Looking for Soccer News?

Gareth Bale has suffered a new injury setback, with Jose Mourinho confirming the Tottenham loan star will be out of action for "a few weeks".

Bale was forced to come off at half-time after scoring the opener in Tottenham's 3-1 Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Stoke City on December 23.

Mourinho revealed post-match that the winger had sustained a calf injury, and subsequently left him out of his squad for the Premier League meeting with Wolves on Sunday, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Bale struggles for fitness have been well documented since his return to Spurs from Real Madrid on a season-long loan in September, with the 33-year-old only managing to score three goals during 11 appearances in all competitions, the majority of which have come from the substitutes bench.

Mourinho will not be including the Welshman in his matchday squad against Fulham on Wednesday, and the Portuguese does not expect him to be back on the pitch until well into the new year.

Asked for an update on Bale's recovery, the Tottenham head coach told a pre-match press conference: "No, I don't expect Gareth to be fit. I wouldn't say it's a serious injury, but I would say a few weeks."

Mourinho also confirmed that Lucas Moura and Carlos Vinicius are doubts for the clash with the Cottagers, but Tanguy Ndombele looks set to retain a spot in the 57-year-old's line-up.

Spurs' £54 million ($73m) record signing has established himself as a regular in the team after a slow start to life in north London, and his manager is pleased with the progress he has made over the last few months.

"We are happy, apart from a couple of matches where his performances were not good, overall there was a big evolution," said Mourinho.

"I believe, to play at this intensity - Premier League intensity - and to last for 90 minutes is of course another step in the direction of his fitness, but he's a player of course who is playing very well and is giving some good things to the team."

The Tottenham boss added on the challenge Fulham will pose his team in the midweek London derby: "Fulham now play a different way, they forgot some of the principles that they believed in. They have new principles of play and they are getting very positive results. It's going to be difficult."

Liverpool have appointed doctor Andreas Schlumberger as the club’s first head of recovery and performance.

The 54-year-old joins the Anfield club from Schalke, where he spent nearly a year as the German side's head of fitness.

The Reds say the newly-created role will see Schlumberger “support and work in close collaboration with the current performance, medical and rehabilitation leadership”.

He previously worked alongside Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp at Borussia Dortmund, having spent four years as the Bundesliga side’s rehabilitation coach between 2011 and 2015. He has also had spells at Nurnberg, Borussia Monchengladbach, Bayern Munich and the German Football Association during his career.

Schlumberger moves to Merseyside with the club suffering from a mounting injury list amid a breathless fixture schedule.

Central defenders Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez expected to be sidelined for much of the campaign with knee injuries.

Thiago Alcantara has not played since October with a knee injury of his own, while fellow summer signings Diogo Jota and Konstantinos Tsimikas are not expected to return until February with similar injuries.

Naby Keita and Joel Matip are sidelined with muscle problems, with Trent Alexander-Arnold, James Milner and Xherdan Shaqiri only just back to fitness following injury lay-offs.

Reds boss Klopp has been vocal with his concerns over player welfare this campaign, with the delayed start to the season because of the coronavirus pandemic meaning more matches are being packed into an already busy schedule.

Wednesday’s trip to Newcastle will be Liverpool’s 25th match in all competitions in a little over four months, with three international breaks also taking place in that time.

The German believes the reintroduction of the five substitutes, used during the summer restart, would give managers greater flexibility to protect players who may be tired or susceptible to injury.

However, the proposal has been voted down three times by Premier League clubs despite it being adopted by most major leagues across Europe, including the Championship, with smaller clubs arguing that it would favour bigger clubs who have deeper squads.

Teams are now allowed to name up to nine substitutes on the bench in each game - an increase from seven - while an agreement "in principle" has been reached to introduce additional permanent concussion substitutions.

Full-back Ankit Mukherjee has mutually terminated his contract with ATK Mohun Bagan and is now all set to join rivals East Bengal on a free transfer.

The Mariners, on Tuesday, officially confirmed the separation of the club and the player. Their official statement read, "As per the mutual agreement, Ankit Mukherjee and the club have decided to part ways. We wish all the best in his career going forward."

The 24-year-old Bengali defender is now all set to join the Red and Golds on a free transfer for the remainder of the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL) season.

