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Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi has warned Gaston Sirino that he will need to work especially hard to earn himself a place in the Masandawana side.

Sirino has enjoyed three outstanding seasons with the Brazilians during which time he has netted 24 goals and registered 29 assists in 100 matches.

The Uruguayan, however, has been pushing for a move to join former Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane at Egyptian giants Al Ahly and has therefore not been part of the squad over the past couple of months, a period which has also coincided with injury.

Last week, though, the Tshwane side issued a statement which they hoped would put an end to the ongoing talk regarding a potential move for Sirino to the African champions.

And subsequently, Mngqithi has claimed that Sirino is now looking ready to fight for a place in the side, although he's cautioned that with Sundowns in good form, that won't be a formality.

“Mentally he was all over but now he is back in training and he is showing signs that he needs to fight for his place in the team,” Mngqithi was quoted saying by FarPost.

“Sirino can see the team is moving forward without him and it is very easy at Sundowns to be forgotten, so he is giving his best now at training, he is working very hard and we are hoping to see him soon.

"We are hoping that maybe in the next few matches he would have fought his fitness back and be able to fight for his place in the team.

“It is not going to be a walk in the park because the boys that are inside are really giving their best. We know what he is capable of doing and when he comes in he adds to our depth which is very important when you are a team like Sundowns."

In Sirino's absence, Themba Zwane has been shouldering the goal-scoring responsibility with seven league goals while Peter Shalulile has chipped in with four.

The defending league champions' next action comes in a Caf Champions League first round fixture - away at Jwaneng Galaxy FC on Tuesday evening. The South Africans have a 2-0 advantage from the first leg.

Georginio Wijnaldum has been given a transfer warning by fellow Dutch star Ryan Babel, who has admitted that leaving Liverpool is the "biggest regret" of his career.

Wijnaldum is being heavily linked with a move away from Anfield after entering the final six months of his current contract.

The 30-year-old is free to negotiate with any potential suitors in the winter market having yet to receive an extension offer from the Reds, with Barcelona currently being mooted as his most likely next destination.

Wijnaldum has played a key role in Liverpool's return to the top under Jurgen Klopp, scoring 20 goals in 209 appearances across all competitions. 22 of those outings have come in the first half of the 2020-21 campaign, with the Netherlands international helping the Reds qualify for the Champions League knockout stages again and hold onto first place in the Premier League.

Babel has drawn from his own experiences on Merseyside to advise his fellow countryman over his next move, admitting that the grass wasn't greener for him after his Liverpool departure in 2011.

The 34-year-old told The Mirror when quizzed on Wijnaldum's current situation: “I spent almost four years at ­Liverpool under Rafa Benitez and Kenny Dalglish. When I left to go and play in Germany, where TSG ­Hoffenheim had become a big force, it was to become the ­biggest regret of my career.

“The only reason I left was because I wanted to have more playing minutes to keep my place in the Holland team, but you don’t realise how dominating the playing style is at Liverpool until you play in a different team and league.

“I was brought up with really attacking football at Ajax. In the academy, you learn to play that way. When I moved to ­Liverpool, it was exactly the same. It is in the DNA of the club to play attacking football.”

The former Reds winger added on the fond memories he has of his time at Anfield: “I loved every ­minute I was at Liverpool. ­Fortunately, Dirk Kuyt was at Liverpool and he was a massive support to me. As a Liverpool player, you are always in the spotlight. The club is massive.

“Scoring the winning goal against Manchester United at Anfield was the highlight of my time.”

Wijnaldum will be back in contention for a place in Klopp's line up when Liverpool take on Southampton at St Mary's on Monday night.

Hyderabad FC are going through a rough patch of form as they head into their next match in the Indian Super League (ISL) against Chennaiyin on Monday evening in Goa. 

The Nizams have suffered three successive defeats to Mumbai City, Kerala Blasters and FC Goa respectively and have scored just one goal in these matches.

