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Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi is adamant that the Glamour Boys will not get sucked into a relegation battle this season.

It's almost unthinkable that a team of Chiefs' stature, the most popular club in South Africa, could ever be relegated.

But with the team currently sitting just one point above the drop zone with a third of the season played, such talk will likely persist if they don't start putting some positive results together.

"It's only normal for supporters and every loving person of Kaizer Chiefs to be panicking about our situation because things are not coming right," Akpeyi told the Chiefs media team.

"But its a big team and a big brand and we don't want to disgrace ourselves and embarrass the team as well.

"The confidence that I have is that this team cannot be relegated. I know from the response of the players, from their mentality right now, we are ready to take a different step into the next game. Relegation is not something we are panicking about at the moment."

Akpeyi was beaten twice last weekend as Amakhosi suffered a 2-0 home defeat to Maritzburg United, who had started the game bottom of the table.

Now the Soweto side are bracing for the challenge of another KwaZulu-Natal side; they take on ambitious AmaZulu at the Kings Park Stadium on Wednesday afternoon at 15:00.

Akpeyi believes that it's largely a change of mindset which can see Chiefs coming out of their slump.

"We have not been coming right with our decisions in games," the goalkeeper stated.

"Mentally right now we should be strong in going to the next game. Because we have quality players who we can rely upon. But for some time we have been disappointing ourselves.

"We are taking the pain to AmaZulu. It's high time we start making ourselves happy, and its high time we started making the fans happy.

"Every team wants to look into our situation and think ‘we can actually get three points or at least a point from Kaizer Chiefs.’

"I assure you that the players are working physically and mentally to make sure we do better. The AmaZulu game hopefully it will be a turn-around for us.

"We've spoken to ourselves and the only one strength we have for now is to keep on encouraging ourselves, that we are going to come right in the next game.

"We've talked to ourselves to try identify the problem, each and every game, and I think from the response of every single player, everything is coming right and we hope for a turn-around in the next game," the former Chippa United shot-stopper concluded.

Timo Werner has been hailed for bringing his 12-game goal drought at Chelsea to a close, with Pat Nevin saying “real strikers never hide” during struggles for form.

The Germany international frontman has been finding the going tough of late, with end product drying up in the final third of the field.

Frank Lampard has, however, kept faith with the big-money summer signing and continued to put him in the firing line.

Questions have been asked of the 24-year-old’s value to the cause, with it suggested that he may start to slip down the pecking order, but a welcome return to the scoresheet was made on Sunday.

Along with fellow countryman Kai Havertz, who has also faced his fair share of criticism this season, Werner hit the back of the net during a convincing 4-0 FA Cup third-round win over Morecambe.

Nevin is pleased to see a proven performer back in the groove, with his head never dropping during the most testing of runs.

The former Blues star told Chelsea’s official website: “Clearly four goals and a clean sheet is just what Frank Lampard wanted, and he would also have been delighted by the identities of the scorers.

“Timo Werner has been getting into the right positions all the way through his recent barren run in front of goal and that would have given his boss some relief and belief.

“Real strikers never hide, they are always hungry and they invariably believe that the next chance will be taken and that it will also be the first in the next good scoring run.

“Timo’s goal was particularly heartening as it was a move we have already seen before, but we will also expect to see much more often as the months and years go by. K

“Kai Havertz’s nodded knockdown looked very simple, but that is because it has been his stock in trade throughout his short career. Back in the Bundesliga he had an incredible knack of getting into the penalty area just at the right moment and being cool when he got there.

“It helps when you have a great Hakim Ziyech ball to get on the end of. If that positioning was quintessential Havertz then Hakim’s left-foot cross, after cutting inside, was classic Hakim.

“I honestly think that those types of crosses, with that level of accuracy and whip, are pretty close to impossible to defend when you have a willing runner on the end of it.

“When Kai got his goal late on it underlined once more just how good he is in these situations. I definitely expect this to be a common occurrence going forward.

“So the ‘newbies’ got a much needed lift after coming under a good deal of pressure. You just have to look at Kai’s reaction when he scored to see that it was relief as much as anything that was written across his face.”

Having returned to winning ways in knockout competition, Chelsea will be hoping that momentum can be re-established in the Premier League when they take in a derby date with west London neighbours Fulham on Saturday.

AC Milan have registered their interest in signing Chelsea centre-back Fikayo Tomori although they face competition from a number of clubs in England and abroad.

Newcastle and Leeds are among those thought to be interested in signing the 23-year-old although they would prefer an initial loan , with the Italian giants considering a permanent deal.