East Bengal have already parted ways with nine domestic players who have been released from the squad on loan for the rest of the season. While defender Gurtej Singh and goalkeeper Rafique Ali Sardar have already joined Mohammedan Sporting on loan and will ply their trade with the Black Panthers in the upcoming 2020-21 season of the I-League, the future of the other seven players are yet to be decided.

Ankit Mukherjee, a graduate from East Bengal's youth system, started his professional career with Calcutta Football League (CFL) side Aryan FC where he spent two seasons before joining Mohammedan in 2017. 

His impressive performance for the Black Panthers earned him his maiden ISL contract ahead of the 2018-19 season when he joined then ATK. Mukherjee appeared in nine matches in his debut season under coach Steve Coppell and had even scored a goal which came against erstwhile Delhi Dynamos. Last season, Mukherjee, got only three minutes of game time under coach Antonio Lopez Habas.

East Bengal have not had a great maiden ISL season so far as they are currently struggling at the bottom half of the league table with just three points in seven matches and are yet to register a win in the league.

The Red and Golds' defence has been a major concern for Robbie Fowler as they have been leaking goals on a regular basis. In the absence of quality full-backs in his squad, the Liverpool great has been forced to field Bikash Jairu and Surchandra Singh as makeshift backs who are predominantly wingers.

The Premier League has announced the highest number of Covid-19 positives since weekly testing began.

English football has had to adjust to the presence of coronavirus since returning from lockdown in June. Supporters have been largely unable to attend matches due to strict social distancing protocols, while players have been required to undergo weekly medical checks.

Any squad or staff members testing positive for the virus have been forced to observe a 10-day quarantine period, with a number of high-profile stars missing a significant portion of the 2020-21 campaign as a result.

Newcastle's Premier League clash with Aston Villa had to be called off at the start of December following an outbreak at the Magpies' training ground, and top-flight officials had to take the same steps to contain the spread of the illness on Monday night.

Everton's meeting with Manchester City was called off hours before kick-off after the Citizens reported a spike of positive cases.

Gabriel Jesus and Kyle Walker missed City's Boxing Day win over Newcastle after contracting the virus, while the club also reported that two members of staff had been sent into self-isolation.

The Etihad Campus training ground was closed at the start of the week, leaving City's upcoming fixtures against Chelsea and Manchester United in major doubt.

The Premier League have now revealed coronavirus numbers at clubs across the division have reached a new peak, with official figures published on their website on Tuesday.

"The Premier League can today confirm that between Monday 21 December and Sunday 27 December, 1,479 players and club staff were tested for Covid-19," a statement released by the organisation reads. "Of these, there were 18 new positive tests. Players or club staff who have tested positive will self-isolate for a period of 10 days.

"The Premier League is providing this aggregated information for the purposes of competition integrity and transparency. No specific details as to clubs or individuals will be provided by the League and results will be made public after each round of testing."

Several fixtures in the English Football League (EFL) have also been postponed over the festive period, with a total of seven games cancelled on Monday.

Football Kenya Federation Premier League side Kakamega Homeboyz have entered into a Ksh20 million sponsorship deal with the betting firm, MozzartBet.

The sponsorship partnership will last for one year as both parties confirmed during an unveiling ceremony conducted in Kakamega town on Tuesday.

Kakamega Homeboyz’s head coach Nicholas Muyoti and captain David Juma promised the new partners good representation in the ongoing campaign.

“We promise to be good ambassadors of MozzartBet and we will not let you down,” Muyoti said during the unveiling ceremony.

“As players, this season we will make sure that we win the trophy and make our sponsors happy,” Juma said. “We don’t have any excuse, we now have everything and we will make sure we do Kakamega Homeboyz’s fans proud by winning the title.”

Chairman Cleophas Shimanyula revealed why his side has had a poor season start where they have picked just four points from four games against Vihiga United, Posta Rangers, KCB and Ulinzi Stars.

“We suffered a bad start because eight of our players were diagnosed with Covid-19 and five of them were first-team players,” Shimanyula stated. “We had struggles because we had to use our junior players.”

However, Shimanyula maintained that Muyoti will not be sacked after losing two of the four games into the 2020/21 season.

“I assure the coach that we will not sack him, we don't sack coaches because of a bad start,” the chair added. “Be assured I will stand by you as you do your job.”