But coach Manuel Marquez feels that teams like Chennaiyin, Kerala Blasters and Hyderabad deserve to have more points than they have so far accumulated in the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) season.

"They (Chennaiyin) are a very dangerous team with a lot of good players. I was very impressed with their performance in the first half against Goa. They are dangerous in set-pieces because they have very good players, [with] not only (tall players like) [Enes] Sipovic and Eli Sabia but players like [Jakub] Sylvestr, [Rahim] Ali, [Deepak] Tangri in the box. Anirudh Thapa is another good player for set-pieces.

"I think that the coach (Csaba Laszlo) is very brave when they play their games. It's another team like Kerala (Blasters) when we played against them. I think Chennaiyin and Hyderabad deserve more points than we have on the table," said Marquez. 

FC Goa came back from behind to defeat Hyderabad with two late goals to take home the three points and the manager now feels that he needs to shake things up tactically to return to winning ways. 

"I think anyone would agree with me that we didn't deserve to lose this game (against Goa) but these kinds of things happen in football. Sometimes, when you concede in the 87th minute, you have to finalise to end the game at 1-1 and not concede the second goal.

"In the other game (against Jamshedpur which ended in a 1-1 draw), the moment we decided to bring Adil (Khan) to play with five center backs for the last five minutes, (but) they equalised. Sometimes, it's a bad decision. Now the question would be 'why you put five defenders when they equalised'. Of course, we are working on different things tactically and maybe, against Chennaiyin there will be some tactical changes."

India international Adil Khan seems to have fallen down the pecking order and is yet to start a game in this edition of ISL. In fact, he has played just 27 minutes since returning from injury. 

"When you don't put a player, it's normal to feel that 'you don't like this player'. I spoke with Adil and I'm very happy with his attitude. His chance to play is very close but at this moment, the style of the team is very different. In all the teams of the world, when you receive three consecutive defeats, you always remember the players that are not playing. Adil for sure is a fantastic player and he deserves a chance to play.

"If you look at the statistics, we are a team who have allowed fewer chances for the opponents but we are conceding goals in the last four-to-five games. My team is defending well and now the strategy is to try and turn the situation. So let's see what happens. It's very difficult to know who will finish in the top four, except for Mumbai (City) for sure," Marquez reasoned.

Rohit Danu is another player who has not been used often and the former Las Palmas coach believes that it will be risky to use the youngster when the team is trying to arrest their slide.

"Rohit Danu is another player whom I like very much. He's a player with a great future. He trains well but especially for players in attack, you need for example more friendly games to improve some actions. I want him to play as soon as possible but maybe not the right moment after three defeats."

Marquez praised the mentality of Aridane Santana as the Spaniard has struck five goals this season and has been the only beacon of hope for a rather misfiring forward line. 

"He's a guy who is very positive and with fantastic behaviour and attitude. I remember, when he missed a penalty against East Bengal, he scored two goals in the second half. He showed that, in football, you have to continue after you fail because football is about mistakes.

"You can say the same about Goa - 11 goals, eight of [Igor] Angulo, Mumbai with [Adam] le Fondre, ATK [Mohun Bagan] with [Roy] Krishna, Jamshedpur with [Nerijus] Valskis. When you have a top scorer, normally he is the guy who will score goals, but I agree that more players have to score goals. Also, we are the second team - the first Chennaiyin - with more shots in the ISL but unfortunately not on target," Marquez observed. 

Kariobangi Sharks head coach William Muluya is content with a point gained in the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League game against Ulinzi Stars at Kasarani Stadium on Saturday.

Neither side could register a goal to separate them despite playing out an end-to-end showdown in the capital city.

"Sometimes a point is just enough, you might not know how it will help in future," Muluya told Goal.

"We had come into the game targeting a win which would have taken us closer to leaders KCB. But we did not break down our visitors owing to their good defending."

