window], and then allowed their good players to go, they should strive to keep their best players, someone like Harun [Shakava], Francis [Kahata], Lawrence Juma, and Boniface [Omondi] did not deserve to leave the club.

“Why do you sell your best players and then go sign from Western Stima, a team which is not at the level of Gor Mahia?

On who should take the blame for the current mess at the club, Oktay, who won the league title with K’Ogalo in the 2018-19 season, said: “I am not blaming the chairman or anyone because sometimes if players want to go you cannot keep them.

“But you should need to find the reason why they want to go, why they are not happy at the club, and then solve the problems before you lose them.”

Oktay has also maintained a club of Gor Mahia's status needs to have their own training facility, saying it will go a long way to help them in getting good results.

“For me, Gor Mahia needs to focus and build their own stadium and training facility and even have one for the youth team,” the 47-year-old continued.

 “For a team to do well in Caf competitions, you need such facilities, and also for a team to go out there and bring money from Champions League, you have to keep your best players.”

After losing their Champions League clash, Gor Mahia dropped to the Confederation Cup, where they have been pitted against Napsa Stars of Zambia in the playoff for a spot in the group stage.

Gor Mahia have also struggled in the league, as they have lost two matches from their opening three, managing to win one against Tusker.

Orlando Pirates would be keen to breathe life into their seemingly waning Premier Soccer League (PSL) fortunes when they travel to Venda for Wednesday's clash against Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila.

Having started the year 2021 on the back foot by losing to Mamelodi Sundowns and drawing 1-1 with Swallows FC, Pirates risk losing track of the log leaders.

They are now trailing Downs by 10 points, a situation that makes them desperate for a win, although they have played a game fewer than Masandawana.

The trip to equally struggling TTM provides an opportunity to get back on track and cover some ground in their chase of the leaders.

Currently sitting in sixth spot, victory would see Pirates climb two rungs up the standings to fourth position.

But it could be a tricky assignment given that their hosts are also eager to correct their difficult run of form.

Making it more tricky for Josef Zinnabauer's Pirates is that they can be unpredictable after being held by AmaZulu and Baroka in two of five matches they have shared spoils.

TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch

Squads & Team News

Tshakhuma's bid to improve their fortunes has been dealt a big blow following the departure of striker Justin Shonga.

The Zambia international ended his three-month stay in Limpopo by joining Cape Town City on Tuesday.

Tshakhuma coach Joel Masutha will have to find an immediate solution within the group of players he is working with ahead of Pirates' visit.

This leaves more weight for goals falling on the shoulders of Rhulani Manzini, who is the club’s top goalscorer with two goals.

Some Tshakhuma players, like forward Lerato Lamola, as well as midfielders Thabo Rakhale, Mogakolodi Ngele, Thabo Mnyamane and Edgar Manaka, will be expected to provide the much-needed experience to match the Buccaneers if selected to play.

Alfred Ndengane will be coming up against his former paymasters after being released by Pirates at the end of last season.

Pirates will be without co-captain Thulani Hlatshwayo who is suspended for this match after accumulating his fourth yellow card of the season in the draw against Swallows last weekend.

Fellow skipper Happy Jele is expected to step in at the heart of the defence.

While Hlatshwayo is out, the Buccaneers have received a major boost following the return to full fitness of goalkeeper Richard Ofori.

The Ghana number one missed the Soweto giants' last two league matches and a Caf Confederation assignment due to injury.

In his absence, Wayne Sandilands guarded goal but was breached in their last two games in which they failed to win.

Zinnabauer also welcomes back attacker Vincent Pule, who missed the hosting of Swallows due to suspension.

Last week, Pirates confirmed that forwards Zakhele Lepasa and Tshegofatso Mabasa, as well as defender Abel Mabaso, are not yet near returning from injury.

But Zinnabauer might not be worrying himself much as he has Frank Mhango to play upfront together with Jean-Marc Makusu.

The two are still bit-part players so far this season and yet to start together, but there is an anticipation of a strong combination between them.

In the last two league games, Zinnbauer has started Terrence Dzvukamanja as a centre-striker but after that move failed to yield any positive results, the German could be forced to change.

Match Preview

A defeat for Pirates will see them making it a tall order for themselves to catch up with Sundowns.

They would be eager to avoid dropping points, especially since they are a limping side that has won just once in their last five matches.

A defeat or even a draw would invite more pressure on the Buccaneers who have won three league games, drawn five and lost just once so far this season.

It would be the first time ever for them to play Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila, who are in their debut PSL season after purchasing the top-flight league status of Bidvest Wits.

Tshakhuma currently sit in position 11 on the log and have not tasted victory in their last five league matches, where they registered four draws and a defeat.

