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Ajax midfielder Mohammed Kudus has expressed his delight at returning to action after an injury-forced break.

After three months on the sidelines, the attacker made a comeback on Sunday as his side and PSV played out a 2-2 draw in the Dutch Eredivisie on Sunday.

He joined the action in the 80th minute, replacing Quincy Promes who scored The Lancers' first goal of the day.

"Vital comeback in De Topper. It's a gift to be back to the arena. The Marathon continues," Kudus posted on social media on Monday.

He is expected to make a second straight appearance when Ajax play away to FC Twente on Thursday.

Kudus sealed a five-year transfer to the Dutch outfit from Danish fold Nordsjaelland in July.

Three days after making headlines with an assist and his first goal for Ajax in a 5-1 league victory over Heerenveen, the Ghanaian saw disappointment on his Champions League debut when The Lancers faced Liverpool in a Champions League group opener.

Six minutes into the home fixture at Johan Cruijff Arena, the 20-year-old was forced to leave the pitch after suffering an injury following a challenge with Liverpool's Fabinho for the ball.

A test after the game revealed the attacker injured his meniscus, and his club announced an expected lay-off for "many months".

In December, he returned to training, boosting his club's Eredivisie ambitions.

In his absence, meanwhile, Ajax failed to progress past the Champions League group stage.

"If everything had gone well, we could have qualified for the knockout phase. That was just not our expectations. We've lost core players for seven years in two years," Ajax coach Erik ten Hag said of their unsuccessful Champions League campaign in December.

"The reality is that we don't have a Champions League side at the moment. We have to build on that again.

"Players like [David] Neres and Kudus, like [Ryan] Gravenberch, could have made a great move in their development had they been fit. Then it might have been possible [to qualify to the knockout stage]."

Kudus' return is also pleasant news for Ghana ahead of the resumption of the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers in March when the Black Stars take on South Africa and Sao Tome and Principe. 

The Premier League has announced 36 new coronavirus cases among players and staff at top-flight clubs.

Results were released on Monday following two rounds of testing carried out between January 4 and 10; those found to be positive will self-isolate for a period of 10 days.

The number is a slight decrease on the 40 coronavirus cases which were discovered between December 28 and January 3.

A twice-weekly testing programme has been introduced amid a rise in coronavirus numbers across the United Kingdom, leading to the competition putting enhanced protocols in place.

The Premier League earlier revealed changes to the upcoming fixture schedule following a coronavirus outbreak at Aston Villa.

Tottenham were due to travel to Villa Park on Wednesday, but their opponents requested a new date due to their players and staff either testing positive or being placed in isolation.

Instead, Spurs are to host Fulham on the same day. The London clubs had previously been due to meet on December 30, only for that game to be postponed following a spike in cases at Craven Cottage.

"With the health of players and staff the priority, the league continues to work with Aston Villa on measures to ensure their league season resumes safely and at the earliest opportunity," a statement from the Premier League read on Monday.

"The Premier League wishes those with Covid-19 a full and swift recovery and will rearrange Aston Villa's game against Tottenham Hotspur as soon as possible."

With coronavirus cases soaring in the UK, and the government looking for football to set an example, the Premier League has toughened its stance.

As well as the twice-weekly testing programme, the league has said substitutes must wear face masks on the bench, players and staff to avoid hugging, handshakes and swapping shirts, spot checks on dressing rooms to ensure social distancing, limiting the number of people allowed at training grounds and clubs to provide the Premier League with detailed travel plans.

The government and the governing bodies have held talks and there are reportedly no imminent plans to halt football, but there were concerns among members of the cabinet by the celebrations of teams - and lack of social distancing - during the FA Cup third round at the weekend.

Simba FC will play their sworn rivals Young Africans (Yanga SC) in the Mapinduzi Cup final after the former defeated Namungo FC 2-1 in the semi-final played at Amani Stadium on Monday night.

Meddie Kagere and Miraji Athumani scored the goals for the Tanzania Mainland League reigning champions, to set up a Kariakoo Derby, 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. 

Their opponents were in Group C, and after a 1-0 loss to Yanga, they defeated Jamhuri 2-0 to qualify as the best losers since the Jangwani Street-based charges finished top of the group.

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

Things did not go as planned for Namungo as Wekundu wa Msimbazi scored their first goal after just seven minutes. A long ball was played and the goalkeeper came a long way to try and play it out to safety.