The youthful coach has conceded there is work to be done in the attacking department, but did not criticise his forwards for missing scoring chances, stating it is not unusual for that to happen.

"Sometimes a game like this does not require you to get more than two scoring chances, [you need one or so to win]," Muluya added.

"In the first half, we had an opportunity to score, if we could have capitalised on that chance maybe we would have gotten maximum points.

"It is not out of order for your strikers to miss chances, it happens at times and we will work on it to try and make them clinical in the forthcoming assignments."

Ulinzi Stars coach Benjamin Nyangweso has also pointed out his team played well but had scoring problems too.

In the four games played, the four-time champions have managed to score in only one game, a 2-0 win over Kakamega Homeboyz. They lost 1-0 to Gor Mahia and registered identical 0-0 draws against Wazito FC and Sharks.

"We played well but had a problem in taking the chances we created," Nyamgweso told Goal.

"There were several scoring opportunities created but finishing them was a problem.

"There was no problem in defending because we did it as a team. Now we need to go and improve the striking department and see how we should start scoring goals."

Kariobangi Sharks are second on the table with 12 points from six games while Ulinzi are sixth on the table with five points from the four games played.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is pleased with the goalscoring contributions from every department of his team as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang continues his struggles in front of goal.

The Gabon international managed three shots at the Hawthorns on Saturday but could not hit the back of the net as Arsenal thrashed West Bromwich Albion 4-0 in a Premier League fixture.

A brace from Alexandre Lacazette and goals from Kieran Tierney and Bukayo Saka secured the Gunners' third straight victory in the English top-flight.

Aubameyang has scored three goals so far in 15 league games this season - with the last dating back to his equaliser in their 1-1 draw against Southampton on December 1.

However, Arteta is happy with how he has been relieved of the goalscoring burden.

“I keep saying, we can’t keep putting all the weight on Auba’s shoulders to score the goals,” the Spanish tactician told the club website.

“We need contributions. The midfielders need to score more and give more assists, and we need goals from our wingers as well.

“Laca is in great form and has scored five goals in his last four games, which is what we need from our strikers. Auba had some chances today to score and it was the same in the last game or so, but I am so pleased because in the final third we looked lively and there was a lot of movement.

“There is good energy, there is a real purpose and everybody is playing forwards. It’s like we are free to play there and the understanding is allowing us to generate a lot of things there.”

Regarding Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey – who is yet to play since he limped off against Tottenham Hotspur in December –  and if he could return to action for their FA Cup outing against Newcastle United on January 9, Arteta said: “Well, he hasn’t trained fully with us, but he has done most parts of training in the last few days.

"He’s feeling good and we will assess him if he needs another two or three sessions to see if he’s 100 per cent available to play.”

New Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino has warned his players that they "have to deserve to wear the jersey".

Pochettino landed his first head coaching role since being sacked by Tottenham in November 2019 when PSG handed him a two-year contract on Saturday.

The Argentine, who was a favourite at Parc des Princes after a two-year stint with the club as a player, was drafted in to replace Thomas Tuchel following the German tactician's dismissal in December.

Tuchel led PSG to back-to-back Ligue 1 titles and a Champions League final, but senior officials decided a change in the dugout was necessary after the team's inconsistent start to the 2020-21 campaign.

Pochettino is inheriting a squad currently sitting third in the French top flight, one point behind Lyon and Lille, with a clash against Saintt-Etienne at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard on Wednesday set to mark his first game in charge.

The 48-year-old will likely have to get the best out of the likes of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Angel Di Maria to build on the platform put down by Tuchel, but has already made it clear that his team selection will be based on effort and professionalism rather than status.

"In this club, it's always been about excellence, the players have to deserve to wear the jersey," Pochettino told the club's official website.

"I think that it's a fantastic squad and I think that we can accomplish what this club and the players want because they are competitors and they want to lift trophies." 

