Looking for Soccer News?

Mamelodi Sundowns striker Peter Shalulile says the playing surface at Lobaste Stadium did not allow the Brazilians to play the kind of football they are used to despite beating Jwaneng Galaxy 2-0 in Tuesday’s Caf Champions League first round, first leg encounter.

It was a crucial victory for Downs who found the back of the net in either half through Mothobi Mvala and Shalulile.

With Shalulile having managed four Premier Soccer League goals so far this season, he added to his season tally on his Champions League debut and the Namibia forward has promised more goals.

“The pitch didn’t allow us to play our football but we managed to grind a result with two goals,” Shalulile told Sundowns’ media.

“I’m happy for my teammates. We really did our best and credit also goes to the technical team. They believed in us and kept on pushing us and finally, we won. We will see what happens in the next round. ...in training, I just keep on hunting for that goal and it’s coming and I will still keep on pushing for many more goals.

“I should say thank you to my teammates. They are the ones who believe in me and I will keep on banging them in. You should always have that thing in mind saying something will happen, a goal will come. I anticipated the goal and it eventually came. I got the ball and put it in the back of the net.”

It was also a perfect afternoon for Downs attacker Mothobi Mvala who opened the scoring for Sundowns before Shalulile doubled their advantage.

The Galaxy match was Mvala’s second in Sundowns colours after making his debut for the Brazilians three days earlier and he scored in a 1-1 league draw away at Golden Arrows.

The former Highlands Park man says grabbing a goal against Arrows geared him up for the Galaxy challenge.

“I feel happy, the confidence is growing in me and thanks to the coaches for giving me some minutes. One needs to give his all when he gets the opportunity,” said Mvala.

“I can say the game against Arrows really prepared me for this game [against Galaxy]. I was mentally ready. The guys who played Caf Champions League football before also prepared us. They told us that it’s not going to be easy, there is no time for pretty football.

“We were told that the pitch is not going to be nice. We needed to grind and get an early goal. We knew that if we get an early goal, the chances of them scoring against us would be very slim.”

Sundowns will now go for the festive break and will return to action when they host Orlando Pirates on January 2, before welcoming Jwaneng Galaxy for the second leg four days later.

Bayern Munich are resigned to losing Premier League-linked David Alaba, according to Oliver Kahn, who has admitted that the defender is "looking around".

Alaba has established himself as one of the most consistent performers in the Bundesliga and Champions League since joining Bayern from Austria Wien in 2008.

The Austria international has appeared in over 400 games for the German champions since then, winning 23 major honours along the way, including nine league titles and two European Cups.

He played a key role in Bayern's run to the treble last season, and has continued to enjoy a regular spot in Hansi Flick's set-up in the first half of the 2020-21 campaign.

However, speculation over Alaba's future has been raging in recent months, with his current contract set to expire next summer.

Bayern withdrew their latest offer to extend the 28-year-old's existing deal after he reportedly refused to compromise during negotiations, amid rumours of interest from the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United.

Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain have also been mooted as possible next destinations for Alaba, and Flick urged a prized asset to make a conclusive decision regarding his career path during an interview with Die Welt last month.

"David should take responsibility and decide for himself what is important to him,” said the Bayern boss.

Allianz Arena board member Khan, who is set to replace Karl-Heinz Rummenigge as the club's chairman and CEO in December 2021, says Alaba has decided to invite offers from potential suitors despite being handed the chance to commit to generous fresh terms in his current surroundings.

Asked if he believes the versatile performer could still sign a renewal, the Bayern legend told Sport Bild: "At the moment I don't know how that should happen.

"We rolled out the red carpet for David Alaba and went to our limits. David and especially his advisor Pini Zahavi have not walked that red carpet. 

"It looks like he's looking around. We have to accept that." 

After the winter break in Germany, Alaba will be back in contention for a place in Flick's starting XI when the Bundesliga leaders play host to Mainz on January 3.

When it comes to marquee signings in football, the idea of a boost in shirt sales is often raised as a financial benefit associated.

It is usually put forward by some fans - and even pundits - as part of the justification for a transfer fee or for the often significant salary of the big-name addition.

The theory goes that the buzz generated by the arrival of someone like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo or Kylian Mbappe will bring a major windfall as more jerseys will be sold.

Here's the thing: it's something of a myth. Sorry to shatter the illusion.

So how much money do football clubs make from shirt sales then? Goal takes a look at the process in order to shed a little light on the matter.

How much money do football clubs make from shirt sales?

The money football clubs make from shirt sales varies from club to club based on factors such as how many shirts are sold and the commission rate they have negotiated with providers.

