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Ghana coach CK Akonnor reveals one of his main aims is to qualify the West African nation for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The Black Stars, 2010 quarter-finalists in South Africa, are looking to make a return to the global showpiece after missing out on the 2018 championship in Russia.

Akonnor was appointed as Ghana head coach in January following the exit of James Kwasi Appiah and has been tasked to, among other things, ensure a return to the World Cup.

"My aim and aspiration are to help Ghana qualify for the 2022 Fifa World Cup which would be staged in Qatar," Akonnor told Kessben FM.

“I want to qualify the nation for the next Fifa World Cup competition but that is not all as I would like and want my team to do well and make the country proud and everyone happy."

Akonnor has also been asked to help Ghana win a fifth Africa Cup of Nations title. The last of the Black Stars four trophies came in Libya in 1982.

“Winning the Afcon won’t come easy at all and I, therefore, urge all Ghanaians to come on board and offer their endless support to the Black Stars in our quest to win the coveted Afcon trophy again," he added.

Akonnor's last coaching job before taking up the Ghana role was a one-year stint in charge of local club giants Asante Kotoko.

Earlier this month, the former Wolfsburg skipper was reported to have followed the Porcupine Warriors to the dressing room at half-time when they hosted Sudanese side Al-Hilal in a Caf Champions League first round, second leg fixture at the Accra Sports Stadium.

“I went into the dressing room with one motive, and that was to motivate the boys to play with their everything to get a good result before the second leg," the 49-year-old explained.

“You know I’m the national team coach so I thought my presence in the team’s dressing room would be a good thing for the boys to do more because they know the Black Stars coach is around and a good performance would guarantee a call-up into the senior national team."

Akonnor has also previously coached Hearts of Oak, Ashanti Gold and Dreams FC. 

AFC Leopards chairman Dan Shikanda has revisited the decision to crown their rivals Gor Mahia as the 2019-20 Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions by stating “it was a hurting decision which was not supposed to stand.”

The former Harambee Stars striker has insisted since Kenya did not have a winner in the domestic Cup, the same rule should have been applied in the top-flight.

Gor Mahia clinched their 18th league title after the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) prematurely ended the 2019-20 campaign after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in the country.

K’Ogalo were declared champions by virtue of topping the 18-team table and were thus handed the ticket to represent the country in the Caf Champions League.

According to Shikanda, who once played for and won league titles with both AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia, the move by the federation was unprocedural and did not deserve to stand since the league was still far from being completed, and second-placed Kakamega Homeboyz could have also beaten Gor Mahia to the title.

“We cannot give out the league trophy just like that,” Shikanda told Goal while revisiting the issue. “The league should have been declared null and void and teams asked to prepare for the new campaign.

“I really tried my best to fight with FKF over the matter because I felt the decision they had taken was not right, but no one else came in to support me, even Homeboyz, who were second on the table, kept mum.

“I don’t have any issue with Gor Mahia but the way they got the title was not fair, it was something FKF should not have done, they should have cancelled the league and declared it null and void.

“It was a hurting decision because all the teams in the top seven could have won the title, and one wonders how they arrived at awarding Gor Mahia the title, it can never happen anywhere in the world, it was a decision I will continue to challenge in my entire life.”

Shikanda has also set his sights on guiding AFC Leopards to win the FKF Premier League as well as a Caf title before retiring.

The Kenyan giants have never qualified for any Caf competition’s group stage and the last time they won the league title was way back in 1998.

Shikanda was elected as the Ingwe chairman in June 2019 and in his first season, the club went on to finish sixth on the table despite the financial challenges faced, and he now feels they are good enough to battle for the title.

“I want to retire after I win the Caf title with AFC Leopards and do not want to win the league to go lose 6-0,” Shikanda said in reference to the recent outcome of the Caf Champions League game between their bitter rivals Gor Mahia and Algerian outfit CR Belouizdad.

“We have a strong squad and I know we will soon conquer Africa.

"I do not want to laugh at Gor Mahia but we do not want to go out there and lose 6-0. I know I will win the league title soon and also conquer Africa but I do not want to go and lose by a [humiliating margin].”

