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Manchester City have confirmed that two more players, and one additional staff member, have tested positive for Covid-19 following the club's latest round of testing.

Goalkeeper Scott Carson and 18-year-old midfielder Cole Palmer are the two members of the playing staff that have tested positive, while an unnamed member of the non-playing staff has also delivered a positive test.

What are the details and why does it matter?

The coronavirus crisis continues to worsen in the United Kingdom and globally, with 40 new cases among Premier League players and staff recorded in the past week - a new high for England's top flight.

Manchester City have been one of the worst-affected clubs in the Premier League in terms of the number of positive coronavirus tests, with a total of eight players having now tested positive for Covid-19.

That includes first-team stars such as Eric Garcia, Gabriel Jesus and Kyle Walker, who all missed City's 3-1 win over Chelsea in their last fixture on January 3.

Despite that fixture at Stamford Bridge going ahead, City have already had one of their matches postponed in the 2020-21 campaign due to the coronavirus situation, with the Premier League meeting against Everton, that was due to be played on December 28, having been called off.

And the news regarding the positive tests for Carson, Palmer and the unnamed staff member represents a worrying latest development, with Covid-19 continuing to spread within the Premier League club.

The bigger picture

The latest news will come as a concern to head coach Pep Guardiola, who has already seen his options limited in terms of squad selection over the past month.

While the latest two players to have tested positive for Covid-19 are not essential members of the Catalan's starting XI, the continuing spread of the virus offers a bleak outlook with there the obvious potential for more players and staff to test positive.

Despite the absence of several key players, City have coped well on the pitch, beating Newcastle United 2-0 on Boxing Day before Sunday's impressive 3-1 win over Frank Lampard's Chelsea.

What's been said?

The statement from City regarding the latest positive coronavirus tests reads, in full: "Manchester City FC can confirm that Scott Carson, Cole Palmer and one member of staff have tested positive for Covid-19.

"Both personnel will now observe a period of self-isolation in accordance with Premier League and UK Government protocol on quarantine.

"Everyone at the club wishes Scott, Cole and all of our other colleagues a speedy recovery ahead of their return to work, training and competition."

Guardiola, meanwhile, has insisted that City "don't have many players" ahead of Wednesday's Carabao Cup semi-final meeting with rivals Manchester United, and is concerned that his side will struggle to meet the demands of the fixture list with an ever-depleting squad.

Further reading

Former Orlando Pirates midfielder Benedict Vilakazi feels Kaizer Chiefs do not have the pedigree to progress past the Caf Champions League group stage.

Amakhosi reached the competition’s mini-league round for the first time ever after eliminating 2018 semi-finalists Primeiro Agosto 1-0 on aggregate.

Despite Chiefs having not conceded a goal in four Champions League matches, as well as winning all their away games, Vilakazi still does not give Chiefs a chance against some of the continent’s biggest clubs.

“Now you can see boys and men. Time for cartoons is over now. Get into the gym and work. They need to do the right things, these are not short cuts,” Vilakazi told iDiski TV.

“This is the time when we will see big teams and small teams in the Champions League. There is a reason why you see that today Sundowns are a big team. It is because they always perform in the Champions League. They always play among the best like Al Ahly, they beat those teams.

“So if Chiefs want us to rate them as one of the best teams in South Africa, they need to do well in the Champions League. With the way things are right now, I don’t see them going further because they will be playing against teams with good structure with players who know why they are there, players with value.

“They are adding value in the team. Individual brilliance is there, team play is also there. I am not talking of individual brilliance whereby we hope Khama Billiat will dribble past Al Ahly players and score. No, it doesn’t work like that.”

Vilakazi says Chiefs’ struggles on the domestic scene does not make them good candidates to go beyond the Champions League group stage.

The Pirates great advises Chiefs coach Gavin Hunt to invest time in doing some thorough homework against their opponents.

“Now it is a different stage whereby these teams analyse and study you guys. They can identify Chiefs’ weakest link as well as the strongest point and they will make sure that they work on that. They will capitalise on the mistakes. Now it is a stage where we will see the boys from the men,” said Vilakazi.

“Well done to Chiefs for reaching the group stage but I don’t see them going further than that because, right, they can’t even face Sundowns. They have won one game in the PSL and it tells you something about them. In the Champions League we are talking about teams that have won league titles in their countries.