The ex-Tottenham boss added on his return to France: "I think it's so exciting to be here and start to build this relationship again. And I always followed Paris Saint Germain after playing here. 

"I always had very good relationship with the fans, with the supporters. Paris is one of the biggest clubs in the world, and in a club like this, the win is not enough. You need to win of course but by playing well.

"The players here are some of the best here, they are the main actors and they need to love what they do on the pitch, it's really important."

Asked to outline his short-term ambitions at PSG, who have a Champions League round of 16 tie against Barcelona to look forward to next month, Pochettino responded: "Our main goal is to make sure everyone is heading in the same direction.

"We want to put a mentality in place, a philosophy and that everyone takes part. The idea is for everyone to want to win for the club more than anything else.

"We want to be a strong club with a strong structure."

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson thinks Eberechi Eze and Wilfried Zaha have a good rapport because of their similar skills, abilities and strengths.

Eze has settled in well at Selhurst Park since he completed a permanent switch from Queens Park Rangers in August and he has formed a solid partnership with Ivory Coast star Zaha, thanks to their playmaking skills.

On Saturday, the Nigerian descent came off the bench in the first half to score a wondergoal that sealed Crystal Palace’s 2-0 win over Sheffield United, a strike he has described as his best in South London.

So far in the 2020-21 Premier League season, Eze has contributed two goals and two assists for Hodgson's side while Zaha has a return of eight goals and two assists.

When asked about the relationship between Zaha and Eze after the game, Hodgson said: “I think the rapport will revolve around the fact that they're both so very, very good on the ball.

"When they receive the ball, their footwork is so good, their ability to quickly change pace and eliminate an opponent - they share that. They share that ability.

"They share that skill, which is obviously a very, very important skill.

“Both of them have got the strength and the power that when they've eliminated their opponent, they can keep on the ball, they can keep going, they can attack the next one.

“You'd have to ask Eberechi how much stimulus he's getting and how much inspiration and knowledge he might be getting from playing with Wilf.

“I think personally that the whole of the team are helping him improve his game. He realises as a player that is still quite young and has been a major sensation in the Championship, something had to improve and he had to make one further step up when he comes into the Premier League.

“But he's a young man and has made it very clear that he wants to do that, and what pleased me most about his performance today, strangely enough, was that at 2-0 up at half-time having scored such a wonderful goal, in the second half he showed the intensity and the concentration and determination to defend properly to make certain we weren't under the cosh in any way and at a risk of losing our 2-0 lead."

Crystal Palace are 14th on the Premier League table and the African duo will be targeting a win when the Eagles travel to Wolverhampton Wanderers for their FA Cup fixture on January 8.

Raheem Sterling has admitted, if he could turn back time, he "wouldn't have any" tattoos - but the Manchester City star also concedes that getting inked is addictive.

He explained to GQ magazine that he got the majority of his tattoos before he was 19, only adding a few more in his twenties, and revealed that his mother "despises" some of his body art.

"If I could go back, then I wouldn’t have any," Sterling said in the 2019 interview with the magazine, which was conducted by Tony Blair's former spokesman Alastair Campbell. 

"It’s another thing that when you’ve started you can’t stop," he added. "If you get one, you get another one."

So, what tattoos does Sterling have, what do they mean and where are they on his body? Goal takes a look.

On this page

Raheem Sterling's sleeve tattoos

Sterling has a number of sleeve tattoos on both arms, which he has added to over the years.

On the outside of his right forearm Sterling has a clock tower, which usually has a meaning related to time and seizing the moment.

Above the clock tower, near his right elbow, Sterling has the letters 'Kgn' tattooed, which refers to Kingstown, Jamaica, where he was born.

On Sterling's inside right forearm, he has two palm trees - again a nod to his Caribbean heritage - with an eagle just above them. Just above those, near his inner right elbow he has an eye.

An angel with wings and a number of black birds are situated on Sterling's right shoulder.