The 13-time league champions have started the season well and have managed to collect nine points from their opening four games with the only defeat coming against bogey side Western Stima.

SuperSport United head coach Kaitano Tembo is happy with Bradley Grobler's commitment amidst constant reports linking him with Orlando Pirates. 

Grobler is one of the best finishers in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and the 32-year-old marksman has been linked with the Buccaneers over the last two years.

SuperSport chief executive officer Stan Matthews even announced that they would be open to selling Grobler if Pirates made an enticing offer for the player, prior to the start of the current season .

However, the Bafana Bafana international stayed put at the Tshwane giants and he has been scoring goals with ease this term.

“I have no doubt in my mind because I see him at training and I see the attitude in the matches, it has not changed, he is carrying on from where he left off last season,” said Tembo on The Citizen . 

“I know there will always be talk but at the same time, until something happens he is concentrating on his game and he has been doing that."

Grobler, who is an instinctive striker and clinical finisher with either foot, has impressively netted seven goals from seven matches in the league.

As a result, the former Ajax Cape Town and Platinum Stars player is sitting at the top of the league's scoring charts alongside Mamelodi Sundowns winger Themba Zwane.

Tembo explained that the youngsters in the team are benefiting from playing with the experienced centre-forward. 

"I am quite happy with his contribution to the team and he is one of our senior players, he helps the youngsters and that is important to us," he concluded. 

Grobler has also netted once in this season's MTN8 as SuperSport were eliminated from the lucrative competition by Bloemfontein Celtic.

The Sandton-born player missed out on last season's PSL Golden Boot award by two goals and he will be determined to win it for the first time in his career this term.

Grobler will be hoping to continue his rich scoring form when SuperSport take on Chippa United at Lucas Moripe Stadium on January 6. 

He has netted five goals in his last three league games. 

Phil Neville believes Manchester United can sustain a title challenge through to the end of the season after their "robust" display against Wolves.

United moved up to second in the Premier League standings after securing a 1-0 win over Wolves at Old Trafford in dramatic fashion on Tuesday night.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side struggled to break down a well organised Wanderers defence over the course of the 90 minutes, while David de Gea was called into action to keep the scoreline level on several occasions at the other end of the pitch.

However, deep into stoppage time, the Red Devils found the breakthrough they'd been craving, as Bruno Fernandes found Marcus Rashford in the box with a searching through ball before the England international cut back onto his left foot and fired home, albeit with the aid of a heavy deflection.

The Manchester outfit are now just two points behind reigning champions Liverpool after 15 fixtures, with talk of the top-flight trophy making its way back to the Theatre of Dreams for the first time since 2012-13 building with each passing game.

Neville certainly believes his old club are best placed to dethrone their Merseyside rivals, having seen the players show the belief required to grind out victories even when not quite reaching their highest level of performance.

"I think they can [challenge for the title]," the former United midfielder, who has six Premier League winners' medals to his name, told Amazon Prime Video after the Wolves victory. "I think what you’ve got to do when you’re looking at a title race is look at the competition.

"Liverpool are out in front and rightly so, I think they’re the best team in the country. But there is no other team that is actually grasping to go and challenge Liverpool.

"Chelsea have slipped up, Tottenham have slipped up recently, Everton are up there who are in really good form. Apart from that, Manchester City are just climbing.

"United are in this title race if they keep to this level of performance. They’re playing better football, they’re entertaining, they’re starting to win at home. They’ve got a big squad, they’re scoring goals.

"There’s no reason why they can’t sustain this. Ole has spoken about them being more robust – you can see that, the last 20 minutes you could just smell that they started to believe something might happen.

"That’s what the best teams have. They’ve got to sustain that, keep that level of consistency but I do think they can maintain that for the rest of the season and challenge Liverpool, who at this moment of time have got injuries and could slip up."

Young Africans (Yanga SC) coach Cedric Kaze has admitted the team could miss two of their key players as they face Tanzania Prisons in a Mainland Premier League match on Thursday.