“We are not talking about those who finished as number eight, nine or five. No, we are talking about champions. I will say, 'Good luck to Chiefs' but definitely they will not go far.”

Amakhosi will know their group stage opponents when the draw is conducted on January 8.

Lena Oberdorf has signed a contract extension with Wolfsburg, just seven months after penning a new deal with the German side.

Central midfielder Oberdorf, who won Goal's first NxGn award for female players, signed a deal until 2023 last June after moving to Wolfsburg from SGS Essen. However, her impressive form for the six-time German champions has seen them tie her down to renewed terms until 2024.

The 19-year-old, who was part of the Germany side who won the U17s European Championship in 2017 and has since made 16 senior appearances for the national team after becoming her country's youngest ever full international, has played 15 games for Wolfsburg this campaign, scoring 10 goals.

“It's no secret that I feel very comfortable at VfL Wolfsburg,” Oberdorf told the club website.

“Both my team-mates and the people around me made it easy for me to find my way around the team quickly. So it wasn't difficult for me to extend my contract now. My goal is to help shape the future of this club in the long term."

Wolfsburg sporting director Ralf Kellermann added: "Lena not only met our high expectations, but exceeded them. She integrated into the team very quickly and showed that she is rightly considered one of the world's greatest talents in women's football.

"In addition, Lena has the best attitude with her positive nature, to take on leadership roles in the near future and move forward as a leader. 

"We are therefore extremely happy that she has already extended her contract for another year. This is a clear sign that she feels comfortable with us and a strong signal for the future."

In March last year, Goal named Oberdorf as the most exciting teenage footballer in the women's game, in the first year the NxGn award was given for both male and female players.

"I feel very proud, it’s a lot of motivation for me to keep going," Oberdorf told Goal upon receiving the NxGn trophy.

Wolfsburg won the 2019–20 Frauen-Bundesliga, but this season are currently in second place after 12 games, five points behind leaders Bayern Munich.

Nzoia Sugar have confirmed the appointment of Ibrahim Shikanda as the new coach for the remainder of the 2020-21 season.

The former Nairobi Stima tactician has arrived at the Sugar Millers to try and steady their ship after a rather poor start to the FKF Premier League campaign.

Nzoia have confirmed on their social media pages the appointment by stating: “We have appointed Ibrahim Shikanda as our new coach.

“Shikanda will now be deputised by Sylvester Mulukurwa who has been serving as the interim coach. Shikanda previously coached NSL side Nairobi Stima, and also served as an assistant coach at Bandari FC until the end of last season.

“Let us welcome Shikanda to Nzoia Sugar.”

Shikanda joins Nzoia who are currently sitting in position 12 in the 18-team league table with four points from six matched and they are yet to win a match so far in this campaign.

Meanwhile, Kariobangi Sharks head coach William Muluya is pleased with the start his team has had in this season, remaining one of only two unbeaten teams after six rounds of matches.

Sharks sit second on the table with 12 points, three behind league leaders KCB, who were not involved this weekend.

“It is a good start and we have to admit that we have started on a high. We are working as a unit and working well from the training ground to matches. I am very pleased with the boys and their performance,” the coach stated.

Sharks have scored 10 goals this season, the joint highest in the league and Muluya says this is one of the areas they addressed during pre-season to ensure that they improve on their performance. The barren draw against Ulinzi was only the second game this season that the team has failed to score.

“We need to maintain the good play that we have had since the league started. We are defending as a team and attacking as a team as well and that is what has kept us moving.”

Sharks will next take on champions Gor Mahia on January 10.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Jubril Okedina has completed a season-long loan to Cambridge United.

Before that move, the Englishman of Nigerian descent had penned a new one-year contract at Spurs, indicating his future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is not yet over.

“Defender Jubril Okedina has signed a new contract with the Club until 2022 and joined League Two side Cambridge United on loan for the remainder of the season,” a statement from the Spurs website read.

“The 20-year-old Academy product has made 11 appearances for our Development Squad this term, many of them as captain, and scored three goals including a brace in a 4-3 win at Liverpool last time out.”

Manager Mark Bonner is delighted to have the youngster in his squad while assuring that his time at Abbey Stadium will be a ‘good experience’.

“We are pleased to add Jubril to our squad for the second half of the season and look forward to overseeing this period of his development,” he was quoted by Cambridge website.