However, the custodian failed to communicate the same to his defender Abdul Humud. The latter headed to his goalkeeper who was already out of position and Kagere capitalised on it to direct the ball into an empty net.

In the 33rd minute, Kenya international Joash Onyango was adjudged to have fouled Sey about 25 meters from goal. Shiza Ramadhani played it to the teammate who headed it across to Sixtus Sabilo. Surprisingly, the forward skyrocketed the ball from about two yards out.

The miss came back to haunt his team five minutes later. Namungo conceded a foul just outside the 18-yard area and Muzamiru Yassin's effort hit the woodwork. The ball fell favourably to Athumani who kept his cool to double the advantage.

After the break, Namungo tried their best to get an equalizer. They attacked with every chance they got but the Tanzania Mainland League leaders managed to stop them.

With two minutes to the end of regular time, Sey managed to score to set a tense finale, but Simba stood firm to set a date with Wananchi.

Yanga qualified after defeating Azam 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regular time. It will be the second time these two teams are meeting this season.

The first game was in the league where they settled for a 1-1 draw.

Mesut Ozil says he will never regret his decision to join Arsenal as the German star seemingly moves closer and closer to the exit door at the Emirates.

Ozil originally joined Arsenal in 2013, making the move in a reported £42.5 million ($57.5m) move.

He went on to be an instant success in north London, helping guide the club to three FA Cups and a Community Shield while also earning the club's player of the season award in 2015-16.

However, in recent years, Ozil's role has diminished to the point where he has been excluded altogether by manager Mikel Arteta.

The German international was left out of Arsenal's Premier League and Europa League squads this season as he appears set to leave the club in the very near future.

However, despite the frustrations of recent months, Ozil says he looks at his time in London fondly, adding that he will never be ashamed of his Arsenal career.

"Of course," he replied on Twitter when asked if he's enjoyed his time with the club. "There have been many ups and downs so far, but all in all I’ll never regret my decision to join Arsenal. And to be honest, the last couple of games before the corona break in February & March 2020 made [it] really a lot [of] fun.

"I’ve enjoyed that time a lot and I’ve thought we’re really on a very positive way. But after the break things unfortunately changed..."

Ozil also reflected on his time with Arsene Wenger, who managed the midfielder from 2013-18 before stepping down and being replaced by Unai Emery.

"Arsene Wenger is a special coach in my career, one that I have total respect for," Ozil said. "He is a great coach with numerous titles. Most of all, he's a great, sincere person.

"I associate him with my greatest Arsenal successes. I will always remember that time with him positively."

Ozil has been linked with a number of potential destinations in recent weeks, having been linked with Fenerbahce as well as clubs in MLS.

But one team that Ozil ruled out is Tottenham, having reiterated that he would never play for the Gunners' rivals.

When asked to choose between Tottenham or no club at all, Ozil replied: "Easy question. Retire!"

Kenya striker Michael Olunga is on the verge of signing for Al Duhail SC of Qatar.

A leaked photo of the player in the Al Duhail jersey has already been revealed across Qatar and Goal now understands the player will officially be unveiled in the coming days.

A source privy to the transfer has told Goal in an exclusive interview Olunga has finally left Kashiwa Reysol of Japan and will pen a four-year deal with the Qatari champions.

“He has already arrived in Qatar and what remains now is for him to be unveiled,” the source told Goal . “He has discussed everything including contractual terms and he is happy to move to the Gulf after almost three years in Japan.”

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 .

The former Gor Mahia striker recently clinched the Golden Boot in the Japanese J-1 League after notching 28 goals from 32 matches while in the 2019 season, he finished with 27 league goals as Reysol ended the J2 season as champions, winning promotion to the first division.

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 and is the first team in Qatari football to win the first division title on its debut season.

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

Sony Sugar Chief Executive Officer Boniface Odhiambo has dismissed Daniel Ochieng’s allegations that they are to blame for his career-ending injury.

Ochieng was injured in 2017 when he was turning out against Thika United at Awendo Green Stadium and that became his last game up to date since he dislocated his hip.

The former centre-forward stated how the club was allegedly not financially compliant enough to help him seek medication.

Odhiambo said the player was not paid as he could not be traced and Ochieng must seek compensation from the insurance company.

“The contract was not terminated but it expired and he was to be treated by our insurance company as our players do,” Odhiambo told TV47.