The Jangwani giants will start the second round of the 2020-21 season trying to maintain their unbeaten run against one of their bogey sides at Nelson Mandela Stadium in Sumbawanga.

However, Kaze has revealed new signing Saidi Ntibazonkiza, Yacouba Sogne, and Ditram Nchimbi are doubtful to face the Prison Warders owing to injuries and family issues.

“Both Ntibazonkiza and Yacouba picked up injuries during the Ihefu match while Nchimbi has been permitted to go and settle family problems but we still have a room for the named injured players to see how they will respond to the final training session and then we will know whether to feature them or not,” Kaze told Daily News.

On facing Tanzania Prisons, Kaze said: “Each game is different and we are aware that Tanzania Prisons are a good side too as they play as a team and they have a coach with vast experience of the Mainland Premier League but we have prepared in accordance with the status of the game itself.”

Kaze admitted he knows how teams have struggled to get points from Tanzania Prisons on their home turf, but maintained they are ready to finish the job.

Tanzania Prisons manager Prosper Mzeru is confident they have done enough preparation to get a positive result from the fixture.

“All matches are the same. It does not matter whether you are facing Mwadui or Biashara United since at the end, you get the same three points regardless of which side you played against. What differ are the names of teams,” Mzeru is quoted by Daily News.

“If we managed to draw against them in Dar es Salaam with our domestic players, it means we are much better than them and ready to take on the fight.”

Yanga will head into the first match of the second round still topping the league table with 43 points after 17 matches while Prisons are 11th on the table with 21 points accumulated following 17 outings.

The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has released the fixtures which will resume the Premier League in the New Year with the Gor Mahia against AFC Leopards' derby the only one affected.

According to the new list of fixtures obtained by Goal, the Mashemeji derby, which was due to be played on January 3 at Nyayo Stadium, has been postponed but no new date was given for the clash.

A source within the FKF has confirmed to Goal the reason to postpone the much-anticipated clash between the two local giants.

“We have been forced to call off the fixture to allow Gor Mahia prepare for their return leg clash of the Caf Champions League against CR Belouizdad on January 6,” the source, who did not want to be named, told Goal.

The Kenyan champions will face a tall order to qualify for the group stage of the competition as they suffered a humiliating 6-0 defeat to the North African side in the first meeting played on December 26 at Stade du 5 Juillet 1962 Stadium.

Goals from Amir Sayoud, who scored a hat-trick, Hamza Bellahouel, Larbi Tabti, and Maecky Ngombo were enough to put Belouizdad on course to qualify for the next stage.

Meanwhile, after taking a break on December 24 for Christmas and New Year holidays, the top-flight will resume on January 2, with six matches lined up across the country.

Kakamega Homeboyz, who unveiled Mozzabert as their new shirt sponsors on Tuesday - will start the round of fixtures with a home game against Nzoia Sugar at Bukhungu Stadium, while unbeaten Kariobangi Sharks will come up against Ulinzi Stars at Kasarani Stadium.

On January 3, Wazito FC will face Nairobi City Stars at Utalii grounds, Tusker tackle Sofapaka at Kasarani, Vihiga United entertain Bidco United at Mumias Complex Stadium while Bandari will take on Western Stima at Mbaraki grounds.

On Tuesday, Homeboyz chairman Cleophas Shimanyula explained why his team had posted a rather poor start to the campaign.

“We suffered a bad start because eight of our players were diagnosed with Covid-19 and five of them were first-team players,” Shimanyula told Goal.

“We had struggles because we had to use our junior players.”

Fabio Capello has admitted he would like to see Harry Kane join Juventus, and that he'd swap Paulo Dybala for the Tottenham striker instead of Paul Pogba.

Dybala has been heavily linked with a move away from Juve in recent weeks, with the attacker yet to commit to fresh terms at the Allianz Stadium.

Goal has reported that the Argentine turned down the chance to extend his stay at the Allianz Stadium beyond 2022 over the summer, with the Bianconeri's offer deemed too low by both the player and his representatives.

Juve have yet to put forward an improved proposal, but club president Andrea Agnelli spoke out on the speculation surrounding the 27-year-old's future earlier this month.