Muyoti, on his part, assured the fans and the chair that they will work hard and start posting good results.

“We have not had a good start and everyone knows we did not have some of our players available because of sickness and injuries but we will come back,” added the former Thika United head coach.

AFC Leopards’ chairman Dan Shikanda, who was in attendance, surprisingly stated his wish to see the Kakamega side win the Premier League title.

Ingwe and Kakamega Homeboyz have turned out to be fierce rivals in the recent history especially given that both enjoy massive support in the Western region.

"I want to see Kakamega Homeboyz also win the title because AFC Leopards are going continental, we want to win Caf matches and become the kings of Africa,” said the Ingwe official.

Peter Thiongo’s move from Kakamega Homeboyz to AFC Leopards is the recent development that drove a sharp wedge between the two top-flight sides.

AFC Leopards chairman Dan Shikanda has set his sights on winning the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League as well as the Confederation of African Football (Caf) title before retiring.

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

"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 told Goal, referencing the recent outcome of the Caf Champions League game between their bitter rivals Gor Mahia and Algerian outfit CR Belouizdad.

The Kenyan champions fell 6-0 to the North Africans who scored their goals through Amir Sayoud, who scored a hat-trick, Hamza Bellahouel, Larbi Tabti, and Maecky Ngombo during a thoroughly one-sided display. The former Sofapaka striker stated the off-pitch matters were too much for the East African outfit.

"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 on a high and have managed to collect nine points from their opening four games. The only loss came against Western Stima.

The team's interim coach Anthony Kimani went on to explain why his team fell to the Powermen.

"I think we had a good performance but not the result we expected, we started the game very well, created several chances but we were not able to utilise our chances and again we also lost concentration at a very vital moment of the game, we got punished and we were not able to pick ourselves from that particular point," Kimani told Leopards online TV

"We lacked the urgency that we wanted and we also were not able to be as mobile as we wanted to be, we were not able to run in the right spaces because they were playing very compact.

The Premier League need to provide greater transparency over why games are called off because of Covid-19 and set parameters for future postponements, says former Manchester City defender Danny Mills.

City’s Premier League trip to Everton on Monday was called off a little over four hours before the game was due to kick-off because of a coronavirus outbreak among the Citizens squad.

City say the decision was taken on medical advice in conjunction with the Premier League and Everton after the latest round of testing returned a number of positive cases.

Gabriel Jesus, Kyle Walker and another two members of staff had previously tested positive for Covid-19, but City's clash with Newcastle United on Saturday still went ahead.

The Toffees later released a statement of their own claiming they were only informed of the decision to postpone the game once it had been made and wanted “full disclosure” of all the information submitted by Manchester City to the Premier League.

It is the second Premier League match to be postponed because of coronavirus this season, after Newcastle’s match against Aston Villa was called off at the start of December following an outbreak at the Magpies’ training ground.

Mills expects more matches to be postponed given the rise in cases across the country, but says the authorities should provide clear reasoning for each case.

He told Sky Sports: “I think the issue is at what point do we start to cancel games, what are the protocols? Is it four players out? Is it five? Is it six? Is it backroom staff?

“I think what we need, and we never really had it with the Newcastle issue, is a bit of transparency and we need the Premier League to come out and say why the game was called off.

“I think Everton are a little bit upset and miffed that the game was called off at such late notice. They haven’t really been given too many reasons because of that and I think that’s all it needs. The Premier League just needs to come and say ‘look, the game was called off because of x, y, z,’ whatever it might be.

“Even if they have to take it on a case-by-case basis when this happens [again] because it is going to happen as we move forward and this virus mutates and starts to change and all these types of things.

“People just want to know what the parameters are and when games are likely to be called off.”

Al Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane says he might need to look elsewhere or just leave things as they are after Mamelodi Sundowns closed negotiations with the Cairo giants on the possible transfer of winger Gaston Sirino.

Talks collapsed after Sundowns could not climb down from the €5 million (R89 million) price they insisted for Sirino’s departure while Al Ahly are not prepared to meet that figure.

Discussions between the two sides have reportedly been dragging on for the past two seasons since Mosimane was still at Downs.

Al Ahly’s interest in the player grew following the arrival of Mosimane in Cairo but the coach now appears to be throwing in the towel in his pursuit of the Uruguayan he brought to Sundowns from Bolivian Primera Division side Bolivar in January 2018.