Indeed, for Milan, Strasbourg defender Mohamed Simakan has been the main target but the Ligue 1 side are holding out for a club-record fee, with RB Leipzig also showing an interest.

Tomori is open to a move overseas having considered a switch to Rennes over the summer , with the versatile defender wanting to leave Chelsea having not started a match since September.

Frank Lampard, meanwhile, is keen to trim his squad and is willing to allow Tomori to leave Stamford Bridge.

Speaking after a 4-0 win over League Two side Morecambe in the FA Cup - a game that saw Tomori make his first appearance in over three months as he came off the bench - Lampard said: "The situation with Fikayo is open at the moment, in that he could be going on loan to get games.

"But that will have to be the right decision for him and the club. So while I was looking at starting him today, I was also looking at that (the potential for a loan move), and we've got to make the right decisions for us, for the club and for him.

"His attitude has been fantastic in terms of working, training every day and how he is."

Tomori's first-team breakthrough at Chelsea last season saw him rewarded with his England debut  but since then he has fallen down the pecking order for club and country.

He had previously been on loan with Lampard at Derby County after spells with Hull City and Brighton.

Tomori's increasingly likely departure means that Antonio Rudiger will remain in west London during the January transfer window despite his own concerns over a lack of game time.

However, Chelsea are open to letting Kepa Arrizabalaga and Marcos Alonso leave but their high wages could prove a stumbling block.

It has been a slow January transfer window for most of Europe's top clubs who continue to wrestle with the economic effects of the Covid-19 crisis, with the Blues having struggled to offload some of their high-earning fringe players up to now.

Romelu Lukaku boasts the “physical power” of NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, says Inter midfielder Nicolo Barella, with the Belgian striker considered to be “a force of nature”.

The 27-year-old has been a revelation since moving to San Siro in the summer of 2019.

Lukaku hit 34 goals through his debut campaign in Milan and has added a further 16 efforts to his tally this term.

He has become a talismanic presence for Antonio Conte’s Serie A title hopefuls, with few opponents able to contain the very obvious threat he poses.

Barella is not surprised to see rivals struggling on that score, with Lukaku’s team-mates finding out in training how difficult he can be to stop.

Drawing comparisons between the former Manchester United forward and an ex-LA Lakers and Miami Heat star, Barella told DAZN: “Lukaku and Shaquille O’Neal make physical power their greatest strength.

“But Romelu is also so much more. Even in training, we need two or three players to stop him. He’s a force of nature.”

Lukaku has helped to fire Inter to within three points of arch-rivals AC Milan this season in an ongoing battle for domestic supremacy in Italy, with former Rossoneri boss Fabio Capello of the opinion that Conte’s men are favourites to claim the crown.

He has told Radio Anch’io Lo Sport: “Juventus are coming back, they are finding an identity and there are fewer problems with their game than in the first part of the season.

“It seems to me that the team has understood what Andrea Pirlo wants.

“He achieved a result practically without Cristiano Ronaldo because he was peripheral against Sassuolo.

“Juventus have never been in the running for the title this season but they could decide things with their game in hand with Napoli and the direct clash with Inter, who I chose as my favourite for the title.

“For me the Nerazzurri are the team with the deepest squad and number of players to be competitive in all matches.

“Plus, Inter do not have to play in the European competitions, therefore they can be fresh at all times.”

Thiago Alcantara has to be handed a regular starting role at Liverpool as he remains the most likely source of a “killer pass” in Jurgen Klopp’s squad, says John Aldridge.

The Reds are still waiting on the high-profile summer signing from Bayern Munich to burst into life.

Thiago has, amid unfortunate injury setbacks, spent far longer on the sidelines this season than he or anyone else at Anfield would have liked.

Just five appearances have been taken in as a result, with just two Premier League starts included in that haul.

The Spain international has shown glimpses of what he is capable of when given much-needed game time, with the classy playmaker still considered to have been quite a coup for Klopp.

Aldridge believes the 29-year-old can be a game-changer, with the former Reds striker eager to see Thiago included from the off on a more regular basis – with a home date against old adversaries Manchester United next on the agenda.

Aldridge told the Liverpool Echo amid uncharacteristic struggles for end product from the reigning champions: “The final ball has not been up to our standard in the last few games and that’s what has been letting us down a little bit after we’ve got in behind the defence and are looking to pick someone out.

“I must underline, though, it’s really hard when a team has 10 men behind the ball to do that but you’ve got to see where the ball needs to go and there are ways like putting the ball into areas at the back post.

“Of course, team selection is up to the manager but when you’re thinking about the final ball and picking people out in the 18-yard box - Andy Robertson and Alexander-Arnold have been magnificent for the last few years.