“We see him as the captain of the future,” said Agnelli. “I know he has already received a proposal that would put him among the top 20 best-paid players in Europe. We’re looking forward to his response.”

Manchester United has been mooted as the most likely next destination for Dybala should he end up leaving Turin, with ex-Juve man Pogba linked with a return to the club as part of a potential exchange deal.

However, Capello doesn't think the Old Lady should be considering such a deal, and has suggested that it would only be worth sanctioning the Argentine's departure if Spurs talisman Kane can be convinced to move the other way.

The former Juve boss drew comparisons between Dybala and ex-Milan star Dejan Savicevic before weighing in on the transfer rumours, as he told Gazzetta Dello Sport: “Paulo reminds me of Savicevic, he too preferred to start from the right. He had great vision and special dribbling abilities.

“He had that great strength in the lower body to escape the tackles. Dybala is better at finishing, while Dejan was more an assist man. He had a quick pass. Well, maybe Dybala is a bit more individualistic.

“I wouldn’t swap Dybala to get Pogba. If I could, I’d trade him with Tottenham’s English striker Harry Kane.”

Dybala has been restricted to just 10 starts for Juve this season, with niggling fitness issues and a positive Covid-19 test restricting his contribution.

Capello blames coronavirus for his mixed form, and has no doubt that he still has a great deal to offer Andrea Pirlo's side when in peak physical condition.

“Covid is the explanation, especially for a player like Dybala, who needs to dribble a man,” the coaching icon added.

“The impression is that he’s a bit unfinished. He captivates but leaves doubts. He certainly has superior qualities; he really has all you need.

“He needs the physical conditions to return to his best. Paulo needs to be 100 per cent well. Dybala can do everything on the pitch if he is well, even playing in a trident with [Alvaro] Morata and [Cristiano] Ronaldo.”

Goffin Godfrey Oyirwoth has explained why he chose to sign for Sports Club Villa even when other Ugandan Premier League clubs were seriously chasing his signature.

The 20-year-old signed for the record champions in a deal that will see him at the club for two seasons, and he has opened up on why he was convinced to be part of the Villa fraternity.

“I love SC Villa, it is a big team and the best in Uganda,” Oyirwoth told the club’s website.

“There is no talented player who does not want to play for the best team. I felt happy as a player. I felt privileged knowing that a club in Villa’s stature was looking out for me.”

The youngster also explained why he chose jersey number 27 upon signing for the Jogoos.

“Initially, I wanted the number seven but I learned Benson Muhindo wears it, so I asked for any other ending with seven. That’s how I ended up with 27," he continued.

The Ugandan also opened up on his targets as he has already been regularly involved the ongoing season, which has gone on a recess to allow players feature in the African Nations Championship.

“When I signed for Villa, first I was focussed on working hard so as to break into starting XI which I have achieved in the first five games,” he added.

“Secondly, I want to be involved in more goals; I want to create more goals as well as score as many as possible and I want to win silverware for SC Villa.

“Starting all the five games is as a result of the hard work in training. It is a great feeling but again I will not take it for granted but rather continue working hard in order to keep my position.”

Oyirwoth revealed his best match came against Mbarara City in matchday two.

“I felt very happy that I was able to help the team earn the three points that day. Being involved in two goals helped me to build my confidence as a player,” he concluded. “I was also very impressed with the teamwork that day.”

“We are not performing poorly but we still have a lot to work on and improve as a team most especially our away form. And for me personally, I also have a lot to offer the team so that we make our performance better.”

Oyirwoth is among the youngsters who are under close scrutiny to see how they will perform in the 2020/21 season.

Barcelona presidential candidate Agusti Benedito claims that he will bring in Monchi to shake up the club's much-derided transfer policy, while admitting that Lionel Messi's continued reluctance to commit his future at Camp Nou troubles him.

A former ally of Joan Laporta prior to his election win in 2003, Benedito has twice run unsuccessfully for the club's presidency. 

Third time's a charm, though, as they say, and the 56-year-old is confident of his chances at taking the top job from June 25 onwards. 