“So, he must follow up the payment with the insurance firm and when we were looking for this guy, he changed his phone number and we could not reach him. That is how the guy lost the contract with us.”

Explaining how the injury became worse, the player himself, Ochieng stated: “I felt pain at that moment but it almost disappeared and I went on playing. But after the game, I felt the pain even more and the physiotherapist advised me to work at the gym as he thought it was just a muscle strain.

“Little did I know the more I trained the more it worsened.

“I did pay for the medical cover from my salaries because the office said they had no money then. I signed for Sony Sugar Company not as a footballer because that is how Sony used to sign their players.

“That was the policy of the company and the insurance was paid for you as a worker. I felt the office was slow in dealing with the injury issue and for your information, I was not the first player to undergo such an ordeal.”

Ochieng alleged he was forced to seek private means in order to get urgent medication in Kisumu, Kisii, and even in Kijabe, Kiambu County.

“The more I waited the more the injury worsened,” he added. “I paid for my medical expense as the company delayed in settling the claims I made. I only got Ksh18000 which catered for the MRI but the other expenses for services in Kisii and Kijabe Hospital, I had to foot the bills.

“The doctor at Kijabe Hospital told me the medication will cost Ksh190,000 an amount I could not afford then. But the shocking part is that the company terminated my contract [in 2018].

“They claimed I was not going to be paid because I was not training yet they knew very well I was injured. Salim Babu [then coach at Sony Sugar] tried a lot to push my case with the company but all ended when he was sacked and another coach was brought in.

“I was at times threatened when I went to the office to ask for the compensation of the money I used for medication.

“With the injury, I was told my football life ended and I can only return to the game on a different capacity.”

Ochieng is recuperating at his Luanda home and Sony Sugar are now in the National Super League.

Former Nigeria and Ajax star Finidi George has vowed to keep pushing on despite being denied the chance to handle Nigeria U17 on two occasions.

The retired winger, 49, boasts a Uefa A Licence which allows him to become head coach of youth teams up to 18 years, reserve teams and men’s professional second-tier outfits.

He was first denied the chance to take charge of the Golden Eaglets as the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) decided to retain veteran tactician Manu Garba. It was the same case of rejection in 2019 as he was snubbed for a vastly experienced compatriot Fatai Amoo.

Even at the unremitting snub, the Super Eagles legend disclosed that he will not ‘shut to door’ to the country he represented at two Fifa World Cups.

"I'm very disappointed but I understand the Nigerian system quite well," George told BBC Sport Africa.

"It's a matter of having patience. So I'm open to continuing to improve myself with the hope of getting a chance to coach one of the country's youth teams.

"When you have the right qualifications, attitude and professionalism, you can only aim for the best and it may even be a chance with the senior side, the Super Eagles, we shall see."

"I was disappointed to be ignored, but only consoled that at the end of the day this is Nigeria," he added.

"I understand the challenges, I will just wait for when the time is right and the opportunity presents itself again.

"As I continue to look at other options out there, I am open and will not shut the door to Nigeria.

"I just hope someday that decision will be made and I will be called upon to handle one of the teams. I can only just keep hoping."

After impressive spells at Nigeria Professional Football League outfits Calabar Rovers, Iwuanyanwu Nationale (now Heartland) and Sharks (now Rivers United), he moved to Ajax in 1993. There, he won two Eredivisie titles, two Dutch Super Cup diadems aside from winning the Champions League in 1995.

Before drawing the curtain on a trophy-laden career, he featured for Real Betis, Ipswich Town and Real Mallorca.

U.S. Soccer has announced that the U.S. women's national team will host the 2021 SheBelieves Cup in Orlando next month. 

The tournament will also feature Canada, Brazil and Japan, with six matches to take place February 18-24 at Exploria Stadium.

With the USWNT currently holding its January training camp before two friendlies against Colombia in Orlando, Vlatko Andonovski's team is now set to begin 2021 with five straight matches at Exploria Stadium.

The SheBelieves Cup, which has often featured some of the world's top teams, was first held in 2016 and has been won by the USWNT on three of five occasions. 

The USWNT won the most recent edition in 2020, defeating England, Spain and Japan in the round-robin tournament. 

Following the 2020 SheBelieves Cup, the USWNT went on an extended hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

The USWNT had no team activities between the end of the tournament in March and October, when the team held a training camp in Denver. Andonovski's side returned to the pitch in November with a friendly victory at the Netherlands.