Sterling's left arm is covered in personal symbolism as well, with the inside of his forearm featuring a child, sporting a number 10 jersey and holding a ball in front of Wembley Stadium.

Just below that, on his wrist, is his sister's name - Kimblerly - with a crown. Above the Wembley tattoo is an image of Jesus on the cross, along with a gravestone.

The theme of Wembley - the area of London where Sterling went to school - continues on the outside of his left forearm, with a London Underground sign for Wembley Station near his wrist.

A prayer or poem is inked on the inside of Sterling's left bicep and on his left shoulder is an image of his daughter Melody, along with her name.

Raheem Sterling's body tattoos

The most striking tattoos on Sterling's torso are the large crucifix in the middle of his chest and the two stars which flank it on either side.

Further down his body, on his rib-cage on the right side are a number of black birds surrounding the words 'La Familia' - a tribute to his family.

On the left side of his torso, just about his hip bone is an image of a red lipstick kiss, with the word 'Love' above it.

Interestingly, Lionel Messi has a similar type of tattoo, believed to be based on his wife's lips, situated on the same part of his body.

Raheem Sterling's leg tattoos

Sterling's tattoos went mostly under the radar until he appeared with what looked like the depiction of a rifle on his lower right leg in the summer of 2018 ahead of the World Cup in Russia.

The tattoo of the gun prompted criticism from various quarters, including television personality Piers Morgan, who notably clashed with former England star Gary Lineker on Twitter on the matter.

As the controversy swirled, Sterling issued a brief statement to explain the meaning behind the ink.

"When I was two, my father died from being gunned down to death," he wrote in a message shared on Instagram. "I made a promise to myself [that] I would never touch a gun in my lifetime. I shoot with my right foot, so it has a deeper meaning [and is] still unfinished."

A few years later, in 2020, Sterling reflected on the controversy arising from his gun tattoo during a discussion with U.S. women's national team star Megan Rapinoe.

"The last World Cup I went to was a disappointment for me," Sterling said. "I was so up for it, I thought 'this is my time now', I had a great season with Man City, then bang, straight negative."

The City star added: "I had my tattoo for 10 months and just before I go to the World Cup a story comes out that I have a gun on my foot. I've had this tattoo for 10 months, why at this moment in time?

"I went [to the World Cup] that summer and I was overthinking all the negative press that I had. It was a disappointing one for me on a personal note, but at the same time it was a great experience for the team to do really well."

As well as the controversial gun tattoo on his lower right leg, Sterling has ink high on his upper right thigh, which looks like the rendering of a face. Given its position, however, there are not many clear photos of it, so it is difficult to be sure of whose face it may be.

On Sterling's left leg, he has a tattoo of himself kissing his son Thiago. He revealed the new ink in 2018 after the World Cup.

Who is Raheem Sterling's tattooist?

Sterling's most recent go-to guy for tattoos appears to be Gabriel Maniak, the London-based owner of Gabriel Tattoos.

Maniak, who says his speciality in tattooing is realism, has also done work for television presenter Josh Denzel and the American singer Anderson .Paak, among others.

The tattoo of Sterling with his son Thiago on the footballer's left thigh was done by Gabriel.

In 2019, he shared a photo of Sterling's tattoo, visible during a game, along with the message: "It's great to see my work all over the place! I'm looking forward to our next session."

Manchester City have expressed their "disappointment" in Benjamin Mendy after the defender flouted Covid-19 rules to host a New Year's Eve party.

The Sun has reported that Mendy broke tier four protocols set out by the UK government by mixing households on Thursday night.

The 26-year-old is alleged to have invited friends from outside of his household to a party at his residence in Cheshire, with City officials now set to conduct an investigation into the incident.

The Manchester-based club released the following statement on Sunday: "While it is understood that elements of this incident have been misinterpreted in the reports, and that the player has publicly apologised for his error, the club is disappointed to learn of the transgression and will be conducting an internal investigation."