Should he triumph, renowned Sevilla sporting director Monchi will be given the opportunity to revolutionise a Barca side that has endured a torrid 2020 on the field. 

"We met in 2015 several times with Koeman and he had strong ideas. I think he will open a spell that lasts several years at the helm," Benedito explained to Goal. 

"In terms of sporting direction, back then we bet on Monchi and we spoke to him, too. I still think he is in the top three in the world and would be a brilliant addition.

"Back then it seemed he would never leave Sevilla and then he went to Italy and came back. The first thing I will do if I am president will be to call Monchi and try to convince him.

"Neymar? Let's see how he gets on with Covid-19! But I'm not sure he'd agree either in 2021 nor 2022. I don't think this is the time to be signing that kind of player and I don't think Qatar will let him go either. 

"They are organising the World Cup finals, the investment is huge, they have a top club in world football like PSG and I think that not only will they try to keep those kind of players but that they will also go out looking for new signings. 

"I think this summer we will be more focused on convincing Messi to stay than on Neymar's return." 

The issue of the club captain, who made public his desire to leave over the summer, has dominated the election agenda ever since. 

The Argentine voiced more criticisms of Barcelona and then-president Josep Bartomeu this week to La Sexta, and Benedito admits that he was disheartened by what he heard. 

"In the summer he made some huge declarations where he said clearly that he wanted to go and asked the president to let him go and now we need him to change his mind," he explained. 

"That interview was a unique opportunity to say that he was excited to continue and we didn't hear that. I wasn't able to hear a hopeful message and I'm worried, frankly. 

"Unlike what he told you in Goal, this time he didn't say he wanted to go but neither did he say that he wanted to stay."

Benedito added: "What us Cules are worried about is if he will stay on next season, that has nothing to do with what happens further down the road. We are hanging on his decision and after the interview I am still unsure whether he is interested in staying at the club because he didn't say so. 

"We have the best player in the world, who in August said he wanted to leave after 20 years at the club and who still hasn't said if he wants to stay. My concern is that the most likely scenario sees him leaving us in the summer. Who wouldn't be worried about losing the best player ever?

"Everything has its beginning and end but it would be a shame for Messi's time at Barca to be cut short. Bartomeu, the man responsible for having lied to him, was the worst president in club history."

2020 has been a year like no other, with the coronavirus pandemic transforming life—and football—as we previously knew it.

The world of African football has been no different, yet while it’s still had to adapt to the restrictions imposed by Covid-19—not least the rescheduling of the Africa Cup of Nations—the continent’s sportsmen have also been responsible for some of the most memorable moments of the last 12 months.

In this week’s episode of the African Football HQ podcast, it’s a Year-in-Review Special from Malek Shafei and Ed Dove, as they look back over the year that was and hand out their African football awards.

For Player of the Year, perhaps predictably, it’s a straight shootout between Liverpool duo Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane; one won the plaudits last season as the Reds clinched the title, but the other has excelled at the start of this campaign, scoring 13 goals.

Which of the pair will be chosen by Dove and Shafei as the AFHQ African Footballer of the Year?

We also look through some other categories, revealing our nominees for Breakout Star of the Year, Moment of the Year and Disappointment of the Year.

Breakout star is a hotly contested category, with the likes of Youssoufa Moukoko, Tino Kadewere and Silas Wamangituka all taking their standing to new heights this year after stepping up a level with their club sides.

Tosin Adarabioyo also deserves credit for his improvement at West Bromwich Albion, and after being sold by Manchester City for £2 million, he’s also a contender for signing of the season.

Malek believes that honour ought to be given to Tariq Lamptey following his departure from Chelsea and the progress he’s made at Brighton & Hove Albion, while Dove nominates Morocco duo Hakim Ziyech and Achraf Hakimi as his candidates for the Signing of the Year.

We also pick out our Disappointments of the Year, naming and shaming those players who have failed to live up to the hype, or struggled to realise the immense expectations that accompanied their high-profile transfers.