"This is the current situation and we need to deal with it. We may need a replacement and we may not. Mohamed Sherif is doing his job and we trust him," Mosimane said according to Egyptian football website King Fut. 

“If we find a player with special abilities before the Club World Cup, why won’t we sign him? We need two players with special characteristics.

“I need these two players to find replacements for Hussein El-Shahat and Afsha [Mohamed Magdy]. I have Taher Mohamed, but he is very unlucky and played a great game today before his injury.”

While Al Ahly are not ready to meet Sundowns’ price tag on the 29-year-old, the African champions are reportedly enticing the player with an attractive personal deal.

Reports from Egypt suggest that Al Ahly are prepared to double Sirino’s current salary and splash a hefty signing-on fee for him.

Faced with the possibility of earning big money in Egypt, Sirino appears to have grown frustrated with Downs for not yielding to Al Ahly’s pressure.

The player is believed to have skipped Monday’s training to push for a move to Cairo although Sundowns deny that his absence was a protest action.

Sirino who extended his Downs contract by a further five years in June 2020, is yet to feature in a Premier Soccer League match this season.

Atletico Madrid have confirmed the termination of Diego Costa's contract.

Goal reported at the start of the week that Costa had informed Atletico officials of his desire to leave the club six months before the expiration of his contract.

The 32-year-old cited personal reasons for wanting to leave Wanda Metropolitano after being excused from training, having also made it clear that he had no intention of signing an extension.

The current Liga leaders have granted the forward's wish ahead of the January transfer window, with the 32-year-old now officially a free agent.

"Atletico de Madrid and Diego Costa have reached an agreement for the termination of the striker's contract, which was to end on June 30, 2021," a statement on Atletico's official website reads. 

"The striker asked to leave the club for personal reasons a few days ago and on Tuesday signed the termination of his contract. The club thanks Diego Costa for his dedication during these years and wishes him well in the next stage of his professional career."

Costa had struggled with persistent fitness issues ever since his return to Atletico from Chelsea in 2018, with his output in the final third suffering as a result.

The Spain international only scored 12 goals in 61 La Liga appearances during his second spell with Diego Simeone's side, with just two of those efforts recorded in the first half of the 2020-21 campaign.

Costa's final goal for the Los Rojiblancos came from the penalty spot during a 3-1 home win over Elche on December 19, with Luis Suarez grabbing a brace to wrap up the comfortable win.

Goal understands that Simeone sanctioned Costa's exit on the understanding he would be able to bring in another frontman in the winter market, as Suarez is now the only natural centre-forward in his ranks.

Costa has been linked with several clubs following news of his desire to leave Atletico, with Premier League clubs including Arsenal among those rumoured to be interested in the veteran front man.

Atletico are due back in Liga action following the winter break on Wednesday night, with 12th placed Getafe set to arrive at Wanda Metropolitano.

A rejuvenated FC Goa side who have had a six-day break before facing Hyderabad FC on Wednesday is eager to build on their fortuitous win against Jamshedpur FC. 

Juan Ferrando feels that his team is yet to hit top gear and that will only be possible when the individuals focus more on the collective output. 

"We need to improve game by game but I think we are not in 100 per cent performance. We have very good players in my squad but we need to be a team. This is difficult because there are a lot of games and not a lot of training (training sessions) and then we have to work under pressure to get three points."

The Spanish coach feels that the encounter against Hyderabad will be a tough one but they also have a plan which they would like to impose. 

"It will be a difficult game because they are very good in transition and positional attack. There are a lot of details when you play against different teams but it's necessary to put forward a few details because they will have more ways to play.

"I prepare a plan but don't forget that Hyderabad's plan can also be different. Maybe tomorrow they play 4-4-2 with (Fran) Sandaza and Aridane (Santana). In this case, it's necessary to control the last pass but we don't know the plan for Hyderabad."

Meanwhile, Goa have conceded a handful of goals through set-pieces and this is one of the reasons that they have been able to keep just one clean sheet, that too against the league's lowest-scoring team i.e. Odisha FC. But the coach is content as long as his team scores one more than the opponent. 