“And from midfield, there is no better player to see that pass than Thiago. That’s his forte.

“Whoever the manager plays in there - we don’t know as he’s got a lot of options - but at the moment he is the one that’ll see that killer pass more than anyone.”

Liverpool could have been knocked from top spot by the time they play host to United, with the chasing pack having closed in on the title holders this season.

Aldridge is expecting a keenly-fought battle for domestic supremacy, with Manchester City also coming back into the mix after taking in a slow start to their 2020-21 campaign.

“City mean business, you can see them putting a serious set of results together,” added Aldridge.

“We expected they would but we’ve dropped our form and we can’t afford to drop many more points.

“We’ve got to get our act together away from home and let the home results look after themselves, which hopefully they will. The lads will realise that.

“This is what Liverpool teams used to do, this group of players have made their own history by winning the Premier League but it’s so hard to replicate it and go on to win it the following year.

"Teams in the past at this club did that, but it’s up to these lads now to raise the bar again. They’re up there with the great Liverpool teams but they’ll be desperate to prove it.

“And if they do it without the likes of Virgil van Dijk at centre-half too, that’ll put them right up the pecking order.”

Young Africans (Yanga SC) winger Balama Mapinduzi has undergone successful knee surgery and is set to be out of action for the better part of the season.

The 24-year-old has confirmed everything took place anticipated and took the opportunity to appreciate the respective authorities for playing their role well and ensuring he gets the much-needed treatment.

"My operation has been successful here in South Africa and I thank God for that," Balama said on Tuesday.

"Everything is going on well; I take this opportunity to thank the Yanga management as well as that of GSM who ensured the surgery was a success."

Balama was injured in June 2020 after the Tanzania Mainland Premier League had resumed, following the break which was occasioned by the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic, and since then he has been sidelined.

When the 2020/21 kicked off, Yanga had hoped the player would return to action but it was not the case as he failed to recover from the injury.

This season, Mapinduzi became the second player from the Tanzania league to head to South Africa for further treatment. Azam FC striker Prince Dube was the first one to seek treatment in the country. 

The Zimbabwean star injured his ulnar of the left hand during their league defeat to Yanga after just a quarter of an hour of the derby played at Chamazi Stadium seven days ago, and the club decided he underwent further treatment in Cape Town.  

The 23-year-old, who has been in fine form this season, had managed to score six goals and is among the top scorers in the top-flight. 

Meanwhile, Yanga will play their sworn rivals Simba SC in the Mapinduzi Cup final at Amani Stadium, Zanzibar on Wednesday.

Wananchi eliminated Azam FC 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regular time.

Yanga opened the scoring in the 55th minute when Tuisila Kisinda found his way past the Azam backline and fired past Wilbol Kaseke.

In the 66th minute, Azam equalised through Obrey Chirwa who headed home from a cross that was delivered by Bruce Kangwa from the left-wing.

Farouk Shikhalo saved two penalties that were taken by Awesu Awesu and Daniel Amoah before Kisinda, Mukoko Tonombe, Paul Godfrey, Abdalla Shaibu and Peter Mauya scored the penalties that pushed Yanga to their first-ever Mapinduzi Cup.

Benedict Haule, who was brought on specifically for the shoot-out purposes, stopped the first Yanga kick that was taken by Michael Sarpong. Bruce Kangwa, Ally Niyonzima, Mudathir Yahya, and Nicholas Wadada scored for the Ice-cream Makers but their efforts were to no avail.

They will now play Wekundu wa Msimbazi who defeated Namungo 2-1 in the semi-final.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is “laying the foundations” for “a really exciting future” at Manchester United, says Luke Chadwick, with the plan at Old Trafford being to make title challenges the norm once again.

The Red Devils have 13 Premier League crowns to their name, but the last of those was secured in Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season before he headed off into retirement back in 2013.

Some testing times have been endured in the eight years since that success, with United regressing alarmingly under David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho.

Solskjaer has faced questions of his own, with the former United striker lacking top-level coaching experience when handed the reins on a permanent basis.

Patience is being rewarded, though, and a positive result at Burnley on Tuesday will lift the Red Devils back to the summit of the English top flight.

Chadwick hopes United can kick on from this point, with a sleeping giant being awoken from its slumber.

A man who represented the Red Devils and Clarets in his playing days told the Burnley Express of progress in Manchester under Solskjaer: “It's nice to see him now reaping the rewards after having a tough start at United. He's laying the foundations for what will hopefully be a really exciting future for him and the club.

“The game has changed slightly over the past 20-odd years, it's about managing individuals and your relationships with those individuals.