There’s also a special category of disappointment, reserved for those players who could have represented African nations, but ended up committing their future to European sides.

Did Adama Traore’s decision to ditch Mali for Spain hurt you the most, or was it Bukayo Saka closing the door to a future with Nigeria by turning out for England’s Three Lions?

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has revealed Wilfred Ndidi missed their clash against Crystal Palace on Monday because they didn't want to risk him.

The 24-year-old midfielder only recently returned from a groin injury which he suffered in September against Burnley.  

The Nigeria international has played seven games since his return to action but was rested in the Foxes’ draw against Palace at Selhurst Park.

Rodgers explained the midfielder was left out of the encounter to avoid a relapse of his injury and in order to give more time to recover fully.

"Wilf, you see how important he is for us, and he’s starting to get game-time, but again, we don’t want to risk him,” Rodgers told Leicester Mercury.

“We’ve got all the measurement of where he’s at and what zones he’s in, so we have to be careful with him.”

Ndidi was rock solid for Leicester in the 2019-20 season, featuring in 32 league games to help the club finish fifth and grab a Europa League ticket.

The midfielder has, however, been limited to nine games across all competitions in the current campaign due to his injury problems.

Ndidi has featured in a number of positions for Leicester since teaming up with the side, including the centre-back role where he also shone.

He remains one of the most consistent membes of the Foxes squad, having featured in more than 130 games since his arrival at the King Power Stadium.

Ndidi will hope to make a return for Leicester City when they take on Newcastle United in their next Premier League game on January 3.

The King Power Stadium outfit are currently third on the league table behind leaders Liverpool and Manchester United after gathering 29 points from 16 games.

David de Gea has called for Manchester United to stay calm amid talk of a tilt at the Premier League title.

United have risen to second in the top-flight standings 15 fixtures into the 2020-21 campaign, having recorded nine wins, three draws and only three losses.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team closed the gap on defending champions and pacesetters Liverpool to just two points by beating Wolves 1-0 on Tuesday night, with Marcus Rashford grabbing the winner deep into stoppage time.

The Premier League trophy has been missing from the Old Trafford trophy cabinet since 2013, but the Red Devils are now being tipped to challenge their Merseyside rivals for English football's top prize come May.

De Gea is reluctant to look past United's next fixture against Aston Villa on New Year's Day though, as the Spanish goalkeeper points out there are still plenty of games to come in both domestic and European competitions.

“We need to be calm. There are still a lot of games to play, big games, and we have the cups as well so there are many, many games,” De Gea told MUTV.

“We have to stay focused and not look forward too much but just look to the next game. So, Aston Villa is the most important thing now.”

The 30-year-old shot-stopper added on the Red Devils' latest victory: “It was a massive win. To score at the end of the game, a tight game against a good team, this is the way to be at the top of the league,” said De Gea.

“They (Wolves) are a very good team, they defend well, they counter-attack and they have players up front with pace. It was tight. They had some chances but so did we. And scoring in the last minutes is always good. So we get the three points and that is massive for us.

“You have to fight until the end. You have to go until the end and we showed again today if you keep believing and keep trying, we can score winning goals like we did.

“It was a big performance from the whole team.”

Asked how the squad is coping with a congested fixture list, De Gea responded: “We have to be ready for Aston Villa now and recover because this was a hard game.

“The players have to recover very well because they had to run a lot and have played a lot of games, so recovering well is one of the most important things.”

Al Ahly head coach Pitso Mosimane has hit back at Al Ittihad of Alexandria assistant coach Ibrahim Hassan after his criticism of the South African tactician.

Hassan stated that coaching Al Ahly is an easy job and Mosimane would struggle by lasting just two games if he took charge of any other Egyptian Premier League side.

This came after Mosimane led Al Ahly to a 4-0 win over Al Ittihad in a league game on Monday as the Kagiso-born mentor returned to the dugout after recovering from coronavirus. 

It was the Mosimane's second win over Al Ittihad after Al Ahly eliminated the Alexandria-based side from the Egyptian Cup earlier this month.

Mosimane took Hassan's opinion in his stride and explained that the success he has enjoyed at the Red Devils has come through hard work. 