This year's edition of the SheBelieves Cup will feature four top-10 teams in FIFA's most recent rankings, with the U.S. occupying top spot, Canada and Brazil tied for eighth, and Japan in 10th. 

“I can’t wait for this tournament and I know our players feel the same way,” Andonovski said in a federation release.

“We put in all this work to play matches, so to get three great ones in this world-class event that resembles group play at an Olympics is something we’re very thankful for. It will be a bit different this year with limited fans, but with the Olympics once again on the horizon our players will be highly motivated and there’s no better way to prepare for the tournament than to play teams that will be in Japan.

"There’s some great history between these countries and I know all six games will be fun to play in and to watch.”

February 18: Brazil vs Japan, USWNT vs Canada

February 21: USWNT vs Brazil, Japan vs Canada

February 24: Canada vs Brazil, USWNT vs Japan

Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo fears another halt to Premier League action amid the coronavirus pandemic could give the country's biggest clubs the opportunity to launch a European Super League.

The English football authorities are carrying out regular tests on players and club staff, and the number of positive cases is rising, with 40 declared in the Premier League last week.

This has led to a number of games being postponed, while Tottenham will play Fulham - not Aston Villa - on Wednesday as part of the rearranged schedule.

Spurs had been due to travel to Villa Park for a midweek fixture, but their opponents requested a new date due to their players and staff either testing positive for Covid-19 or being placed in isolation as close contacts.

Instead, Jose Mourinho's side are to host Fulham in a fixture that was originally postponed on December 3 0 due to a spike in reported coronavirus cases at Craven Cottage. 

The rise in cases has led to growing calls for a circuit break – a tight set of restrictions, likely including the suspension of games, designed to reverse the tide of the pandemic. 

Nuno, however, is concerned about the future of the Premier League should they be forced to stop playing as they did for three months during the second half of the 2019-20 season. 

"The virus was something that we had never experienced so there were a lot of doubts," he told a media conference ahead of Wolves' clash with Everton on Tuesday. "Now, after the re-start, I think everybody made a big effort and there were protocols, meetings, decisions. 

"We were assured that, no matter what, we were playing because we only needed 14 players to play a match. Now things have changed and we start thinking about stopping again. 

"I don't know for sure what is better but I think and I am afraid that the decision is to stop football. This is my biggest fear. The schedule will go crazy. [It will be] impossible to even finish the league. 

"What I feel is that if we stop, everything will change. The Super League' will probably come, and other competitions which will help clubs survive.

"Basically, my opinion is based on the economy of the clubs, the idea that you start feeling other competitions emerging because the industry needs to find ways to survive and move forward.

"Based on what we have now, probably, if you make a quick comparison with what's happening in the economic industry, if you have a crisis, the strong will survive, what about the rest? 

"What is happening now will have an effect on the future, everybody is aware of that. Young boys are not training, playing football. I think it's clear."

Liverpool and Manchester United were reportedly approached in talks over a FIFA-backed European league last October, while the rejected "Project Big Picture" was viewed in some quarters as a cynical attempt by the biggest clubs in England to use the new realities of the pandemic as a means by which to increase their power base.

Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand has questioned Inter’s handling of Christian Eriksen, saying it is a waste of talent to have the creative midfielder languishing on the bench.

Eriksen joined Inter from Tottenham last January, but he has struggled to replicate the form he showed for Spurs in Serie A.

It has been widely reported that Inter will allow the Denmark international midfielder to depart San Siro in the January transfer window.

With a European Championship on the horizon, Hjulmand wants to see Eriksen play his way into form - and a transfer could be the best way of achieving that.

Irrespective of whether he stays at Inter or moves on, Hjulmand has questioned how he has been managed by Antonio Conte, who said at the weekend that the player's future was in the club's hands.

“Christian has played far too little in 2020,” Hjulmand told Ekstra Bladet. “It's really a waste of so much quality he's been sitting on the bench. He's far, far too good for that.

“When I see what he can do, I hope and believe that much more playing time awaits him this year.”

There has been talk of a return to the Premier League for Eriksen, while the arrival of his former Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino at Paris Saint-Germain has led to speculation of a move to Ligue 1.

Hjulmand does not know what the future holds for the 28-year-old, but expects him to make the right choice.