“I think Ole is fantastic at that and he's the sort of person that can get the best out of people.

“Hopefully he can keep going and build a team that can mount a serious challenge for the next few seasons.”

Few expected United to challenge for the Premier League title this season, but the inconsistency of others – in another campaign impacted by the coronavirus pandemic – has helped to level the playing field and bring numerous sides into the mix.

Chadwick added on the Red Devils’ claims to a much sought-after piece of silverware: “It was always going to be a strange season and there were always going to be strange results throughout the season.

“United got battered off Spurs and then hours later Liverpool were conceding seven against Aston Villa.

“If there was ever a time for United to win the title then this is the season to do it because their rivals are so inconsistent.

“They're right in the mix now without really playing their best football, which is always a good sign.”

Kenya international Victor Wanyama has described his coach at club level Thierry Henry as a fatherly figure to many players.

The Kenyan captain moved to Major League Soccer (MLS) from Tottenham Hostpur, after Henry, who played for his rival club Arsenal, went for his services on March 4, 2020.

Wanyama ended penning a three-year deal with Montreal Impact and was instrumental as the team had a good run in the 2019-20 season, but failed to make it to the Concacaf Champions League when they fell at the final hurdle after losing to Club Olimpia of Paraguay on the away goals rule.

Speaking in Nairobi after being unveiled as the UN-Habitat Goodwill Ambassador, Wanyama showered praise on the former Arsenal star, saying he is a great coach.

“I have got a good relationship with the manager [Thierry Henry] and I’m enjoying working with him,” Wanyama said as quoted by Standard Sports. “He is a good coach and person both on and off the pitch. He is always willing to help you and that is why I feel he is a great coach.”

On his new ambassadorial role, Wanyama said: “My new role is more important because it is something that I have been before. I’m glad to have gotten this opportunity.

“I thank the UN for supporting me and the people in the ghetto. This is a great initiative that we are going to do together and hopefully make a big impact.”

Wanyama has previously held other ambassadorial roles including Safaricom Limited’s brand ambassador in 2017 and Dstv 2018 Fifa World Cup.

Wanyama also confirmed he was pleased with the current work being done on his multi-million dollar Academy situated in Busia County.

“I don’t believe in retirement because in football there is no retirement. Even if you finish playing, there are a lot of things to do and you can stay on the same field for long,” Wanyama continued.

“I know what my plans are and I have a lot of things to think about right now, but when the time comes, I will let you know. Work in my academy in Busia is still ongoing and the people working there are doing a great job.

“I can’t tell when it will be finished but very soon we will have a world-class academy with good facilities. My dream since childhood has been to one-day give back to society and try to improve on what I didn’t have during my childhood.

"The biggest thing we lacked then was facilities, but I’m glad through this foundation we are doing it as we try to have the same system we see in Europe here.”

Wanyama is currently on holiday after the MLS season ended last December.

Tottenham have no need to rush contract talks with Harry Kane or fear interest from afar, says Michael Brown, with the prolific frontman expected to honour terms through to the summer of 2024.

Spurs have moved to ensure that key men remain tied to long-term contracts in north London, and that is the case with talismanic striker Kane, who committed to his last deal in June 2018.

As a product of Tottenham’s academy system, the England captain has remained fiercely loyal to the club that offered him a big break on a Premier League stage.

There has been talk of a big-money move being made elsewhere, with an ambitious performer eager to compete for and ultimately land major silverware.

Spurs have endured a barren run on that front, but Jose Mourinho is considered to be the perfect coach to get a star-studded squad back on the trophy trail.

Success would help to prevent Kane’s head from being turned, but Brown believes Tottenham should have no fears on that front at present as the 27-year-old superstar has offered no indication that he will be pushing for the exits.

The former Spurs midfielder told Football Insider after seeing extension talks for Kane mooted: “There’s no rush for Spurs regarding time on a new contract.

“But, you would say, if there’s interest in the player and you feel a new contract might make that player more settled because he might be thinking he can make more money somewhere else or get a better opportunity, then you should offer him a new contract if you can afford it.

“Tottenham don’t need to sell. They’re financially sound, they’re in a great position.

“Yes, they’ve obviously had a bit of pressure with Covid, the new stadium etc, but they don’t need to sell Harry Kane when he’s on a contract like he is.

“It will just come down to if they feel like it’s the right decision from the club to give him a reward, to extend his contract a little bit longer, to make it more secure, then they could do. But there’s not a massive amount of rush when he’s staying until 2024.”

Kane has passed the 200-goal mark for Tottenham this season, and 150 efforts in the Premier League, with his value to the cause lost on nobody in north London as they look to do all they can to keep him in his current surroundings for the immediate and long-term future.