“I respect his [Ibrahim Hassan’s] opinion," Mosimane said on King Fut. 

"Maybe his statements suit clubs like Real Madrid and Manchester City as well, but I know that football does not work like that."

Mosimane hit the ground running at Al Ahly when he joined the club after resigning as Mamelodi Sundowns head coach at the end of September 2020.

The 2016 Caf Coach of the Year guided the Red Devils to the Caf Champions League and Egyptian Cup which saw the Cairo-based giants complete a treble in the 2019/20 season. 

The Red Devils had clinched the 2019/20 Egyptian Premier League title under Swiss coach Rene Weiler and Mosimane was in charge of the last seven games in the competition. 

“If it was like that so why didn’t Al Ahly win the Champions League in the past seven years?" Mosimane asked. 

“Being Al Ahly doesn’t mean we are automatically the winners of every game. We have to prepare for games and work hard to win."

Ibrahim Hassan’s twin brother and Ittihad head coach, Hossam Hassan, praised Mosimane earlier this month, saying he is a coach of a high calibre.

Mosimane is yet to lose a game as Al Ahly coach having taken charge of 14 games across all competitions - winning 13 while drawing one with 10 men against Pyramids FC.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says it's too early to talk about Manchester United's chances of winning the Premier League title after their late victory against Wolves on Tuesday.

Marcus Rashford's stoppage-time goal handed United all three points against Wolves at Old Trafford and moved the Red Devils up to second in the table, two points behind leaders Liverpool. 

The result stretched United's unbeaten run in the league to nine games, but Solskjaer believes any chat about a Man Utd title challenge should be shelved for now.

However, the Norwegian tactician said the team have 'belief' and they feel they can get the better of any team.

"There's no title race after 15 games," Solskjaer said. "You can lose the chance of being in a race in the first 10 games. But play another 15, get to 30, and then maybe we can start talking about a title race."

"But the belief is there. We go into every game thinking we can win against anyone anywhere. Away we've shown what we're capable of, we are improving at home as well and this result is massive for confidence and attitude."

Bruno Fernandes was once again instrumental in United's win, with his ball over the top leading to Rashford's late strike. 

Since his Premier League debut in February, the Portugal international has been directly involved in more goals in the Premier League than any other player (32 – 18 goals, 14 assists).

Solskjaer admitted it was not Fernandes' most stellar performance but he was pleased his perseverance paid off. 

"He didn't play his best game, definitely," he said. "He's played better games but he's always in and around creating chances.

"Maybe he made more for them than he did for us today! But he's got that knack of looking for that pass, and in the end it worked."

On Tuesday, the Premier League confirmed 18 new positive Covid-19 tests in the week commencing December 21 – the highest number of positive results in a single round of tests this season.

When asked about the predicament, Solskjaer said he cannot see the benefit of the Premier League temporarily halting action in a bid to stop the spread of coronavirus.

The news came just a day after Manchester City's game at Everton was postponed at four hours' notice due to a coronavirus outbreak at the Etihad Stadium, while Fulham's match against Tottenham on Wednesday is also in doubt.

Eighteen positive cases surpasses the previous high of 16 recorded in the week commencing November 9, and mirrors the wider situation in England, with more people now in hospital due to the virus than at the peak of the first wave in April.

West Brom head coach Sam Allardyce has called for a circuit break – a tight set of restrictions designed to reverse the tide of the pandemic – but Solskjaer is unsure what benefit that would bring. 

"As a club and as a group we've been really good at following the protocols," Solskjaer said.

"That's part of the job. I can't see the benefit in having a circuit break because when are we going to play the games?

"We all know this year is so difficult, but if you stop more games I don't think that's going to make a big change – it might be a longer one. When do we finish the season?"

Lionel Messi watched from the sidelines as Barcelona dropped more points against lowly Eibar in La Liga and Junior Firpo blamed the team's lack of cutting edge.

Barca have fallen seven points off the pace set by rivals Atletico Madrid and defending champions Real Madrid atop L aLiga, following Tuesday's 1-1 draw.