Even the biggest clubs in the world receive a relatively small percentage of the revenue generated from shirt sales - usually around 7.5 to - if they're lucky - 15 per cent.

There are some exceptions, of course. Liverpool's new five-year £150 million ($200m) deal (£30m a year) with Nike reportedly sees them take a 20% commission from sales.

In Liverpool's case, imagine that one million shirts are sold in the 2020-21 season at a cost of £80 each. Twenty per cent of £80 is £16, therefore Liverpool would pocket £16 million from those sales.

That would be £16 million on top of the £30 million Nike paid them that year as part of their partnership, with Nike getting £64 million from sales (though production and distribution costs would eat into that).

So why is the return from shirt sales so small, relatively speaking?

Well, it is because the production of kits is essentially a licensing arrangement. Kit providers such as Adidas, Nike, Puma et al pay a club for the right to produce and sell merchandise.

On top of the licensing fee, these providers then give the club a cut of the sales, usually once they pass a certain threshold.

The sportswear manufacturers do most of the hard work, after all, and so, in a business sense, they are quite entitled to take the bulk of the profits.

It is a mightily lucrative industry to get into. Adidas, for example, agreed a 10-year deal with Manchester United, which sees them pay the Premier League giants £750 million over the course of the decade.

However, according to Adidas CEO Herber Hainer, sales projections over those 10 years is £1.5 billion ($2bn), so it is easy to see why manufacturers are willing to fork out such massive sums of money for licences.

Which football clubs sell the most shirts?

As you might expect, the most popular football clubs sell the most jerseys and the likes of Barcelona, Manchester United and Real Madrid are regularly at the top of the table.

Other clubs, such as Liverpool, Juventus, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City sell plenty too, as do Germany heavyweights Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

According to statista.com, Manchester United were the best-selling club when it came to jerseys sold in 2018-19, while Planet Football observes that Liverpool jerseys were the most popular football jersey on Amazon in 2019-20.

Confederation of African Football (Caf) have handed AS Kigali a walkover after KCCA FC failed to raise a required number of players for the second preliminary round of the Caf Confederation Cup game that was to be played on Wednesday.

The Kasasiro Boys have confirmed the new development while stating an organizing committee will be consulted later on for a final decision regarding the game.

The Garbage Collectors had to travel with 14 players after 12 tested positive for Covid-19 after their Ugandan Premier League (UPL) match against URA FC which they lost 2-1.

"According to the Caf Organizing Committee which is also in line with the FIFA laws of the game, each match must be played if the team has at least 11 players including a goalkeeper plus four substitutes," KCCA explained on their official website.

"If a team does not have the minimum number of players, 11 players including goalkeeper plus 4 substitutes, to play a match the team will be considered to have lost the match 2-0.  

"In exceptional circumstances, the organizing committee will be consulted for a final decision concerning the match."

Head coach Mike Mutebi also tested positive for the virus. Assistant coach Badru Kabuye, goalkeeping coach Moses Oloya and first-team coach Jackson Magera are among the members of the technical bench who are also infected by Covid-19.

Keeper Charles Lukwago, Denis Iguma, Kezironi Kizito, Brian Aheebwa, Stefano Mazengo, Hassan Matovu, Samson Kigozi, and Hassan Musana are said to have returned positive tests ahead of the match against AS Kigali and had to be left behind. 

Gift Ali, Julius Poloto, Sadat Anaku, and John Revita are the players who have been sidelined by injuries, making KCCA's squad very thin. 

The Kasasiro Boys got a bye in the first preliminary round, and they were scheduled to play away against their neighbours, who eliminated Orapa United of Botswana.

After falling 2-1 away, the Rwandan side won by a solitary goal at home and the aggregate score was 2-2, but the East African side advanced on the away goal rule.

After Wednesday's decision, it means AS Kigali have a 2-0 advantage. The return leg is to be played on January 6 in Kampala, Uganda.

Lilian Thuram has revealed his disbelief at seeing son Marcus spit in the face of a Bundesliga opponent.

Borussia Monchengladbach striker Marcus Thuram picked up a six-match ban from the German Football Association (DFB) after his outrageous act towards Hoffenheim's Stefan Posch.

The 23-year-old has been hit in the pocket too, being fined a month's wages by Gladbach after the incident in the second half of Saturday's 2-1 home defeat, with a further penalty of €40,000 levied by the DFB.

The sixth match of the suspension has been suspended by 12 months, with the young French forward now facing the task of repairing his tarnished reputation.