“I am convinced that Christian will make the right decisions that benefits both his club career and the Danish national team," the coach said.

Even if he were to spend the next six months on the bench, Eriksen’s place in the squad for the European Championship is not under threat - despite the coach being concerned by a lack of rhythm.

“I'm not so worried about the best players,” Hjulmand said. “But when you look at it over time, it can get worrying that there is not a fighting rhythm.

“Neither Christian nor others can perform at their highest level if they do not have the fighting rhythm.”

Denmark have been drawn in Group B of the European Championship alongside Belgium, Finland and Russia.

NorthEast United have won just once in nine games as they face Bengaluru in the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL) at the Tilak Maidan in Vasco, on Tuesday evening.

TV CHANNELS & LIVE STREAM

The Star Sports Network have the exclusive broadcasting rights of the ISL in India.

Commentary will also be available in vernacular languages across India.

 TEAM NEWS

NorthEast United Possible XI:   

Injured - Kwesi Appiah 
Doubtful - None
Suspended - None

Key Players - Idrissa Sylla, Federico Gallego

Bengaluru Possible XI: 

Injured - Ashique Kuruniyan, Parag Shrivas
Doubtful - None
Suspended - None

Key Players - Sunil Chhetri, Cleiton Silva

Mesut Ozil has said he has no intention of retiring when he leaves Arsenal, with his preference being a move to Fenerbahce or Major League Soccer.

The former Germany international is in the dying embers of his Arsenal career, having been completely frozen out of the picture by manager Mikel Arteta.

Ozil has not featured for Arsenal since March, despite maintaining he is fit and available for selection, and it is a question of whether he departs in January or at the end of the season.

The former Real Madrid man has been in prolific form on social media during his absence from the pitch, and he held a question and answer session on Twitter on Monday.

He answered questions on a range of topics, with one being that he did not have any regrets over joining Arsenal.

Ozil was also asked whether he plans to head into retirement when he leaves Arsenal, and the 32-year-old was unequivocal in his response.

“I definitely will,” he said when asked if he would play on after leaving Arsenal. “There are two countries I want to play football in before I retire: Turkey and USA.

“If I went to Turkey, I could only go to Fenerbahce.”

Ozil’s comments only add fuel to the fire regarding a move to Fenerbahce.

The Turkish giants have been strongly linked with a move for Ozil, with it being claimed a deal is being thrashed for him to head to the club in January.

Earlier in his Q&A, Ozil talked positively about the relationship he has with Fener.

“I grew up as a Fenerbahce fan as a kid in Germany,” he said. “Every German-Turkish person supports a Turkish team when they grow up in Germany. And mine was Fenerbahce. 

“Fenerbahce is like Real Madrid in Spain. The biggest club in the country.”

Ozil’s comments will be music to the ears of Fenerbahce fans who will be hoping the deal can be done.

However, Fener’s rivals Galatasaray may have something to say with regard to who is the biggest club in the country.

Should Ozil move to Turkey in January, he would be parachuted into a title battle - with Fener level on points at the top with Besiktas. Galatasaray are two points further adrift.

Atletico Madrid are close to signing Moussa Dembele from Lyon, Diego Simeone has confirmed.

The striker is expected to move to the Wanda Metropolitano on a loan deal with an option to buy, having told Lyon he wanted a new challenge .

The agreement has not yet been finalised but Simeone seems confident the move will be completed sooner rather than later.

"It's still not confirmed, but it's very advanced," the Atletico coach told reporters ahead of Tuesday's match with Sevilla.

"I'm going to turn my head towards the game, which is what interests me, and when there's something [on Dembele], if there is something, I'll give an opinion."

Atleti will reportedly be able to secure Dembele for a €35 million (£31/4m / $42.5m) fee should he impress on loan before the end of the season.

The former France Under-21 international has scored just once in 16 Ligue 1 games this season, having hit 24 in 46 across all competitions in 2019-20.

Simeone's more pressing concern is Tuesday's match with Julen Lopetegui's side, which comes after Atleti's previous game with Athletic Bilbao was called off.

The match, which was due to take place in Madrid on Saturday, was postponed after Storm Filomena brought significant snowfall to the Spanish capital.

Training was severely disrupted over the weekend and Atleti will hold an extra session before facing Sevilla to make sure they are fully prepared.