"In my mind, there are two points. Firstly, I'm not worried if we concede goals but the most important is to score more goals. The second point about set-pieces - for example, we have conceded three goals in penalties - it's very important to know why. In my opinion, it's very important [for my players] to connect. When we are working in the defensive line, it's very important to understand the zones, space and who is there in free space. We need time as we need to change game by game. ATK [Mohun Bagan] or Bengaluru, maybe they have more success because they have worked together year by year.

"We need to find the best position for everybody. It depends on the opponents. For example [Roy] Krishna likes to attack in free space, or [Nerijus] Valskis as a reference. We need to prepare the team for different points. So it's necessary to work on these details," Ferrando pointed.

The ISL Shield winners have been over-reliant on Igor Angulo and to some extent on Jorge Ortiz for goals but the coach feels that it is just a matter of time before other players step up.

"Now it's Igor but you see for example against NorthEast [United] Alberto Noguera missed two or three opportunities, Lenny missed a few opportunities against Odisha. At the end of the day, I am happy for Igor and Ortiz. Maybe tomorrow it can be [Alexander] Romario or Edu Bedia in one action. The most important thing is, when we are working on an attack, everybody has opportunities," the Goa coach ended.

Hyderabad have been going through a rough patch as they have suffered successive defeats to Mumbai City and Kerala Blasters respectively, before heading into the clash against FC Goa. However, coach Manuel Marquez is not too concerned with his team's recent form and believes that his men can turn around their fortunes. 

"This is normal in football. Sometimes you are in a good situation. We were unbeaten in the first five games and now two consecutive defeats. We have to make a comeback as soon as possible. We are working in this direction and let's see if we can get the victory against FC Goa tomorrow (Wednesday). 

"They are young players in general. Of course, they are sad because they lost two consecutive games. In 20 games we play good and bad games but I am not happy with the performance, especially in the beginning of the game against Kerala. Otherwise, we are satisfied with the work of the players," he said.

The Nizams have not scored in two consecutive matches but the Spaniard is content that his team is creating scoring opportunities and believes that the goals will come sooner than later. 

"Against Mumbai, we didn't create too many chances but the other day (against Kerala) we had very clear chances, especially two of Aridane (Santana) in the first half and just before they scored the second goal, Albino (Gomes) made a good save off a good shot of Fran (Sandaza) which could have made it 1-1.

"It's difficult. The problem is if you don't create chances. Of course, for example, in the last training session (before the Kerala match) we scored a lot of goals from so many exercises but finally in the game we didn't get to score. This is football. Let's see what happens in the next games."

They have been also leaking goals at the back which as they have conceded six times in the last three games as compared to two in the first four. But the former Las Palmas manager is hopeful that his defenders will hold their fort against FC Goa.

"You have to analyse the teams. East Bengal scored two goals from two shots on target. Mumbai had three shots on target. Maybe Kerala had more shots on target. You had two clean sheets in the first two games and now you have conceded in five consecutive games. Let's see tomorrow if we can get another clean sheet."

The Nizams have also signed attacking midfielder Roland Alberg on loan from Dutch side Roda JC Kerkrade and the coach feels the new addition will compliment his team.

"He (Alberg) is a very good player as an attacking midfielder. He played in the (Dutch) second division after playing in Major League Soccer (Philadelphia Union, 2016-17) in United States. He's very good not only for set-pieces but technically a very good player to play in our style of football with the other players in the team."

The 52-year-old earmarked Igor Angulo to be the top scorer this season and opined that the Gaurs will finish in the top-four. 

"Igor Angulo is a very good player. If he is fit, for me, he will be the top scorer in the league. He doesn't need too many chances to score. He is very clever in the box with very good movements. He arrives at the right moment and plays just in the line of off-side. He showed his level in another league in Poland as well. A player like him is difficult to mark because he doesn't touch the ball for a lot of minutes but for the decisive moments for the goals.

"I think, except the game against Chennaiyin that they (Goa) deserved to lose, they showed a good level. When you are an offensive team, you can have problems in defence. On the other side, if you are strong in defence, it's difficult to create (many) chances. Goa has an offensive style. They arrive with a lot of players when they attack. It's not only about Angulo, Brandon (Fernandes), Romario (Jesuraj), Edu Bedia or Lenny (Rodrigues). They are one of the favourite teams to classify in the top four. It will be a difficult game but we will have our chances to win," he concluded.

Erling Haaland will be fit to return after the Bundesliga Christmas break, Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has confirmed.