He insisted it was not a deliberate act but apologised to Posch , and Thuram also had some explaining to do to his famous father, a World Cup and European Championship winner with France.

Speaking to RCI Guadeloupe , Lilian Thuram said: "It's completely understandable what is happening in the media. I myself was watching the match, I was extremely shocked.

"I even asked myself the question of whether that was really my son.

"Afterwards, I had his explanation, which is to say that he was raging with anger, and so he insulted the opponent and without actually doing it on purpose, he had saliva which came out.

"What he wants is for people to remember that it's unintentional because he says himself, 'But Dad, I wouldn't want people to think I'm capable of spitting on someone on purpose because it doesn't make sense'."

Retired former Juventus and Barcelona defender Thuram explained Marcus had called younger brother Khephren, who plays for Nice, from the dressing room to explain the situation.

It remains to be seen whether the incident and the adverse attention affects Marcus Thuram's hopes of playing for France in the delayed Euro 2020 finals next year.

Lilian Thuram said his son would have to tolerate the sanctions against him, adding: "He accepts - and I think it's normal - that he should be punished because indeed, it is a gesture that must not exist on the football field."

Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA FC) assistant coach Morley Byekwaso is confident they will get a decent result when they take on AS Kigali in the Caf Confederation Cup on Wednesday.

The Ugandan giants will take on AS of Rwanda in the second round first leg match at Kigali Stadium, Nyamirambo on Wednesday.

The Kasasiro Boys suffered a huge blow heading into the match as their head coach Mike Mutebi and 12 first-team players tested positive for coronavirus and thus did not travel to Kigali.

Mutebi, as well as his 12 players, were informed of the tests after they had faced Uganda Revenue Authority (URA FC) in a Premier League match which they lost 2-1 last Friday.

The players who were left behind because of returning positive tests include goalkeeper Charles Lukwago, Denis Iguma, Kezironi Kizito, Brian Aheebwa, Stefano Mazengo, Samson Kigozi, Hassan Musana, and Hassan Matovu.

Assistant coach Badru Kabuye, goalkeeping coach Moses Oloya and first-team coach Jackson Magera were among the members of the technical bench who are also infected by Covid-19.

Despite the absence of the key players, Byekwaso, who will handle the team in the absence of Mutebi, he has now said they are ready to get a positive result to take back to Kampala for the return leg and will work with the players in the squad.

“We are prepared to take on AS Kigali. We want to pick a decent result in Rwanda,” Byekwaso told the club’s official website. “We have a team that can help us compete and get us the result we want.

“We will not have a number of our players because of Covid-19 but we have to work with what we have. We are here to play and defend the badge.”

Defender John Revita is also confident they will do their best to win the match despite the challenges they are facing.

“We want to pick a decent result against AS Kigali. We are ready for the game despite the challenges we had in the team. We are going to do our best to pick a good result.”

On a positive note for KCCA, youngsters Bright Anukani, Sadat Anaku, and Steven Sserwadda travelled with the squad and are available for selection.

Defender Fillbert Obenchan could earn a starting place in the team after his impressive display as a substitute against SC Villa last week.

Meanwhile, Academy graduate Moses Aliro passed his fitness test and is ready to play after missing the last two league games against Villa and URA due to injury.

Elsewhere, the match officials have been confirmed from Sudan, with the centre referee Mohammed Mohammed Eltreefe, Ahmed Nagel Subahi – (1st Assistant Referee) – Sudan, Omar Hamid Ahmed – (2nd Assistant Referee) – Sudan, Mohammed Hussein – (4th Official) – Sudan, Mustapha Samugabo – (Commissioner) – Burundi and Mwanza Jose Nyamusore – (Covid-19 Officer) Rwanda.

The last Confederation Cup game for KCCA was on November 3, 2019, against Paradou AC away in Algeria and this year, they received a bye from the previous round.

Simba SC coach Sven Vandenbroeck has assured fans they are ready to fight against FC Platinum in the Caf Champions League.

The Wekundu wa Msimbazi will take on the Platinum Miners in their first-ever meeting at National Sports Stadium in Harare in the second round first leg fixture on Wednesday.

The Belgian tactician has now said the mood in the camp is very positive and they will do everything possible to get a positive result ahead of the return leg scheduled for Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on January 6, 2021.

“We are ready to fight and get good results,” Vandenbroeck said as quoted by the team’s social media pages. “The players are happy to be here and we believe the fans are with us.

“We believe every fan at home will support us and we’ll put in the good work and all the efforts from our past training sessions here in Harare and come home with good results.”