"With the difficulties we've had, everyone has been at home," Simeone said. "We had no option of getting together or leaving the house. We worked at home on Saturday; on Sunday, a group was able to train together.

"There are no excuses. They're circumstances to which we have to adapt. The most important thing will be tomorrow and what happened before will not matter in terms of the criticism and opinions we receive.

"There'll be two training sessions because tomorrow we'll have another one at midday to finish fine-tuning what we have to do, making the most of the fact the game is in the evening.

"[The pitch] is very good. It looks really good, with a normal condition to be able to compete and I'm sure there won't be any difficulty with the surface."

Simeone also confirmed Kieran Trippier "is really good, he's really excited to play, focused as ever" after being cleared to play.

The full-back was hit with a 10-game ban by the Football Association due to breaches of betting regulations, but he is allowed to feature again in La Liga after FIFA put his punishment on hold amid an appeal from Atletico.

The banter between Tanzanian giants Simba SC and Young Africans (Yanga SC) has moved a notch higher after Haji Manara promised to get ‘a job’ for his former CEO Senzo Mazingiza.

Mazingiza left Simba in dramatic fashion before the start of the 2020-21 season to join rivals Yanga in a move which irked the Simba top brass.

Despite Mazingiza still being employed by Yanga, Manara has taken to his social media pages to tease the South African administrator by saying he can get him a job at promoted Ihefu FC.

“My dear friend and longtime boss, where are you?” Manara wrote on his social media pages. “It’s been a while since I last saw or heard from you, are you ok?

“But I truly believe wherever you are, you were not fired, my friend. If anything happens to you, please don’t hesitate to let me know, because I have connections to take you to Ihefu to be the CEO.

“Cheers brother.”

Simba and Yanga have enjoyed a rivalry spanning over a decade with the two teams dominating the Tanzanian Mainland Premier League.

In the last four seasons, Simba have been dominating the top-flight as they have won it consecutively and are currently taking part in the Caf Champions League and have already qualified to the group stage.

Simba reached the stage after mauling FC Platinum from Zimbabwe 4-0 at Benjamin Mkapa in the return leg to avenge the 1-0 first leg defeat suffered in Harare and advance on a 4-1 aggregate scoreline.

The Wekundu wa Msimbazi have now been pooled in Group A of the competition alongside Al-Ahly of Egypt, AS Vita from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sudanese giants Al-Merreikh. 

They will start their campaign with an away match against AS Vita on February 12 in their group opener set for Kinshasa before they return home to host Egyptian giants Al Ahly on February 23.

Simba will then travel to Sudan on March 5 to face El-Merreikh before they play the same side back home on March 16.

Their fifth match of the campaign will see them face AS Vita at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on April 2 before they wind up their group matches with an away match against Al Ahly on April 9.

Japhet Tanganga says there is a lot more to come from Tottenham sensation Alfie Devine, who he says has "looked a real spark" since stepping up to senior level.

Devine made instant headlines when he came on as a half-time substitute during Tottenham's third-round FA Cup tie against eighth-tier minnows Marine on Sunday.

At the tender of age of 16 years and 163 days, the midfielder became the youngest player in the club's history at Rossett Park, and marked the occasion by rounding off the 5-0 victory with a stunning finish.

Devine also became Spurs' youngest senior goalscorer of all-time by finding the net with a powerful low strike on the hour mark, capping a swift rise to prominence in north London.

The England U16 international only recently started training with Jose Mourinho's first team, but Tanganga expects him to go on and become a regular in the squad after making such an impressive bow.

"Every time he's come up [to first-team training] he's looked a real spark," the 21-year-old defender, who also featured in the second half against Marine, told the Evening Standard. "He's doing well. When he was coming on, I just told him, 'Keep it simple, do what you've been doing in training – there's a reason why you've been training up'.

"You saw glimpses of his ability in a really professional performance. I'm really happy for him to get his first professional goal. He's a really good player and there's more to come as well.

"It's a great achievement and it was a great goal. Hopefully from here it's a confidence boost, knowing that the manager can put him in for these games.

"He's shown he can hustle, he's shown what he can do, so hopefully from here he can kick on and get more appearances for the club."

Mourinho reserved special praise for Devine in his post-match interview, highlighting the teenager's natural ability in the final third of the pitch.

"He's a kid with good potential. He's basically a midfield player but with an instinct to appear in finishing zones and to score goals," the Portuguese boss told reporters.