Haaland scored 17 goals in 14 appearances for Dortmund at the start of the season before being sidelined through injury before the Champions League clash with Lazio on December 12.

The 20-year-old missed Dortmund's next six matches, including the 2-1 defeat at Union Berlin which marked the club's final Bundesliga fixture of 2020.

Dortmund have slipped to fifth in the standings in Haaland's absence, eight points behind current leaders and reigning champions Bayern Munich.

Lucien Favre paid the price for the team's poor form when he was relieved of his managerial duties earlier this month, with Edin Terzic stepping into his shoes on an interim basis.

Terzic has received a welcome boost ahead of Dortmund's return to action against Wolfsburg on January 3, with Haaland now ready to get back on the pitch after making a full recovery from a muscle issue.

Westfalenstadion chief Zorc, who serves as the senior intermediary between the club's coaching staff and board, delivered a positive update on the Norwegian striker's fitness on Tuesday.

“The rehab went very well. We assume that Erling can play again against Wolfsburg," Zorc told BILD.

Haaland has been linked with a big-money move away from Dortmund after a bright start to life in Germany, with Premier League duo Manchester United and Manchester City among those linked with an interest in his services.

However, a man who joined Dortmund from Red Bull Salzburg for just €20 million (£18m/$24m) in January insists he is quite content in his current surroundings and says he wants to play a part in delivering major silverware to the club over the next few years.

“My biggest dream right now is to achieve something with Dortmund and that’s what I am working for,” Haaland told DAZN in an interview published on Boxing Day.

“To try to give this to the club and to the fans because everyone in this club deserves this. I will do the best every time I can.

“The club bought me for a lot of money and the fans can expect me to give 100 per cent. Borussia Dortmund is just the big dream I’m living. Achieving something with BVB is what I’m working for.”

Ronald Okoth believes the circumstances Gor Mahia were put under undermined their chances of getting a positive outcome away at CR Belouizdad in the Caf Champions League.

The Kenyan champions fell 6-0 to the North Africans who scored their goals through Amir Sayoud, who scored a hat-trick, Hamza Bellahouel, Larbi Tabti, and Maecky Ngombo during a thoroughly one-sided display. The former Sofapaka striker stated the off-pitch matters were too much for the East African outfit.

"The team was not put in circumstances that could have motivated them to win," Okoth told Goal on Tuesday.

"You just cannot expect the team to perform after everything they had gone through. A lot of off-pitch issues and expect the same players to perform. As a matter of fact, players gave their best."

The 33-year-old has further explained how the quality of the Algerian league played a part in ensuring the Great Chabab romped to an emphatic victory.

"K'Ogalo were also playing a good team; on most occasions, many North Africa teams are tough owing to their organization and investment done on them," Okoth continued.

"Their leagues are also doing well compared to ours that are [a] field with sideshows. You will hear of players not being paid. Issues like these affect a team. And again to be honest, it is not easy playing in North Africa, if you have not prepared well, it will not be easy on you."

Okoth, who also played for Mathare United and Western Stima, also felt the Sammy Omollo-led charges gave their hosts too much respect.

"I also feel Gor Mahia gave their opponents too much respect. It is good to respect a team, yes, but it is like they let the pressure get the better of them and as a result, they ended up conceding many goals.

"Otherwise, they could have tried to hold their opponents, try to hold them and ensure they are not bullied. Every attack almost produced a goal for the hosts. They should work on holding the play and maybe they can get a good result in the second leg."

The second leg will be played on Wednesday, January 6 at Nyayo Stadium.

Enyimba midfielder Farouk Mohammed believes the People’s Elephant 3-0 Champions League defeat away against Al-Merrikh was a good learning experience and suggests that could propel the team onto a good run.

Saif Terry’s hat-trick proved to be too much for the two-time African champions in the first round, first leg clash played inside Khartoum’s Al-Merrikh Stadium in Omdurman.

Although Enyimba’s chances of progressing to the group stage are slim, the Ghanaian who captained the team in the absence of Austin Oladapo, is of the view that if lessons against the Sudanese giants are learned, it could inspire the team to a good run on both the domestic and continental fronts.

“This kind of results come once in a while. Even the biggest teams sometimes suffer such defeats, but it is all about how you handle it,” Mohammed told Enyimba website.