The fairytale wasn’t meant to end like this.

Odion Ighalo’s arrival at Manchester United a year ago was the stuff of dreams—literally—for the Nigeria international, but things haven’t worked out as planned.

As his inevitable exit from Old Trafford draws ever closer, the weekend’s FA Cup meeting with Watford ought to have been an opportunity for a final farewell to his boyhood club—and potentially—to English football.

The Hornets, after all, were the club who had given him his first chance in the Premier League before then encouraging him to depart for China—reportedly against his wishes—when his first stint in England came to an end.

Even though things hadn’t quite gone to plan in the Prem since the pandemic arrived on these shores, the striker appeared in line for a rare opportunity to make an impact from the bench after being named among Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s substitutes on Sunday.

Ultimately, even this chance for a final showing in red was denied him, as the Norwegian coach instead introduced Harry Maguire, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Nemanja Matic from the bench and left Ighalo unused.

The West African was ultimately denied the chance for a final farewell against the club he served for three years, and his FA Cup goal against Norwich City last season may remain his final goalscoring contribution for the Red Devils.

While United progressed—thanks to Scott McTominay’s early opener—Monday’s draw pitting them against fierce rivals Liverpool in the Fourth Round isn’t great news for Ighalo.

The match, which comes eight days before the striker’s loan deal ends, is set to be cagey and hotly fought contest, with Ole unlikely to be handing out emotional cameos.

Ighalo appears destined to end his time at United on a low note and, ultimately, without the sign-off he will have been hoping for.

Certainly, his time at the club has been underwhelming.

He was never meant to have been United’s first choice, nor was he the kind of glamour signing to get the pulses racing, but as short-term fixes go—particularly with the club’s injury concerns at the time of his arrival, and the Red Devils competing on multiple fronts—his arrival made sense.

Initially, things worked out well, with Ighalo engendering much goodwill when he revealed—seemingly with striking authenticity—that United had been close to his heart since his youth.

Easing the pressure on the side as they competed on multiple fronts, Ighalo became the go-to man for the cup competitions; he scored at will in both the FA Cup and the Europa League.

He even equalled a United record that had stood for 95 years when he bagged that goal against Norwich following the resumption of action after the coronavirus suspension, becoming the first player since Jimmy Hanson in 1925 to score in his first four competitive starts for the club.

It almost didn’t matter that he was barely playing in the Premier League, and not scoring when he did.

Ultimately that effort against the Canaries was as good as it ever got for Ighalo at Old Trafford, with the Covid-19 suspension and United's strong performances during Project Restart not working in his favour.

Marcus Rashford returned from injury, providing more competition, then Mason Greenwood proved that he could be a difference-maker in the Premier League, United were knocked out of the FA Cup, and the decision was taken to play the Europa League after the conclusion of the Prem season.

Soon after football returned in 2020, it was clear that the reasons why Ighalo was brought to the North-West were no longer reasons at all.

He was way down the pecking order before Edinson Cavani was recruited on a free transfer before the transfer window closed.

Here was another veteran—older than Ighalo no less—with a greater pedigree in the game; more success, more silverware, and destined for more playing time at Old Trafford than his new teammate.

While Cavani has begun to make his mark, Ighalo's playing time has dried up; he has featured just four times so far this season and has played just once - as a last-minute substitute against Paris Saint-Germain - since the Carabao Cup victory over Brighton & Hove Albion in September.

If he didn't get any gametime in the FA Cup Third Round against lower-league oppositions 

Cavani may have endured a tough season in Ligue 1 in 2019-20, as he scored just four, but he bagged 100 league goals alone across the previous four seasons, and has already scored three in nine in the Prem so far this season.

No one can blame Ighalo for jumping at the chance to extend his loan stay at United until early 2021, given the way the chance to make a genuine impact was denied him last season due to Covid.

However, as his time at the club comes to an end, and another chance to leave a mark goes by, the forward must surely reflect on six wasted months of his career spent on United's bench.

The Red Devils, too, may reflect on money poorly spent, with the ageing attacker arriving for an initial £6 million and a hefty wedge of his reported £300,000-per-week wages.

It’s a disappointing conclusion to Ighalo’s time at Old Trafford, as while things didn’t begin particularly auspiciously, he overcame the initial scepticism with his goals and attitude, and arguably deserved more opportunity to build on his encouraging goals-to-minutes ratio of last season.

Kenyans have taken to social media to welcome news Harambee Stars striker Michael Olunga is on the verge of signing for Qatari champions Al Duhail SC.