Overall, they have played six draws, a record they share with Golden Arrows in the league so far this season.

The Venda side has won just once in nine games and have lost twice.

Alex Iwobi ended his Premier League goal drought as Everton defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 on Tuesday evening.

The Nigeria international inspired his team to victory at the Molineux Stadium as Carlo Ancelotti’s team stepped up their bid for the EPL diadem.

Six minutes into the game, James Rodriguez played a crossfield pass to Lucas Digne before sending it back to Iwobi who calmly fired beyond goalkeeper Rui Patricio from 20 yards.

With that strike, the former Arsenal man has now scored for the first time in 38 English elite division games. The last time he found the net was on September 1, 2019 as Everton laboured to a 3-2 win over Wolves at Goodison Park.

The hosts levelled matters through Ruben Neves in the 14th minute. Yerry Mina’s failure to clear Pedro Neto’s corner kick allowed Rayan Ait-Nouri to turn the ball back in the danger area, where the Portugal international volleyed past Jordan Pickford from close range.

Victory was sealed for the visitors in the 77th minute after Michael Keane powered home a brilliant header thanks to a cross from Andre Gomes.

Iwobi was in action from start to finish as his club now occupy the fourth position in the log having garnered 32 points from 17 matches – four points adrift of leaders Manchester United.

Shortly after the game, the Super Eagle took to social media to revel in his side’s win against Nuno Espirito Santo’s side: “ That three point feeling’s so sweet,” he tweeted.

Speaking after the game, manager Ancelotti praised his team’s flexibility in the away triumph.

“Great result. If you win here, you have to have a good performance. We played a good game, we were good defensively, we attacked well with good ideas on the flanks,” the Italian tactician told media after the game.

“After that the game was in the balance, at the end we won thanks to Michael Keane, who scored a fantastic goal.

“We perform better away because at home we don’t have the support of our fans at the moment, which is really important. When we played with 2,000 of our supporters against Chelsea we won.”

Iwobi would be hoping to take his scoring form to Villa Park where Everton are guests of Aston Villa on Sunday.

Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says this weekend’s trip to Liverpool will be a “great test” of his side’s title ambitions after Tuesday’s win at Burnley saw them leapfrog their great rivals to the top of the table.

A 71st-minute strike from Paul Pogba was enough to earn United a gutsy 1-0 win at Turf Moor and put them three points clear at the summit.

It is the first time United have topped the table at this stage of a season since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, raising hopes of a sustained title challenge.

Next up is a trip to Anfield, where Manchester United haven’t won since March 2016. Solskjaer, though, says his side can go there with confidence.

"We're looking forward to it, we enjoy being where we are at any time,” he told reporters.

“At the moment we are where we are, we go there knowing we're playing the best team in the country by a mile over the last year and a half, they are champions by right.

“We're looking forward to it and it's a great test of where we're at against a good team.

“We are getting better and better. We are almost half way through the season and it is a little bit of an indication of where we're at, but nobody will remember the league table on January 12."

Reflecting on the Burnley game, Solskjaer said he was pleased with the way his side showed spirit to battle their way to victory, particularly when some key refereeing decisions went against them in the first half.

"The frustrations were there for everyone to see and it affected our performances,” added the Norwegian. “We can't let that happen, we’ve just got to accept once in a while decisions go against us.

“I’d rather win 4-0 as it's so much more comfortable towards the end. At 1-0 you have to see out some big moments and we did. We were a bit fortunate, you expect that here at Turf Moor. They put bodies on the box, but we put our head in like Luke [Shaw] did. I'm very pleased with the spirit.”

Former U.S. women's national team (USWNT) goalkeeper Hope Solo says the team has a "very privileged, white culture", and recounted her experience of being bullied when she first joined the group.

Solo made her USWNT debut in 2000 and went on to become one of the greatest goalkeepers the game has seen, winning two Olympic gold medals and the 2015 World Cup while earning 202 caps in her career.

The goalkeeper was no stranger to controversy as well, seeing her U.S. Soccer contract terminated in 2016 after she called Sweden "a bunch of cowards" for their defensive style in their shock Olympic quarter-final win over the USWNT. 

Speaking on The Players podcast from BBC Sport and COPA90, Solo recounted the difficult experiences she had when first joining the USWNT. 

“We were bullied, let’s be honest," Solo said. "You’re supposed to be competitive, and you want to join the team and be the starter, but at the same time if you have that sense of confidence in yourself, it’s not always a good thing. You have to earn every step of it.

"When we grew up on the team it was cut-throat. People were not nice to us, people were not welcoming, they didn’t invite you to sit at the dinner table. It was really difficult growing up on the national team for me in a social aspect as well as learning the game. It is a much more open and welcome environment [now].”