“This will be a good experience for Jubril as it’s his first senior loan and he offers us good competition and cover in the defensive unit.

“Jubril is motivated to push for a place in the team and his attitude, defensive qualities and athleticism make him a good addition.”

Okedina began his football career at Spurs and he was subsequently promoted to the U18 side. There, he made 16 appearances in the U18 Premier League. His major highlight in the competition was his lovely strike in the club’s 3-2 home defeat of Arsenal in November 2018.

He also played in two FA Youth Cup games as well as coming on as a late substitute against PAOK Thessaloniki in a Uefa Youth League play-off fixture in February 2019.

In the same month, the Nigeria prospect was promoted to the U23 squad where he made his bow against Brighton & Hove Albion in a Premier League 2 showdown.

Strong and technically sound, the youngster is expected to continue with his development at the League Two outfit that boasts Tunisian youngster Idris El Mizouni.

Okedina will wear the number 15 shirt and he could make his bow when the club host Harrogate Town on Saturday.

Indian Super League (ISL) side Bengaluru have parted ways with their head coach Carles Cuadrat by mutual consent. Assistant coach Naushad Moosa will take charge as the interim head coach with immediate effect.

“After deep deliberation with the management, we feel the club needs to head in a new direction – one where the ethos and philosophy of Bengaluru FC begin reflecting again. While we enjoyed success with Carles in the past, we felt there was a departure from the philosophy that we hold true this season, which prompted us to arrive at this decision,” said Parth Jindal, Director, Bengaluru FC. 

He added, “I want to express gratitude for everything that Carles has done for this wonderful football club. In the five years, he has spent with us, he has been through all the ups and downs we’ve experienced at Bengaluru. He was around when we lost the AFC Cup final and then the ISL final, before leading us to the ISL title on that night in Mumbai."

Moosa, who has been with the Blues for four seasons, will take over coaching duties for the team's next game against SC East Bengal on Saturday at the Fatorda Stadium.

“We are confident he will get the team to play the kind of football that we have based our success on. Meanwhile, our search for a replacement has already begun and we will be bringing in someone who we believe can further the philosophy and style of this club.

"Our ambition of challenging for titles while developing young talent that goes on to represent the country remains unchanged. We are currently in a good position this season and we back the staff and players to build on it in the coming weeks,” Parth added.

Under Cuadrat, Bengaluru topped the league table and went onto lift the ISL trophy in the 2018-19 season. The Blues, under the Spaniard, also hold the League record of most consecutive wins (six), unbeaten streak (eleven games) and clean sheets (eleven). 

Speaking on the decision, Cuadrat said, “I greatly appreciate the club for giving me the opportunity to be Head Coach. It has been a relationship where I have been treated really well and a club that I will always have fond memories of. I would like to thank the owners and management whose vision has been excellent, players who have always been at my service, the staff that I have worked with and that have stood by my side across five seasons and the fans, who have been tremendous in their support, and without whom we could never have carved out so many beautiful nights at the Kanteerava and away.

"I wish the club all the luck through the season and beyond. This club and the people associated with it will forever be in my heart.”

Kaizer Chiefs attacking midfielder Khama Billiat says they will push themselves to the limit and go as far as they can in the 2020-21 Caf Champions League campaign after reaching the group stage of the competition.

Chiefs eliminated Angolan giants Primeiro giants with a first-round, second leg 1-0 away win to seal a 1-0 aggregate victory after a 0-0 first leg result. They booked a Champions League group stage place for the first time ever.

With Chiefs enduring a troubled campaign in the Premier Soccer League (PSL), Billiat believes progress on the continent will ease pressure on the domestic front.

“It’s really important for us as well to go and test ourselves with the rest of the Champions League giants. It really gives us confidence as well, going back to our domestic competition,” Billiat told Chiefs’ media.

“We really want to go all the way, we want to make a difference, we want to push ourselves to the limit and to see how far we can go and how far we can compete in Africa. It’s really important.

“We give credit to the guys, we worked so hard, we stuck to the plan and it wasn’t easy. It’s going to be very tough, but we can only learn and grow as a team and make sure we gel together and fight for one another.

“I personally believe that everyone wants to go all the way. We really need to be the generation to actually do what the best generation of this club has done. This club has a very good history and we don’t want to be the ones that are not pulling up the weight. We want to do what they have done and we want to make our chairman proud. It has been long.”