On Monday, a photo of the towering striker in the Al Duhail jersey leaked across Qatar from QSL Newss and Goal now understands the player will officially be unveiled in the coming days.

According to QSL Newss, the striker could even feature against  Al-Sadd on Tuesday, January 12, a club managed by Barcelona legend Xavi.

Last week it was reported in Japan that Kashiwa Reysol have already accepted a transfer fee of 7 million Euros (approximately Ksh890m) from the Qatari club.

A source close to Olunga told Goal a move to Qatar could be in the offing but he refused to divulge more details.

“What I know, Olunga’s club Reysol and Al-Duhail have been in talks for a possible move for the player but I don’t want to give out details or how far they have reached in the negotiations,” the source told Goal.

Al-Duhail, formerly Lekhwiya SC, is a Qatari sports club that plays in the Qatar Stars League. The club is based in the Duhail district in the city of Doha and plays its home games at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium.

They are also the first team in Qatari football to win the first division title in their debut season.

They are currently second on the 12-team table with 27 points from 13 matches, eight fewer than table-toppers Al Sadd, who are on 35 points.

Considering his age, 26-years-old, many Kenyans feel the former Gor Mahia striker has made the right decision to switch to the Gulf, and below is how Twitter reacted to the transfer news.

Young Africans (Yanga SC) coach Cedric Kaze has explained why his team failed to finish off Azam FC in normal time of their Mapinduzi Cup semi-final clash played on Monday in Arusha.

The Jangwani giants were forced to wait until after a penalty shoot-out to eliminate Azam, after the two teams were tied 1-1 in normal time.

Yanga had taken a deserved lead through Tusila Kisinda in the 51st minute but Obrey Chirwa levelled matters for the ‘Ice Cream Makers’ with a fine header four minutes later.

The Belgian tactician, who is still unbeaten since joining Yanga as a replacement for Serbian Zlatko Krmpotic, has revealed his players deserved to win the game in normal time but they relaxed, which allowed Azam to hold them to a draw.

“The intensity of the match was high but the match was very slow,” Kaze said as quoted by Daily News.

“We did not pressurise our opponents for more goals, instead we got back to defend and this resulted for Azam to gain the confidence to recovery and score an equalizer.”

Kaze has, however, praised his players for their quality from the penalty spot and said they are in the final to win the trophy.

“They have done a great job and we will try our best to secure the trophy, that is our target," he concluded.

Azam coach George Lwandamina blamed their defeat on exhaustion, saying it was not right for the players to play two matches in 48 hours.

“We have gained some confidence in the league since I took charge but on the competition, scientifically it is not possible for any team to play two matches in 48 hours, the players need time to rest," he told the same publication.

Kenyan keeper Farouk Shikhalo was the hero for Yanga as he saved two penalties, taken by Awesu Awesu and Daniel Amoah, but he could not save those from Bruce Kangwa, Ally Niyonzima, Mudathir Yahya, and Nicholas Wadada.

Azam keeper Benedict Haule managed to save one penalty from Ghanaian Michael Sarpong, but Yanga scored the rest through Tusila Kisinda, Congolese Tonombe Mukoko, backs Paul Godfrey ‘Boxer’, Abdallah Shaibu ‘Ninja’ and midfielder Zawadi Mauya.

Yanga will now face rivals Simba SC in the final of the competition set for Wednesday in Arusha.

Simba reached the final after beating Namungo FC 2-1, with striker Meddie Kagere and Miraji Athumani notching the goals from the league champions, to set up a Kariakoo Derby final, while Ghanaian Stephen Kwame Sey grabbed a consolation for his team.

Wekundu wa Msimbazi had defeated former champions Mtibwa Sugar 2-0 after an initial 3-1 victory over Chipukizi, in Group B, to seal their place in the last four. 

In Monday's semi-final, Namungo were aiming at avenging the 2-1 loss suffered against Simba in the 2019/20 FA Cup final.

Gor Mahia chairman Ambrose Rachier has stated the team is in the market for an assistant coach for Carlos Manuel Vaz Pinto.

The Portuguese tactician was confirmed K'Ogalo coach on Sunday, January 10 to head the Kenyan champions. However, the club did not unveil the assistant coach and the chairman has explained why.

"We are in the process of engaging the assistant coach because recently our assistant coach [Patrick Odhiambo left for holidays] and though he maintains he is still with us, we have not seen him for two weeks and we intend to think he will not return," Rachier told Gor Mahia's online TV.

"We have heard he has joined another team and we cannot wait for that. So we are in the process of looking for a new assistant coach now.

"But with the arrival of the new head coach, we have no problem."  