Also appearing on the podcast was Carli Lloyd, who is still with the USWNT after a decorated career that has seen her win two World Cups and consecutive FIFA world player of the year awards in 2015 and 2016.

Lloyd concurred with Solo's experience coming through the team's ranks.

"Hope and I, coming through the international team, it was so hard," Lloyd said. "I would go home to my room and cry afterwards because people were kind of mean to me. It was just the competitive nature.

"When I was first coming into the team, I had the Jersey swagger a little bit. I’m like, ‘I don’t care who you are, or what you’ve accomplished or done, I’m coming for your spot’.”

Solo added that there was also a racial dynamic at play with the USWNT, as soccer in the United States is very often a sport more accessible for high-income communities. 

"When you grow up on the national team, there was a mean girls club," Solo added. "It was a mean girls club. Most players have come from rich, white families. That is the culture of the United States women’s national team. It is a very privileged, white culture.

"I remember Carli and I always talking about the culture, ‘we have to change this culture’. Carli and I were very welcoming, we weren’t bullies. We were very nice to the young kids coming in, but I think it’s because we were bullied. We always wanted to change that culture, but ultimately I’m not sure we succeeded.”

East Bengal's season got off to a disastrous start with a winless run of seven games. Kerala Blasters had a winless start that lasted six matches. These two teams couldn't be separated when they met for the first time ever earlier this season. And on Sunday, they'll both be at it again. 

Bakary Kone's own goal in the 13th minute gave the Red and Golds an early lead in their first game against Blasters. But a period of pressure late in the game helped the then 'home' team equalise in added time through a Jeakson Singh header. At the end of that game, Blasters were the happier team. 

But both these teams are heading into their next fixture with a different mindset. Yes, both teams are still some way off their desired position on the table but they have improved their displays in recent games. 

Blasters ended their winless run with a 2-0 win against Hyderabad but followed that up with back-to-back defeats. After being bossed around the field by Mumbai City and Odisha, they delivered an encouraging performance and a win against Jamshedpur which has set the fans up for an exciting fixture against ISL debutants East Bengal. 

East Bengal, on the other hand, are unbeaten in their last three matches, which is a pretty big deal for a team that had gotten off to a poor start. They picked up their first win of the season against Odisha, then held FC Goa to a draw with 10 men on the field and defeated Bengaluru in their last game. 

Kibu Vicuna had struggled to find out his best XI players at the start of the season but is now closer than ever to what can be considered as the most effective lineup for his style of play.

Jordan Murray, who picked up a brace in their last game, has looked a better fit than Gary Hooper who has been struggling in the final third. Vicuna has also tried a system that accommodates both strikers and that could be the plan to follow for the Yellows. 

Sahal's role is still not well-defined but he remains a threat from the left flank and is encouraged to make runs inside. The standout performer for the Yellow Army, however, has been Argentinian forward Facundo Pereyra who has settled into his role in the team well. He has two assists to his name so far. 

East Bengal's 22-year-old January signing Bright Enobakhare has added a terrific new dimension to Robbie Fowler's attack which was blunt before he arrived.

Against Goa, he scored a solo goal which is arguably one of the best goals in the ISL and will be a massive threat against the Blasters defence. The Nigerian will be licking his lips at the prospect of facing the league's worst defence which was let in 19 goals already.

Kibu Vicuna and Robbie Fowler, from the outside, look like two managers who were under huge pressure but have turned things around. But they both need to keep picking up wins and a draw when they face each other is useless to both teams with the playoff spots in mind.

Playing for a draw does not really help both teams. Will the teams go all-out for a win or would they deem it too risky? 

The CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores  has reached its semi-final stage, as the delayed 2020 competition nears its end.

Tuesday will determine the first club to reach the final, as Palmeiras look to see out the second leg at home to River Plate in Sao Paulo.

The Brazilians shocked their hosts last week with a 3-0 victory to take the upper hand in the semi-final tie.

And while the 2018 winners are still dreaming of a miracle comeback, the odds are firmly stacked in Palmeiras' favour in this return clash.

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How to watch Palmeiras vs River on US TV

What has happened to Palmeiras and River so far in the 2020 Copa Libertadores?

Palmeiras hold the distinction of being the only surviving team yet to lose a single match in this Libertadores campaign. The signs were there from the start that the Verdao would prove tough customers, as they advanced from Group B in top spot with five wins, a draw and just two goals conceded in a formidable opening to the tournament.

Ecuador's Delfin proved no match in the last 16, falling 3-1 at home before suffering a 5-1 thrashing to bow out of their first experience of the Copa knockout phase. 