Chiefs went through despite missing season campaigners like captain Itumeleng Khune, Lebogang Manyama and Willard Katsande.

“It shows the quality we have, everyone is important. We really need to step up when they are not around. We really need to do what they were going to do,” said Billiat.

High in confidence after winning in Angola, Chiefs now switch attention to the PSL as they host Maritzburg United on Saturday.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has sent a message to Josh Dasilva after his horror tackle in the Carabao Cup semi-finals, supporting the Brentford star before joking that the forward owes him "a new shin pad".

Tottenham progressed to the final of the League Cup by beating their Championship opponents  2-0 on Tuesday night.

Goals from Moussa Sissoko and Son Heung-min secured the win, with the visitors reduced to 10 men in the latter stages of the game.

Dasilva was shown a straight red card for a dangerous challenge on Hojbjerg which left the midfielder bleeding from several parts of his shin.

Spurs head coach Jose Mourinho was left shocked by the damage caused but refused to condemn the Brentford striker in his post-match interview.

"It was for sure a bad tackle because he is bleeding a lot and the shin pad is broken," said Mourinho. 

"That is football. Dasilva is a young guy and a good player so in the heat of the game there is nothing to be critical of."

Dasilva took to social media after the game to defend his character, writing on Twitter: "Anyone that knows me, knows it was never intentional... will learn from this."

Hojbjerg attempted to put the midfielder's mind at ease in his response to the post, giving a positive update on his condition before wishing him well for the future.

"Of course you didn’t mean it. So don’t worry. I’m a Viking and I am fine. But... you owe me a new shin pad," the Tottenham star wrote.

"You have a great future ahead. Be strong and keep working hard. Best of luck to you and your team. Big hug, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg."

Spurs will now look forward to their first domestic cup final since 2015, with a clash against either Manchester United or Manchester City at Wembley set to take place on April 25.

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA FC) striker Brian Aheebwa and UPDF head coach Kefa Kisala have been voted the player and coach of the month of December 2020 respectively.

Aheebwa won the monthly award after beating Ben Ocen of Police FC and Brian Kalumba of UPDF. On the other hand, Kisala was nominated alongside Sam Ssimbwa of Uganda Revenue Authority (URA FC) before he emerged the best coach of the month.

The winners are given USh1 million as well as a trophy for their exemplary performances during that period. The Premier League is on a break in order to give the national side and the selected players time to participate in the African Nations Championship (Chan) tournament.

Aheebwa, who was signed in the last transfer window, has scored seven goals for the 13-time Premier League champions. The seven goals for Aheebwa are among the 119 goals that were scored across the league in five games.

The majority of Aheebwa’s goals came against Onduparaka FC where he scored four which also enabled KCCA to go to fourth place with nine points before the league went on a break. Ocen has scored one fewer goal and his side is third with 10 points.

On the other hand, Kalumba has scored five goals for debutants UPDF and also had a memorable day when he scored four against Kitara FC. The Soldiers are surprisingly leading as they have 12 points, one more than URA.

Kisala denied coach Ssimbwa an opportunity to be crowned as the best coach for a second consecutive month.

“This success is attributed to the management, technical staff and players,” the UPDF tactician said after winning the award.

“As a newly promoted club, this is a great motivation for us. Our initial target was to finish in the top five and the chase is still on.”

URA have not lost a single game in the season as their campaign had started to pick up speed before it was paused because of the upcoming Chan.

The selected Ugandan players are already in Cameroon for an ongoing pre-Chan tournament that is set to culminate on January 7.

The 2020-21 Carabao Cup is heading into the final stage and it won't be long until the first major national trophy is won in England this season.

Having kicked off in August 2020, 92 teams are whittled down to two ultimate contenders, with the decider taking place in early 2021.

So when will the Carabao Cup final take place this season and which teams are involved?

Goal brings you everything you need to know, including how to watch the game live, prize money for the winners, European qualification and more.

On this page

When is the Carabao Cup 2021 final?

The 2020-21 Carabao Cup final will be held a few months later than initially planned, on Sunday April 25, 2021.

Kick-off for the game is scheduled for 4pm BST (11am ET).

It had originally been scheduled for Sunday February 28, 2021, but, in December 2020, the EFL made the decision to push it further into the year.