Mendy and the rest of Pep Guardiola's squad have benefitted from extra time off after seeing their Premier League fixture with Everton postponed on December 28.

The clash at Goodison Park was called off after a rise in positive Covid-19 cases within the City camp, but they are due back in action against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Mendy was an unused substitute during the Blues' last top-flight outing against Newcastle, which ended in a 2-0 win for Guardiola's side at Etihad Stadium.

The World Cup winner will be available for the trip to Chelsea, but City will be without five other senior players as they remain in quarantine following positive coronavirus tests.

Guardiola told a pre-match press conference: "Five players are out right now. They are isolated for 10 days ago, some the first cases that were released – four people, two players - and three more the second time."

Mendy is not the only player to have been caught breaking current restrictions, with Tottenham forced to condemn the actions of Sergio Reguilon, Erik Lamela and Giovani Lo Celso after they attended a Christmas party together.

Spurs head coach Jose Mourinho spoke out on the incident after his side's 3-0 win over Leeds United, telling reporters: "We as a club feel disappointed. We give the players all the education, we give the players all the conditions and, of course, we are not happy. It was a negative surprise for us."

Meanwhile, Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson issued a public apology on Friday on behalf of Luka Milivojevic, who was pictured at an event in London with Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic last week.

"We condemn it, we certainly apologise for it," said Hodgson. "I’m certain Luka will as well. As far as I’m concerned he should take responsibility for that.

"It’s an internal matter and we will deal with it, but there’s literally nothing positive I can say on the matter."

Inter Milan defender Achraf Hakimi said he is in love with Milan because of their pasta, having made a good start to life in Serie A.

The Atlas Lions full-back joined Antonio Conte’s team permanently on a five-year deal in July from Real Madrid, after he spent the last two seasons on loan at Borussia Dortmund.

Since he arrived at San Siro Stadium, Hakimi's versatility has made him a key player in Inter's defence and attack with a contribution of three assists and four goals in Serie A so far.

Six months into life in Italy, the 22-year-old has found his love in Milan and he disclosed one of the most memorable moments of his career.

“I like Milan a lot, I’ll learn more about it as time passes but one thing I love is definitely the pasta. While I was in Madrid I always loved the food and the people but that’s my home and my family lives there,” Hakimi told Inter Milan matchday programme via Sempre Milan.

“Playing football has always been my biggest ambition since I was a child, playing for the fans and for my national team. One of the biggest emotions I’ve experienced in my career was playing in the 2018 World Cup.”

Hakimi is in contention to make his 15th Serie A appearance when Inter Milan host struggling Crotone for Sunday’s league fixture.

The Nerazzurri are on a 10-match unbeaten run and they are second on the league standings, a point behind city rivals AC Milan.

When quizzed about the fastest player in Antonio Conte’s team, the two-time African Youth Player of the Year said: “As for the fastest player, I think it’s probably me! Besides me… Romelu Lukaku.”

Gor Mahia treasurer Dolfina Odhiambo has claimed it would have been prudent for the club to have paid the players instead of honouring the Caf Champions League match against CR Belouizdad.

The official stated she engaged the players on whether they were in a good state to face the Algerian side, and through the assistant captain Philemon Otieno, they affirmed they were prepared.

The Kenyan champions went on to lose 6-0, and Odhiambo has said it would have been better to use the available money to pay outstanding salaries instead of taking a costly journey, the result of which was an embarrassing defeat in North Africa.

 “'Are we really ready to go and play?' That is what I asked the players and through the [assistant] captain Otieno they affirmed readiness,” Odhiambo told Radio Jambo. “Yes, we had the money but I would have wished that we did not honour the game and use the money, where we had to pay Ksh4 million for the flight alone, to pay the players.”

The treasurer also said that stand-in head coach Sammy Omollo should not in any way blame financial issues at the club as the main reason that led to the embarrassing defeat.