“We are experienced players and we know if we continue to believe in ourselves and not dwell so much on it, it can motivate us to go on a good run.

“The coaches have been speaking to us, counselling us to remain optimistic, and if every player can handle it that way, then we can bounce back easily.”

Fatai Osho’s men commence their 2020-21 Nigeria Professional Football League campaign with a local derby against Abia Warriors on Tuesday, and the Mohammed wants his side to start building their poise from that duel.

“Abia Warriors is not an easy game but we have to start from there,” he added.

“We have to start to build our confidence and return to winning ways because the league will be very competitive this season.”

Osho’s team must defeat Didier Gomes Da Rosa’s side by four goals in the second leg billed for Aba in 2021 to stand a chance of progressing to the group phase. Failure to do that would see them demoted to the Caf Confederation Cup.

In the previous decade, Enyimba enjoyed success on the continent after defeating Egypt’s Ismaily to become the first Nigerian team to win the Caf Champions League before going ahead to defend their title the following year.

Joao Moutinho has played down comparisons with Bruno Fernandes ahead of Wolves' trip to Manchester United.

Wolves will be aiming to build on an encouraging display in their 1-1 draw with Tottenham at the weekend when they head Old Trafford on Tuesday night.

However, they will be underdogs against a side currently sitting fourth in the Premier League, with United looking like title contenders after recovering from a slow start to the season.

The form of Fernandes has been crucial in the Red Devils' recent rise, as the Portuguese has contributed ten goals and six assists to the cause in 14 top-flight appearances.

Moutinho is aware of the threat the 26-year-old will pose Wolves, having played alongside the midfielder for the last three years at international level with Portugal.

Several similarities between the two men have been noted during that period, but Moutinho has insisted they are very "different" players while dismissing any notion of an underlying rivalry.

“I started playing a long time ago, but of course we are players who play in the midfield, but Bruno has some characteristics that I don’t have, and I have some he doesn’t have, but it’s normal," the 34-year-old told Wolves' official website.

"No-one is like anyone else – I’m not like Ruben Neves, I’m not like Bruno, I’m not like William [Carvalho], and it’s different. He’s a very good player, but he’s already showing in Manchester since he’s come that he’s doing a very good job. 

"We’re going to play against them, and like I said against Tottenham, I will say against Manchester United – we want to win every game. Sometimes it’s not possible, but we’re going to try what we can to win.”

Wolves have a positive record against the "big six" this season, with impressive wins against Arsenal and Chelsea alongside their draw with Spurs, but Moutinho has warned his team-mates to expect the unexpected against a free-flowing United outfit.

"We try to do our best against every team that we play. It’s true that we have good results against these teams, but every game it’s another game," he added.

“We don’t know what we’re going to expect the next game, but what we do know is that they are a very good team, with very good players and each individual can do something else from the other, and make a decision in the match, score or assist, because they have very good players.”

Jean-Pierre Papin has lauded Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema as the "best of his generation".

Benzema has enjoyed unprecedented success at the highest level since joining Madrid for €35 million (£32m/$43m) from Lyon back in 2009.

The Frenchman has found the net 261 times in 531 appearances for the Blancos, winning 18 trophies including three La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns.

12 of Benzema's goals have been recorded this season as he leads the line for Zinedine Zidane's side once again on both domestic and European fronts.

His latest strike rounded off a 2-0 home win over Granada on December 23, which ensured that Madrid went into the winter break level on points with current Liga leaders Atletico Madrid, albeit having played two games more.

Papin thinks Benzema is peerless in the modern era in terms of his prowess in the final third and has been hugely impressed with how the 33-year-old has been able to sustain his superb form at Santiago Bernabeu across the last eleven-and-a-half seasons.

“Karim Benzema is the best of his generation by far, he's very complete," the former France international told L'Equipe. "I like his finishing, his way of participating in the actions of his team, in their creation. He is not only there to score goals, he is there to bring the offensive animation of his training to life. 

"His longevity at Real Madrid is incredible. In such a club, where it is not easy to stay or settle down, he arrived, he imposed himself when he was in competition with very great players."

Papin says Benzema is a different player now to the one who played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, who left Madrid to join Juventus in a big money-deal in 2018.