The decision to reschedule the fixture, according to the EFL, was made in the hope that fans may be permitted to attend the game.

Deterioration in the public health picture in the United Kingdom over winter saw the British government introduce stricter lockdown measures, thus diminishing the chances of spectators being allowed in February.

Which teams are in the Carabao Cup 2021 final?

Tottenham were the first team to book their place in the 2021 Carabao Cup final. Jose Mourinho's side defeated Brentford 2-0 in the semi-final to advance, with goals from Heung-min Son and Moussa Sissoko sending them through.

Spurs will be joined in the final by one of Manchester United or Manchester City. Those teams square off in a semi-final bout on Wednesday January 6, 2021.

Defending champions City are one of the most successful teams in the competition and they have won the last three finals in a row, while United last won the cup in 2017, when Mourinho was manager.

Tottenham have won the Carabao Cup on four occasions, most recently in 2008, which, incidentally, was also the last time they hoisted silverware.

Mourinho has signalled his intent to end that 13-year trophy drought, declaring: "What I sense in the team is exactly that: desire. I'm not saying winning mentality, I'm not saying we are this or that. I just say we are honest people."

Where will the Carabao Cup 2021 final be played?

Wembley Stadium will host the Carabao Cup final in 2021, continuing the custom of staging major national cup finals in the affectionately named 'Home of Football'.

The London venue, which has a capacity of 90,000, could possibly be empty for the occasion, however, should the public health situation arising from the Covid-19 pandemic not improve.

Wembley in its current guise has hosted the Carabao Cup final since 2008 and the 2021 final will be the 14th time it has been the venue since reopening.

Which TV channel is the Carabao Cup 2021 final on?

In the UK, the Carabao Cup final will be broadcast on the Sky Sports network, on the Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Main Event channels, as well as Sky Go.

In the U.S., ESPN will broadcast the Carabao Cup final.

What is the Carabao Cup prize money?

Winning the Carabao Cup is worth £100,000 ($136k) according to most recent figures, while the runner-up is rewarded with £50,000 ($68k).

The losing semi-finalists are given a consolation prize of £25,000 ($34k) each.

Prize money for the Carabao Cup lags significantly behind England's chief cup competition, the FA Cup, and that reality is perhaps reflected in how some Premier League clubs rotate their team in the tournament.

Do the Carabao Cup winners qualify for Europe?

From 2020-21 on, the winners of the Carabao Cup will qualify for the Europa Conference League - UEFA's new third-tier continental competition, which gets under way in 2021-22.

Winning the Carabao Cup will ensure entry at the play-off round of the Europa Conference League.

In the event that the Carabao Cup winners qualify for a continental competition through their league finish (as is likely in this season's edition), then that place will go to the highest-placed team in the Premier League that has not already qualified for Europe.

For example, last season, Premier League runners-up Man City won the Carabao Cup, so the Europa League place they earned was subsequently rewarded to Tottenham, who finished that season in sixth place.

Milan pair Ante Rebic and Rade Krunic have tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of Wednesday's showdown with Juventus.

Both players are asymptomatic and have begun a period of self-isolation at home, Milan confirmed on their official website.

The news comes on the back of Juve announcing that full-backs Alex Sandro and Juan Cuadrado had contracted COVID-19, also ruling them out of the crunch clash at San Siro.

Rebic has featured 14 times for Milan in all competitions this season, while Krunic has been used on 20 occasions.

The pair have appeared together in eight Serie A matches this season, with Milan winning each of those games. On the seven occasions they have not featured, meanwhile, the Rossoneri's win rate drops from 100 per cent to 43.

Serie A leaders Milan are already without injured quartet Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Alexis Saelemaekers, Ismael Bennacer and Matteo Gabbia, while Sandro Tonali is suspended.

The club said in a statement: "AC Milan announces that Ante Rebic and Rade Krunic tested positive for a molecular swab carried out yesterday in anticipation of the match against Juventus.

"The players, asymptomatic, remained in isolation at home where a second control swab was taken today. The health authorities were promptly informed.

"All members of the team group underwent a further test today with negative results."

Speaking on Tuesday, doctor Roberto Testi, the director of the Department of Prevention at the Turin ASL, warned the high-profile contest may be called off if Juve report further positive tests on the day of the game.