“So, that should not be the main reason why Omollo would say made us be defeated," she continued. "Empty pockets on the part of the players might have contributed to poor results but not at the level the coach is trying to put it. That is my honest opinion.

“The boys were ready for it and were certainly upbeat. They were happy that I brought them to a nice place in Algeria and not a River Road Hotel [a sub-standard hotel in the Kenyan context].”

Omollo had said the players deserved respect despite honouring the game after little time of training.

“These players are very strong; they came into the match and struggled to get into the match,” said the Posta Rangers coach in an earlier interview. “They had not trained at all and were really under difficult circumstances coming into the game.

“They gave their best against a very good and organised team and their fight on the pitch was evident. They deserve respect.”

The Green Army face a huge task of overturning the scoreline on January 6 if they have to remain in contention of a group stage slot.

Sofapaka coach Ken Odhiambo has confessed they will face a huge task when they take on Tusker in an FKF Premier League match on Sunday.

The two sides will face off at Kasarani Stadium for their first-round fixture, and it will also be the first match in charge for Odhiambo of Batoto ba Mungu after he left Bandari a week ago.

Speaking ahead of the clash, the former Harambee Stars defender has said it will not be an easy game because the Brewers are enjoying a fine run of results in the top-flight.

“It’s going to be an interesting match against Tusker, they have a good side and currently on some fine form and definitely it’s going to be a huge task but I believe it’s possible going by our preparations,” Odhiambo told the club’s official website.

On whether the team is well prepared for the clash, Odhiambo, who replaced John Baraza, explained: “We have had a perfect preparation towards the match, there has been a strong change in attitude and character and I strongly trust this will help us, going forward.

“The team has the quality and talented players who can perform but a drop in confidence has been an issue. We have tried to work on such areas and I believe we are in a good condition to start rebuilding.

“We are going for some strong start as we begin the new year and we want to build on it as we progress beyond Sunday’s clash.”

On Saturday, Sofapaka confirmed they will welcome back defender Michael Bodo, who is fully fit, for the league clash.

However, coach Odhiambo will be without the services of Rwandese player Isaac Mitima, who is suffering from a knee injury, Stephen Okola, who is ruled out by an ankle problem, and midfielder David Simiyu, who is yet to recover from a foot injury.

When he joined, Odhiambo outlined his ambitions and said he believes the players will help him a great deal in chasing those targets.

“This a big club and the ambitions are so clear that when the president [Elly Kalekwa] talked to me I felt it was a good opportunity to join the club and help achieve their targets," he said.

“The club has a good set of players who are very talented, skilful and of good quality. I believe they are capable of achieving a lot. When the president reached out to me, his desires were so clear for the club and that is winning the title.

“This is what made it easier for me to decide on joining the club.”

In the last five meetings between the two sides, Tusker, who are on 10 points, have managed three wins, with one match ending in a draw and Sofapaka winning the other.

Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA FC) have confirmed players in training for their Caf Confederation Cup clash against AS Kigali have returned negative Covid-19 results.

The Kasasiro Boys suffered a huge blow ahead of the first leg fixture in Kigali, Rwanda, after eight of their first-team squad members, including coach Mike Mutebi, tested positive for Covid-19 and as such did not travel for the away clash.

The team was further affected while in Kigali as two of their players also tested positive for the virus, prompting Caf to cancel the fixture and award it to AS Kigali - 2-0 - because KCCA were not able to raise a squad of 15 players as required by Caf rules.

The former Ugandan Premier League (UPL) champions have now confirmed they have resumed training for the return leg contest set for Kampala on Wednesday, January 6, and that all players in camp, including the officials, have tested negative.

“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.

“The team entered camp on Saturday, January 2, and will start training at St Mary’s Stadium, Kitende, the venue of Wednesday game.

“Upon arrival, the players immediately went in for a brief meeting enlightening on the Covid-19 pandemic that was addressed by the team doctor Ivan Ssewanyana who urged players to follow all Ministry of Health Guidelines while in camp.