The 47-year old tactician came in to replace Brazilian Robertinho Oliveira, who left K’Ogalo after the Confederation of African Football (Caf) barred him from sitting on the touchline during Caf matches after having problems with his coaching qualification papers.

Oliviera’s abrupt exit forced Gor Mahia to hire Posta Rangers coach Sammy ‘Pamzo’ Omollo on a temporary basis and the former international had already taken charge of the team in two Caf Champions League assignments, against APR of Rwanda and CR Belouizdad of Algeria.

With Gor Mahia dropping to the Confederation Cup after losing 8-1 on aggregate to CR Belouizdad and where they have been drawn to face Napsa Stars of Zambia in the play-offs, Vaz Pinto will now be tasked with the job of guiding the side in the competition and also help the team win the league title for the fifth season in a row.

Pinto will also be aiming at helping the team turn their fortunes in the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League.

The reigning champions have lost two of their three games played and won just one. The recent loss was against Kariobangi Sharks on Sunday.

K'Ogalo fell 4-3 to make it back to back defeats after a previous 2-1 loss to 11-time champions Tusker FC.

Eric Kapaito, Daniel Sakari and John Kuol scored Kariobangi Sharks’ goals while Gor Mahia’s were scored by Clifton Miheso, John Macharia and Joachim Oluoch.  

Victor Wanyama has said he will support any move that Harambee Stars striker Michael Olunga makes this transfer window.

The Kenyan star has been linked with a move to Qatari champions Al Duhail SC from Kashiwa Reysol of Japan, and on Monday a photo of the player in the jersey of Duhail leaked in Qatar, with QSL Newss reporting the transfer will be made official by Tuesday.

QSL Newss further reported the striker could even feature against Al-Sadd on Tuesday, January 12, a club managed by Barcelona legend Xavi.

Last week it was reported in Japan that Kashiwa Reysol have already accepted a transfer fee of 7million Euros (approximately Ksh890m) from the Qatari club.

Wanyama, who currently features for Montreal Impact in Major League Soccer (MLS) and was in the same situation before leaving Tottenham Hotspur, has now said Olunga is mature enough to make a good decision.

“In football, it is always difficult to try and advise someone who has played the game and knows what’s next in his move,” Wanyama said as quoted by Standard Sports.

“But Olunga is a mature player and he knows what’s next for his career. All of us have ambitions and they cannot be the same. So, I’m supporting him in every step he is going to take and I wish him all the best in whatever move he is going to take.”

His sentiments come just a day after former Harambee Stars striker Dennis Oliech called on Olunga to move with speed and sign the contract with Al Duhail.

“I haven’t talked to him [Olunga] but heard he has another good offer from Qatar,” Oliech said as quoted by Nation Sports. “I encourage him to pick up these offers because he is [almost] 27 and not 22.

“He has about four or five years remaining at the top level. It is time for him to make good money.”

However, Oliech, who retired from active football after playing for Kenyan champions Gor Mahia in 2019, has warned Olunga to prepare for a tough life in the Gulf.

“He will have to get a strong agent and negotiate a good contract,” Oliech continued.

“When I was there, most club owners would delay the salary of a player when his performance dipped, there wasn’t much world-class management.

“It is also very hot over there and he will have to adapt fast.”

Olunga won the 2020 J-1 League Golden Boot after notching 28 goals from 32 matches.

Al-Duhail formerly Lekhwiya SC, is a Qatari sports club that plays in the Qatar Stars League.

The club is based in the Duhail district in the city of Doha and plays their home games at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, and were the first team in Qatari football to win the first division title in their debut season.

The Citizens confirmed the news on Tuesday morning with a simple post on Twitter, stating ‘Signed. Sealed. Shonga.’

There was also an accompanying video which showed the Zambian international training with the Cape Town side.

The 24-year-old has only been with Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) for the past few months, having signed from Orlando Pirates in the off-season.

During his time with the Limpopo side, Shonga played seven league and cup matches and scored one goal and added one assist.

Prior to that, he spent three seasons at Orlando Pirates, where he made a promising start before his form tapered off last season.

In the 2017/18 season, he played 23 games for Bucs and scored four goals. The next season he played 35 matches and netted eight times. But last season, 2019/ 20, the Chipolopolo striker managed just 10 appearances and failed to find the back of the net.

Shonga initially arrived at Pirates after signing from Zambian side Nkwazi FC. He has 15 caps for the Zambian senior national team and has scored seven goals.

He will now be looking to resurrect his PSL career with the Cape Town club. City actually played TTM this past weekend, drawing 2-2, with Shonga not involved in the match at all.