"He evolved his style by putting himself at the service of Cristiano Ronaldo," he added. "It may seem simple, but he had the merit of curbing his pure goalscoring ambitions to create harmony with such a star, over time."

Benzema will be back in contention for a place in Zidane's starting line up when Madrid resume their campaign away at Elche on Wednesday night.

Lionel Messi's situation at Barcelona is "reversible", according to presidential hopeful Joan Laporta.

Argentina great Messi sent shockwaves through the world of football when he asked to leave Camp Nou ahead of the 2020-21 season but after a lengthy transfer wrangle ultimately ended up staying put.

With Messi out of contract at the end of the campaign, the 33-year-old's long-term future is still shrouded in doubt, although the end of the reign of Josep Maria Bartomeu – with whom he has had a fraught relationship – as president may convince the superstar forward to stay.

One potential issue is the financial problems caused by the coronavirus pandemic, with presidential hopeful Toni Freixa last month saying Messi would have to reduce the terms of his bumper contract.

Laporta, who is hoping to return to a position he served between 2003 and 2010, remains hopeful that Barca's financial difficulties and Messi's future can both be resolved, though.

"They are two things that are the result of poor management. The situation has worsened with Covid, but mismanagement is part of and is the origin of this consequence; having Leo like this," Laporta told AS . 

"The two things are reversible. The situation of the club is reversible and the Leo issue, I hope too. 

"I think the most important thing is that Leo said he will wait for a new president to decide and, therefore, he would be willing to listen to Barca's proposal. 

"They told me they would wait until the end of the season. I like to stay with the positive and I think that is very positive."

Back in 2008, Barca sold Ronaldinho and Deco but Messi was reassured of the club's ambition and his own standing as a crucial member of the team following a meeting with Laporta.

Asked what his message to Messi would be now, Laporta said such an answer is dependent on him winning the election.

"To answer the question, first I have to be president. To see the possibilities that we have in the club to make a good financial proposal," he added. 

"And then, the sports proposal has to be competitive. Leo does not move for money, he wants Barca. 

"And then, I think what he really wants is to keep winning the Champions League and Leagues. And there is the key to the issue. Make a competitive proposal."

Chile head coach Jose Letelier has named a 25-woman squad to his first camp of 2021 for the Olympic intercontinental playoff clash with Cameroon.

La Roja has again announced their new year plans to start preparing for the crucial two-legged playoff following November's camp in Santiago.

In their last outing, the Chileans suffered their first defeat to an African side following a 2-1 loss to Tokyo-bound Zambia, after second half strikes from Barbara Banda and Rachel Nachula. 

With the camp date set for January 4-9, Letelier is keen to see the home-based stars in the five-day camp at the Quilin Sports Complex ahead of their showdown with the Indomitable Lionesses.

The 25 local players expected in the camp are composed of three goalkeepers, eight defenders, five midfielders and nine strikers.

Earlier in the summer, Fifa confirmed the new play-off dates of the matches between Chile and Cameroon to be played in Yaounde and Santiago for February 18 and 24 respectively. 

The winner will join hosts Japan, Brazil, New Zealand, Great Britain, Netherlands, Sweden, Canada, United States, Zambia and Australia for the Women's Olympic football tournament in Tokyo.

CHILE SQUAD:

Goalkeepers: Natalia Campos [Unattached], Ryann Torrero [Santiago Morning], Antonia Canales [Catholic University]

Defenders: Valentina Díaz [Colo Colo], Brbara Muñoz [Santiago Morning], Rocío Soto [Santiago Morning], Carla Guerrero [University of Chile], Mariana Morales [University of Chile], Fernanda Ramírez [University of Chile], Fernanda Pinilla [University of Chile], Gali Espinoza [Catholic University]

Midfielders: Yastin Jimenez [Colo Colo], Karen Araya [Santiago Morning], María Francisca Mardones [Santiago Morning] Daniela Pardo [Santiago Morning], Yessenia López [University of Chile]

Strikers: Isidora Olave [Colo Colo], Maria Jose Urrutia [Palestinian] Yenny Acuna [Santiago Morning], Rosario Balmaceda [Santiago Morning], Javiera Roa [Santiago Morning], Sonya Keefe [Spanish Union], Daniela Zamora [University of Chile], Natalia Cayupan [University of Chile], Valentina Navarrete [University of Concepcion]