"If there should be more positive tests and the evidence of an uncontrolled breakout within the squad, that would become a problem of safety for the other players," he told Corriere della Sera.

"Clearly, at that point, the ASL would be forced to intervene, isolating everyone and blocking Juve's departure towards Milan."

Milan enter the game 10 points better off than reigning champions Juventus having played a game more.

Stefano Pioli's men won the most recent encounter between the sides 4-2 last July and are seeking successive league wins in this fixture for the first time since 2010.

It will mark the first time Milan have faced Juve sitting ahead of their rivals in the table since November 2015, when losing 1-0 through a Paulo Dybala goal. 

Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA FC) coach Mike Mutebi has maintained the team will stick to their style of play when they take on AS Kigali in their Caf Confederation Cup match on Wednesday.

The Kasasiro Boys will head into the return leg fixture 2-0 down, this is after AS Kigali were awarded the first leg match after the former Ugandan Premier League (UPL) champions failed to raise the required quorum of 15 players to start the match.

KCCA headed into the match minus 12 first team players and three officials led by coach Mutebi, who had tested positive for Covid-19, as the team prepared to leave Kampala.

And while in Kigali, two more players also returned positive results, and thus Caf decided to cancel the match and award it to AS Kigali on a 2-0-win basis.

With the return leg now set for St Mary’s Kitende, Mutebi, who has already recovered from the virus, has now said the team will apply their usual tactics since it will help them to overturn the result and qualify for the next stage.

“We have everybody available and it is a huge task, they got an advantage back home by not playing but getting the two goals, so now it is up to us to do the same thing, try to win and qualify,” Mutebi told KCCA TV.

“We are not going to change the way we play; we are going to play the way we have been playing what has made us be above others, we don’t want to look desperate, we will play our way, and in that way, it will help us pick the result we want and qualify.”

Apart from Mutebi, others who were affected by Covid-19 but have now returned negative results include his assistants Badru Kaddu, Moses Oloya, Jackson Magera, players Charles Lukwago, Denis Iguma, Kezironi Kizito, Brian Aheebwa, Stefano Mazengo, Hassan Matovu, Samson Kigozi, and Hassan Musana.

On Saturday, KCCA confirmed the players and officials already in camp had returned negative results ahead of the fixture.

“All the players and officials in camp have undergone Covid-19 testing and returned negative results,” the club said on their official website.

“The camp has been organised in line with preparations for the Confederation Cup return leg game between KCCA and AS Kigali on Wednesday, January 6, 2021, at St Mary’s Stadium, Kitende.”

Despite the problems they are facing, midfielder Ashraf Mugume is confident they will turn the tables and advance to the next stage.

The Kasasiro Boys got a bye in the first preliminary round and will face the Rwandan side who eliminated Orapa United of Botswana. AS Kigali lost the first leg played in Gaborone 2-1 before returning to Kigali to manage a 2-2 draw and advance on the away goals rule.

Bandari FC have suffered an injury blow after their striker Shaban Kenga has been ruled out of FKF Premier League action for the next four months.

Kenga, who was the team’s lead striker following the exit of Wycliffe Ochomo, picked up a nasty knee injury against Western Stima in the 2-0 home win and has now undergone successful surgery which doctors say will keep him out for four months.

“Shaban Kenga underwent successful surgery yesterday [Tuesday] and will be discharged later today [Wednesday],” Bandari confirmed on their social media pages. “Kenga will be sidelined for four months, we take this opportunity to wish him a quick recovery.

“Michael Wanyika is also out as we await the doctors report, but William Wadri, Collins Agade, and Abdallah Hassan have all started light training with the team’s physiotherapist.”

During the league match played at Mbaraki grounds, Kenga was replaced in the first half with a suspected broken leg after an awful tackle by Mukisa Junior while Agade limped off in the second half before Wadri left the pitch later.

The injury crisis facing the Dockers will not be good news for new coach Casa Mbungo, who was unveiled on Monday to replace Ken Odhiambo.

The former AFC Leopards tactician is, however, ready to steer the ship to a good campaign and promised to give them a title soon.

“I am delighted to have joined Bandari, it is a club any tactician would love to coach,” Mbungo said after being unveiled. “As a matter of fact, I am here to win titles with Bandari. I want to nurture talents which are in plenty here in Mombasa.”