Coached by Dutchman Jan Olde Riekerink, the Citizens are currently in fourth spot on the table – with 16 points from 10 matches, they are eight points behind league leaders and defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns.

Shonga could potentially offset the loss of Kermit Erasmus, who joined the Brazilians this season after scoring 13 league goals for the Mother City side last season.

He will be competing for a place in the starting line-up at City with the likes of Fagrie Lakay, who scored a brace against TTM, as well as Tashrique Morris and Ghana forward Prince Opoku Agyemang.

Shonga will also be joining his countryman Charles Zulu at City.

Should Shonga’s paperwork be ready in time, he could potentially make his debut this Saturday – at home against Kaizer Chiefs.

After the debacle of the last Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Philippines where Malaysia Under-23 side got knocked out from the competition in the group stages following defeats to Philippines and Cambodia, it would seem that Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) are revamping how the biennial competition is being looked at.

It was one of the agendas discussed during the 12th executive committee meeting for the term 2017-2021 held on Tuesday morning, it was decided that the upcoming SEA Games in Vietnam later this year will be represented by the Under-19 squad instead of the usual Under-23 side.

This comes as FAM looks towards qualification to the 2024 Paris Olympics by starting to give the players that would be elligible for that qualification a headstart, not unlike what Japan Footbal Association has done with their age-group squads in recent years.

New FAM Technical Director, Ong Kim Swee explained later that the decision was made to give the players a longer period of adaptation and progression that sees two separate cycles being completed by the squad ahead of the vital qualifiers in 2024. 

"The management has yet to decide on who the coach will be, just that for now we have decided to give an opportunity to these Under-19 players who we know can take the responsibilty for the long term. Our purpose is to give them exposure for us to be prepared in 2024 for the Olympic qualification to Paris," said Kim Swee on Tuesday.

"It will be down to the coach who we are going to appoint to decide on the selection because the scope is big. The Under-19 squad with Brad Maloney and the FAM-MSN Project Squad with Yusri Che Lah will likely form the team as they are all in the same age category.

"We have a long period before the Olympic qualification. Before that there's the SEA Games, AFC U23 qualification as well as the 2023 SEA Games. This is among the best generation that we have and it's not about looking down on the SEA Games, just that we want to give them a lot of exposures.

"Up to the Olympic qualifications, there will be two cycles of SEA Games and AFC U23 qualifications with other tournaments along the way. In the short term we are not looking at achieving success during the SEA Games in Vietnam for example but once they gain more exposure, we do expect some form of success during the second SEA Games in Cambodia in 2023."

Samuel Eto’o believes Ansu Fati is “the one to take over from Lionel Messi” at Barcelona, with those at Camp Nou having to start contemplating life without the six-time Ballon d’Or winner.

The Liga giants have seen their talismanic captain make one push for the exits, with the summer of 2020 dominated by speculation regarding the mercurial Argentine’s future.

Messi was eventually talked into staying put, as he revealed to Goal that he will be honouring the final year of his contract.

No fresh terms have been agreed in Catalunya, though, and the 33-year-old is free to speak with interested parties now that the January transfer window has opened.

Barca have not given up hope of extending their career-long association with an all-time great, but the clock is ticking as free agency looms large.

If Messi were to move on at the end of the season, with Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain among those said to be keen on doing a deal, then a sizeable void would be left in the Blaugrana’s ranks.

Filling the biggest of boots will be an almost impossible task, but Eto’o feels that 18-year-old forward Fati could be the man to succeed a fellow La Masia academy graduate.

The former Barca striker told SPORTbible of a potential changing of the guard: “I think [Fati] is the one for the future.

“He's currently doing amazing stuff so I think the club really needs to groom him and take very good care of him.

“Let's hope he's the one to take over from Messi.”

Eto’o was on Barca’s books when Messi broke through as a precocious teenager, with five memorable years spent trophy-collecting at Camp Nou between 2004 and 2009.

At the peak of his powers he landed La Liga and Champions League crowns under the guidance of Pep Guardiola, but the Cameroonian icon who went on to enjoy similar success with Jose Mourinho at Inter claims to favour Portuguese passion in the dugout over Catalan charisma.

Eto’o said of the bosses he thrived under: “I am more friends with Jose Mourinho's style. It's a question of style, they each have their own way, I prefer Jose Mourinho.

“However, Pep is a top, top coach, so I don't think you can make a decision, but I can tell you that there is no other coach, no other manager, who will get to motivate his players as much as Jose Mourinho does, for me the treble with Jose is the special one.

“Now there are more coaches with their own style. Yet, in terms of motivating and getting the most out of their players, that is Jose Mourinho.”