Ronald Koeman's Barca were held to back-to-back draws at Camp Nou after Eibar striker Kike capitalised on Ronald Araujo's error before substitute Ousmane Dembele scored an equaliser for the hosts.

With superstar captain Messi absent due to an ankle injury, Martin Braithwaite missed a penalty as Barca fired in 16 shots, including five on target, against the La Liga strugglers.

Goalscorer Dembele was guilty of hitting a tame shot when clean through on goal, while Braithwaite and substitute Francisco Trincao spurned chances to net a late winner.

Antoine Griezmann was the only player in Barca's starting line-up with more than two league goals in 2020-21 but the recalled forward was unable to add to his three goals from 14 outings. 

"We need a thousand chances to score," Barca defender Junior said via Marca.

"They [Eibar] had one clear chance and scored."

Junior added: "It's the trend of the season.

"The games are tough and it's all uphill."

However, the 24-year-old left-back Junior was more than happy with his own performance after combining with Pedri to set up Dembele for Barca's 67th-minute leveller.

Junior made his first league start of the season against Eibar in relief of veteran full-back Jordi Alba.

"I felt good," Firpo said. "It's noticeable when you don't play so often, but I always try to train to the fullest.

"When I get a chance I try to take advantage of it."

Barcelona travel to face bottom side Huesca in their first match of 2021 on January 3.

From the disappointment due to the cancellation of multiple leagues to finally being able to get the top division up and running again, 2020 has been a challenging year for men's football in India. 

Fortunately for the 2019-20 season of Indian Super League (ISL), the final took place a week before the country went into a lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic and ATK bagged their third trophy at the expense of Chennaiyin. But football as a whole was impacted due to the unforeseen situation in the country. 

Although ISL ended in March, there was still the matter of I-League which was ultimately cut short after 16 games. Mohun Bagan, who had an unassailable lead in the standings, were announced as the champions. 

It was sad news for young footballers as the All India Football Federation (AIFF) was forced to cancel all age-category tournaments because it was not deemed safe to organize them as India battled Covid-19. 

However, it wasn't all darkness for Indian men's football as months later, the players returned to action with the I-League qualifiers which ended up being the first sporting action in the country since the pandemic struck. With strict safely protocols and bio-secure bubbles in place, the Indian FA held the qualifiers in place of the I-League second division at a centralised venue in Kolkata. 

Less than two months later, the 2020-21 season of Indian Super League kicked off in Goa, once again with teams abiding COVID-19 guidelines established by the league authorities in accordance with the Indian health ministry. The biggest losers, however, were supporters as they have had to sit at home and consume football digitally as the matches continue to be held behind closed doors due to the circumstances.

It was not just on the pitch where mixed emotions prevailed. Off it, Indian football bid adieu to legends of the game PK Banerjee, Chuni Goswami and Nikhil Nundy among others. The AFC Cup 2020 had to be cancelled and the AFC U-16 Championship had to be postponed to 2021, keeping the safety of the stakeholders in mind. 

On the other hand, Indian football witnessed a historic deal take place when Kolkata giants and I-League champions Mohun Bagan and ISL champions ATK enter into a merger. The result was a new entity named ATK Mohun Bagan that mostly retained the colours and essence of Mariners and players of ATK. 

Arguably, the biggest 'event' of the year came a few months later when East Bengal announced its entry into the ISL. The league's profile received an immediate boost and ISL's first Kolkata Derby was held behind closed doors in Goa in November. The Red and Golds appointed former Liverpool forward Robbie Fowler as their head coach. 

For most of the year, the Indian national team were ranked 108th in the FIFA rankings but they will sign off as 104th best team in the world. Igor Stimac's men were to host Qatar and Afghanistan in the group stages of the AFC Asian Cup and FIFA joint qualifiers in March. However, amid the Coronavirus pandemic, the fixtures which were initially postponed to October, are now set to take place in March and June 2021.

There were some remarkable events in Indian football this year. There were a few forgettable ones as well. But the promises of 2021 are sure to offset the disappointments of 2020.