On why he opted to join Bandari instead, of champions Gor Mahia, who were also seeking his services, Mbungo said: “It was an easy decision for me to join Bandari, they convinced me of their project.

“Bandari showed they needed me more and that is why it was easy for me to consider them ahead of Gor Mahia. I had been in talks with Bandari for quite some time.”

Bandari will be the second Kenyan club Mbungo will be coaching after a short stint at AFC Leopards, where he quit in December 2019 after going for months without pay.

Mbungo’s first assignment will be an away clash against Zoo FC on January 9.

Slaven Bilic has landed a new job just three weeks after being sacked by West Brom, with Beijing Guoan appointing him as their new permanent head coach.

Bilic has been handed a two-year deal by the Chinese Super League club, replacing previous manager Bruno Genesio who was not offered an extension on his contract.

The Chinese side confirmed the Croatian's arrival in a statement on Tuesday, which read: "Today we officially announce the appointment of Slaven Bilic as the first team manager of Beijing Sinobo Guoan Football Club. 

"Slaven Bilic and his team have signed with Beijing Sinobo Guoan Football Club until the end of 2022.

"We would like to welcome Slaven Bilic to Beijing Sinobo Guoan Football Club and hope that he will give his full experience and coaching skills and lead the team to achieve good results in the new season."

Bilic has taken less than a month to find a new role following an ill-fated end to his spell at The Hawthorns. The 52-year-old guided West Brom to promotion from the Championship last season, but they were unable to hit the ground running in the first half of the 2020-21 campaign.

The Baggies only managed to pick up seven points from their opening 13 Premier League fixtures under Bilic, and club officials decided to make a change in the dugout following a 1-1 draw with Manchester City on December 15.

Bilic will now embark on the next stage of his coaching career in China, having already amassed a wealth of experience across the globe.

The former West Brom boss has previously had spells at Hajduk Split, Lokomotiv Moscow, Besiktas, West Ham and Al-Ittihad, while also earning his stripes at international level with Croatia between 2006 and 2012.

He guided his country to the finals of the 2008 European Championships, knocking England out of qualifying and beating Germany in the group stage before falling to Turkey on penalties in the quarter-finals.

Bilic won't oversee his first competitive match for Beijing Guoan until the new CSL season begins in the spring, but he will be aiming to improve on the club's second place finish in 2019.

The immediate events after Manchester United defeated Aston Villa 2-1 on New Year’s Day were pleasing to see.

Almost every player for the home side surrounded Eric Bailly following a match-winning block at the death to deny Keinan Davis’ goal-bound effort. Villa deserved something from the game on the balance of play, but the Ivory Coast defender was having none of that.

There’s always the tendency to focus on attacking players alone when dishing out post-match adulation, but Bailly’s late intervention is the sort of moment that never goes unnoticed. For a United side that’d been building momentum with a ten-game unbeaten run since losing 1-0 to Arsenal in November, dropping two points rather than claiming all three vs the West Midlands side would have hurt.

Fast forward to Monday night, as Southampton got the better of Liverpool 1-0, and the immediate importance of the Ivory Coast defender’s effort was truly felt.

The Red Devils find themselves level with their age-old rivals with a game in hand; win vs Burnley on January 12 and the side from Manchester could be three points ahead of Jurgen Klopp’s men going into their meeting at Anfield five days later.

While Bailly’s desperate block at the end defined his showing on Friday night, the centre-back had a pretty good game beyond this contribution, continuing his eye-catching form since returning to the side to partner Harry Maguire at the heart of the defence.

He made a joint-high two blocks on the night, led the way for interceptions and cleared the ball from harm’s way on more occasions than any teammate. The West African’s more robust method of defending complements the United captain’s style than Victor Lindelof, in theory, even though long-term doubts remain about the sustainability of the current partnership.

With Bailly, it feels like we’ve been here before, and the salient question that’s been asked ever since he arrived from Villarreal will never go away: can he stay fit for a significant portion of a season?

From the outside looking in, you’d forgive Man United supporters for not throwing all their eggs in the defender’s basket, despite appreciating the 26-year-old’s performances since that League Cup return against Everton in December.

Given that he’s never started more than 24 Premier League games since signing from the Yellow Submarine, the feeling that the central defender won’t be around for an extended period is understandable.