Libertad pushed the Brazilians a little harder, but still to no avail: a tough-fought 1-1 draw in Asuncion was followed by Palmeiras running riot in the second leg to win 3-0 and book only their second semi-final berth in the competition since 2001.

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River's quest began in subdued fashion with a 3-0 defeat away to Liga de Quito in Group D, but Marcelo Gallardo's charges quickly rediscovered their best form.

Peru's Binacional were thrashed 8-0 and 6-0 while the Millonario also picked up four points against a Sao Paulo team featuring Dani Alves, pushing the Brazilians into third place and the Copa Sudamericana while River qualified in first. 

In the last-16 stage River dominated over Athletic Paranaense, racking up 39 shots over two legs to their opponents' 14. Goals proved hard to come by, though, and after tying the first leg 1-1 in Coritiba a single strike from Nicolas de la Cruz saw the Argentines over the line. Uruguay's Nacional were then put to the sword, with River's 2-0 home win followed by a 6-2 thrashing in Montevideo to produce an emphatic aggregate victory for the Millonario.

Palmeiras and River team news and preview

Palmeiras will have to do without star striker Gabriel Veron. The 18-year-old, who had recently returned from injury, was forced off at the weekend and is ruled out for the second leg having been an unused substitute in the opener.

Midfielder Patrick also misses out due to suspension, but Palmeiras will be able to count on the services of Raphael Veiga, who has shaken off a knock sustained against Sport to resume regular training.

Jorge Carrascal picked up a red card in last week's opening match and thus will be suspended for River as they seek to come back from behind in Sao Paulo.

Coach Marcelo Gallardo may be able to field Fabricio Angileri, who has been unavailable  through injury but is now available for selection.

Probable Palmeiras XI:  Weverton, Gabriel Menino, Luan, Gómez, Vina; Danilo, Ze Rafael, Raphael Veiga; Gustavo Scarpa, Rony, Luiz Adriano.

Probable River XI:  Armani; Montiel, Robert Rojas, Paulo Díaz, Pinola, Angileri; Zuculini, Perez, De la Cruz; Suarez, Borre.

When does the 2020 Copa Libertadores finish?

The 2020 Copa Libertadores was originally scheduled to conclude with a single final in a neutral ground, the system which replaced the old format of home and away legs last year, at the end of November. 

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, however, the tournament suffered almost six months of interruption, meaning that the final phases had to be pushed back into the South American summer months of late December and January. 

The last quarter-final tie between Boca Juniors and Racing Club concluded on December 23 with the former advancing to meet Santos. The second leg of that tie takes place just under 24 hours after Palmeiras and River lock horns in their decider.

The final proper is scheduled to be held at Rio de Janeiro's landmark Maracana Stadium on January 30.

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Nigeria U17 have qualified for the semi-final of the 2021 Wafu U17 championship taking place in Togo.

The Golden Eaglets had bowed 1-0 to Cote d’Ivoire in their opening Group B match courtesy of Charles Mezia’s 77th minute strike. In their next fixture against Ghana, they took the lead through Joseph Arumala before their arch-rivals equalised to ensure the game ended 1-1 – a result that put them on the brink of elimination.

Even at that, Fatai Amoo’s boys scaled through as the Black Starlets crumbled 3-1 to Les Petits Elephants at the Stade Municipal, Lome.

With this result, the five-time world champions are through to the last four of the competition alongside the 2013 African U17 champions.

To reach the final, Nigeria must negotiate their way past Group A winners Burkina Faso on Friday, while Cote d’Ivoire must get past Niger Republic on the same day at the Stade Kegue.

Hosts Togo got disqualified from the championship on Sunday after two of their players failed the Magnetic Resonance Imaging tests (MRI).

“This decision is made in accordance with article 27.4 of the regulations of the U17 Africa Cup of Nations which stipulates that “if after having carried out the age eligibility test (MRI) for a participating team and a player ‘is revealed ineligible, the participating team will be disqualified,” a statement from the organisers read.

The regional tournament serves as qualifiers for the 2021 Africa U17 Cup of Nations billed for Morocco. There, Africa’s four representatives for the Fifa U17 World Cup in Peru would be determined.

Golden Eaglets finished fourth at the 2019 U17 Afcon hosted by Tanzania. At the global fiesta held in Brazil, the team led by Manu Garba crashed out after the Round of 16 following their 3-1 defeat to the Netherland with Misjonne Hansen finding the net on three occasions inside Estadio Olimpico, Goiania.

Nigeria are the most successful country in the world at this level of competition having won the U17 World Cup for a record five times. Their last triumph was achieved at the 2015 edition when they silenced Mali 2-0 in the final thanks to second-half strikes from Victor Osimhen and Funsho Bamgboye.