“While talking to the players, assistant coach Morley Byekwaso urged them to be more vigilant and alert about the guidelines governing Covid- 19 while in camp.”

KCCA have, however, not confirmed whether the players and officials left behind before they travelled to Kigali for the first leg meeting have also returned negative results.

Apart from coach Mutebi, others affected by Covid-19 are assistant coach Badru Kabuye, goalkeeping coach Moses Oloya, first-team coach Jackson Magera, goalkeeper Charles Lukwago, Denis Iguma, Kezironi Kizito, Brian Aheebwa, Stefano Mazengo, Hassan Matovu, Samson Kigozi, and Hassan Musana.

There was a time, about 18-24 months ago, when it seemed almost impossible to mention the name of Wilfred Ndidi without following it up by suggesting he deserved more recognition.

Invariably, these nods came solely in acknowledgement of his prodigious ability to win the ball back in midfield, and over the intervening period that reputation has only grown.

However, there is only so long that one can proclaim a player as 'underrated' before the term loses its meaning entirely: especially with the rise of statistical analysis in football today, it is easier than ever to quantify the influence that less flashy players can exert on a game.

Since Ndidi touched English shores, he has been a one-man midfield marauder, filling in the void left at Leicester by the departure of Frenchman N’Golo Kante to Chelsea.

Naturally, he had to fend off the comparisons for a while (and some of that persists still), but now he is very much his own man at the King Power Stadium, and stands alone as one of the most efficient disruptors of play in the Premier League.

The question then is: what next?

The key to continued relevance and success in any walk is evolution. The notion of providing different looks is one that is heavily pronounced in combat sports: presenting an ever-changing profile is a valuable tool, as it not only keeps the opponent off-balance and unable to set up meaningful offence, but it can also create a platform to strike from unseen angles.

As a concept, it can apply to individuals in team sports as well. However, the heavily scripted nature of modern coaching often means very strict requirements are placed on certain players, and for defensive-minded players, these demands are based around what they cannot do, rather than what they can, and this can be the very enemy of evolution.

For Ndidi, this has meant a simplification of his role at Leicester under Brendan Rodgers – he is required to sit in, win it and then move it on quickly and securely.

However, in order for the 24-year-old to attain a new level in his growth, it may become necessary for his range of responsibility to be expanded. Or, even, for him to seek his fortune elsewhere.

This brings us right around to another notion, one that has begun to gain traction more recently, but is a natural extension of the “underrated” tag: the need for Ndidi to play for a bigger club, and in so doing follow the Kante arc.

While the player himself would probably dislike being seen as following in his predecessor’s footsteps, excellence is bound to attract hype and interest.

It is worth noting there are a number of top clubs around Europe that are, at the moment, lacking a true enforcer at the base of midfield: Manchester United have been seeking a successor to Nemanja Matic, for instance, and Atletico Madrid have yet to properly replace Thomas Partey, who departed for Arsenal in the summer.

Clearly, a player of Ndidi’s talents is very much in demand. However, a doubt remains: if he has not already moved at this time, perhaps there is a reason for it?

Kante, after all, only stuck around for a (wildly successful) season before Chelsea came in with a sizable offer. Does that indicate there might be doubts as to the transferability of his skill set to a larger stage?

There may very well be, but that just goes right back to the level of responsibility he is required to fulfil at Leicester. While not the most expansive of distributors, he has shown flashes of capability when it comes to playing incisive passes into the final third, and has seen his tactical understanding of the deep role greatly improve in the last year.

In truth, the biggest staying factor is a temporal one: his degree programme at De Montfort University will be completed in 2021, taking away the final obstacle in his way and freeing up the possibility of a move elsewhere.

With that out of the way, the Nigeria international is set to be plunged into one of the biggest transfer sagas of the summer of 2021, and may finally get the mainstream credibility many have long felt he is due.