His league starts since that impressive debut season are 11, eight and one in 17/18, 18/19 and 19/20 respectively, while the old-school centre-back has already been used from the off on four occasions this season.

Even though one of the aforementioned starts was a calamitous showing in that 6-1 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur in October, Bailly’s defensive underlying numbers make for good reading regardless.

The defender tops the interceptions per 90 charts, just as he leads the way for clearances per 90. Only Fred and Nemanja Matic outdo the Ivorian for average recoveries, while he sits fourth for aerial duels won per 90.

In the main, the stats make for good reading, but the injury history certainly doesn’t. The centre-back has missed over 70 games through injury since arriving from the La Liga side, with the highest volume of non-involvements coming last term (28).

Bailly’s already been absent for a total of nine matches so far this season, leading to the suggestion that another layoff may be around the corner, despite the strong hope that the injury-plagued defender will finally have Lady Luck on his side in 2021.

Regardless of the criticism of Maguire, the 27-year-old’s ball-carrying and progressive passing assist the Red Devils in playing out from the back, while his strength in aerial duels is second to none in the United team and 16th in the entire division (he’s won 74.1 percent of tussles in the air).

Ideally, the perfect partner for the England international is arguably Bailly, however, the constant injuries question his overall dependability and leave supporters of the club asking for someone of that profile featuring alongside their club captain.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer commended Bailly’s physicality, pace and ‘second to none bravery’ after Friday’s hard-fought win at Old Trafford, now, the United boss will hope he can rely on those qualities as the Red Devils look to return to the summit of English football, at most, or win a trophy, at least, to finally give his squad that winning feeling it needs to finally go to the next level.

Kerala Blasters haven’t had the best of seasons so far in the seventh edition of the Indian Super League (ISL). In their eight matches, they have only a single win and have suffered as many as four defeats.

Kibu Vicuna’s team are up against bottom placed Odisha FC on Thursday evening and the Spaniard believes that despite the latter’s position on the ISL table, they cannot be taken lightly. It must be noted that there is only a four-point gap between the two teams.

“Every game is a new challenge. Odisha are no different from others. While we are looking for the three points against Odisha, it needs to be said that they have been performing well. They played well against East Bengal too.

“We need to control the game and make the most of our chances. But we need to be defensively better as well. Football is a balance between attack, defence and transition. We have to improve in every aspect,” he mentioned.

Kerala haven’t scored a single goal in four games however, Vicuna pointed that his players have been creating several goalscoring opportunities.

“We are working in training to improve our finishing. The good thing is that we created chances but the bad thing is that we didn't convert them in the previous match. We are trying to improve in this aspect. 

Vicuna was questioned if Kerala would choose to sign players in the January transfer market in order to strengthen their squad.

“We are not looking for anything or anyone in particular. I am happy with the team we have. Juande has arrived and so has Subha (Ghosh). We are not looking for anyone right now, but anything can happen so so let's see what happens,” was Vicuna’s ambivalent response.

Vicuna also mentioned that new signing Juande will be available for selection for their game against East Bengal after completing his quarantine. He refused to give away much on the status of striker Gary Hooper.

"Gary Hooper is training with the team and we have to see whether he will be available,” said Vicuna.

He also shared his thoughts on the upcoming edition of the I-League – which won’t feature Mohun Bagan and East Bengal for the very first time since its inception. Last season Mohun Bagan won the league title with Vicuna being at the helm of affairs. Since then, Mohun Bagan have 

“It is going to be interesting without East Bengal and Mohun Bagan. It is going to be more open. Mohammedan (Sporting) is going to be a tough team to beat playing from Kolkata. (Gokulam) Kerala and Churchill (Brothers) are very good teams.

“Punjab is a good team with Joseba (Beitia). There will be more opportunities for Indians as there will be fewer foreigners. We will follow the I-League and there are many players from I-League who are doing well in ISL,” observed Vicuna.

Kerala Blasters are in action on Thursday and once again would play another match on Sunday. Vicuna said that while the schedule is tough on players in terms of recovery, it is the same issue every team has to contend with in this pandemic-affected campaign.

"We cannot do anything about the schedule. In December we played just four matches and in January, we play eight. It is going to be hard in terms of recovery. It is difficult to recover in one-two days time. Some players need even three days to feel better. the only thing we can do is to focus on the next match. But we know three days later we have another match. All teams have a similar schedule," he noted.