"We like him and of course for him, it was a special day."

Former Harambee Stars striker Dennis Oliech has urged Michael Olunga to move with speed and sign a deal with Qatari champions Al Duhail SC.

The towering Kenyan star has reportedly attracted the attention of Al Duhail with reports indicating they have already started negotiations with Olunga’s current club Kashiwa Reysol over his services.

Last week it was reported in Japan that Kashiwa Reysol have already accepted a transfer fee of 7million Euros (approximately Ksh890million) from the Qatari club.

It is the reason, Oliech, who played in Qatar with Al Arabi before moving to France, has now told Olunga to take up the deal because it will help him to make good money from football before he retires.

“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 however, 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.”

In an interview a week ago, a source close to Olunga told Goal a move to Qatar could be in the offing but 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.

The former Gor Mahia striker recently clinched the Golden Boot in the Japanese J-1 League after notching 28 goals from 32 matches while in the 2019 season, he finished the season with 27 league goals as Reysol finished the J2 season as champions, winning promotion to the first division.

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 and is the first team in Qatari football to win the first division title on its debut season.

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

Gennaro Gattuso insisted Napoli cannot always be beautiful like Hollywood actor Brad Pitt as he urged his side to be a "bit ugly" like him.

Napoli claimed a last-gasp 2-1 victory at Udinese thanks to Tiemoue Bakayoko's 90th-minute winner in Serie A on Sunday.

Lorenzo Insigne had opened the scoring via a 15th-minute penalty to move level with Careca for seventh place on Napoli's all-time scorers list in Serie A (73) and also seventh position across all competitions (97).

Udinese's Kevin Lasagna equalised 12 minutes later before Bakayoko ensured Napoli bounced back from their shock defeat at home to Spezia.

Napoli are sixth in Serie A – nine points adrift of leaders AC Milan – and head coach Gattuso told his team to get down and dirty.

"I don't get angry with my players for their technique, it's when they don't smell fear. I think we are a team who repeatedly don't spot the danger when it's coming. I want to see a team that keeps going," Gattuso told Sky Sport Italia .

"I don't want us to miss a chance, then I see immediately the defenders start complaining to each other, oh we missed a goal, that means we're bound to concede one. No! We have to work as a team.

"We have to improve in situations when we're under pressure, because I know I don't have a side that can soak up pressure for ages, that's not our approach, but we can do better than we are now. You can't tell me that mentality cannot be improved or coached. I don't believe it.

"What happened with Spezia infuriated me, because the ball came off the post, we had five players ball-watching while Tommaso Pobega reacted quicker. That is a lack of determination, that is unacceptable.

"Napoli want to always be beautiful, but sometimes being a bit ugly is a good thing. You can't always be Brad Pitt, with blonde hair and blue eyes. Sometimes you have to be a bit ugly, like me. I look worse than usual now, as I'm all puffed up due to the cortisone shots, but I feel better."

Mumbai City extended their unbeaten run to nine matches with a 1-0 win over ATK Mohun Bagan at the Fatorda Stadium in Goa on Monday.

The Islanders are now five points clear of the Kolkata giants at the top of the Indian Super League (ISL) table after 10 rounds of games. 

Mumbai City head coach Sergio Lobera said that his side worked hard against the strong backline of ATK Mohun Bagan and he is happy with their performance. 

"We know the plans of ATK Mohun Bagan and we tried the to improve against a very good defensive team. I'm very happy with the performance of my team specially in the first-half, I think we created chances and we had good opportunities. I'm happy with the performance," Sergio Lobera said after the game. 

"Every game is different. We know that ATK Mohun Bagan is a very dangerous team. They have very good strikers. I think we balanced our defence and attack very well," he added. 

Bartholomew Ogbeche scored the lone goal of the match in the 69th minute and he was soon replaced by Adam Le Fondre. Lobera, once again, showed confidence in his bench and said he is happy with the way his squad is performing.  

"We have very good players coming from the bench. Some players were tired we needed to press the opponent because the centre backs deliver very easy long balls. I'm very happy with the players who came off the bench," he said.

Lobera, however, downplayed the chances of Mumbai City winning the league as he mentioned that his team needs to continue improving in the latter half of the season. 

"We are only in the first half of the season. We need to play 10 more games.  We need to continue improving. My wish is to try and win the trophy"