His sentiments have been echoed by defender Erasto Nyoni, who said they will come home victorious if they play according to the coach’s plans.

“We have to treat the game with a lot of caution because we respect our opponents very much,” Nyoni told the club’s social media pages. “They are a good team, they qualified to this stage after winning home and away and that shows you they are not an easy team.

“But we are prepared and ready to tackle them, we know what we want from the match, we don’t want to let Simba fans and Tanzanians back home down, we will fight to get a win, and I know if we all follow the instructions from the coach, we have a good chance of returning home with the advantage.”

Ahead of the match, Vandenbroeck confirmed they will miss the services of keeper Aishi Manula and striker John Bocco for the fixture.

“We have a few hours before the game, but it comes with bad news because we've tried everything to get Aishi [Manula] and John [Bocco] ready for the game but it’s going to be hard to be ready,” confirmed Vandenbroeck.

“[Bocco] is still in bed he's not feeling okay, [Manula] was hurt during our last league game against KMC FC and will take a week or more to be okay. So far there is a 50 percent possibility of being in the game.”

Simba travelled to Zimbabwe with a contingent of 24 players and Vandenbroeck is confident he will get replacements for the players during the first leg of their second preliminary round fixture.

“At this point, I will have to use the available players, it is the reason we have a squad of 24 players here, and I know those who will come in, will step up well and do the job that we want,” Vandenbroeck continued.

In the absence of Manula, the Belgian coach will start Ben Kakolanya between the posts while Rwanda striker Meddie Kagere will step in for Bocco.

Kagere, who scored the only goal against KMC from the penalty spot before the team left for Harare, has often been used as a substitute and he will have the chance to show what he can offer against Platinum with a starting berth.

Azam FC are on the verge of signing striker Mpiana Mozizi from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The Chamazi-giants have confirmed the arrival of the much-sought striker, who was turning out for FC Lupopo and will take over the mantle left by Cameroonian striker Thierry Akono, who was sold to Negeri Sembilan of Malaysia.

Azam have confirmed on their social media pages the arrival of Mozizi by stating: “We confirm to receive striker Mpiana Mozizi from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

“The star who was playing for Lupopo has arrived in the country on Tuesday, ready to complete the procedures to join Azam, and this is if he qualifies for health tests to be conducted on Wednesday.

“The striker, when he passes the medical tests, he will sign a one-year contract to serve Azam and close the position of Thierry Akono, who was sold to Negeri Sembilan of Malaysia.”

Three days ago, Azam confirmed they had reached an agreement to sell their striker Akono to Negeri Sembilan of Malaysia.

The Cameroonian arrived at the Chamazi-based giants on August 24 from AS Fortuna du Mfou but the club confirmed his exit by stating: "Akono joined Azam early this season as he came from Cameroon's Fortuna club for a two-year contract and becomes the third player to be sold by Azam this season.

“The club has sold Novatus Dismas who emerged in Israel, followed Shaaban Chilunda who was sold in Morocco. We are so thankful for his service in our club and we wish him all the best in his new journey wherever he goes.”

The club’s media officer Zakaria Thabit is confident Mozizi will be a perfect replacement for Akono if he passes his medical and signs for the team.

“We have brought Mozizi to Dar es Salaam from DRC and we hope he passes his medical because we know what kind of a player he is and what he can offer the team,” Thabit told reporters on Tuesday.

“If he passes the medical, then he will sign a one-year deal to help us, we want to get the best in the transfer market and we are still shopping around.”

After drawing 2-2 against Ruvu Shooting in their last Mainland Premier League match, Azam are now third on the 18-team table with 28 points while Yanga SC are top with 37 points from 16 matches and champions Simba SC, are second with 32 points from 14 matches.

Express FC goalkeeper trainer Daniel Kiwanuka is happy to see his players step up in the Ugandan Premier League (UPL).

The Red Eagles have enjoyed a good start to the 2020-21 campaign with the team having produced two draws and wins apiece, conceding thrice from the four matches played so far.

It is a start that has left coach Kiwanuka praising his keepers for a good start insisting the work is still in progress.

“First of all my goalkeepers have improved greatly from pre-season,” Kiwanuka said as quoted by the club’s official website. “We started with many new players so they needed to get but I am happy the goalkeepers have stepped up, yes we’ve conceded thrice but we’ve improved in each game.”

On how he manages to rotate the keepers for every game, Kiwanuka said: “Experience is key which explains Mathias Muwanga starting but the other goalkeepers in Sadat Mugenyi, Denis Otim, and Chrispus Kusiima know that they have to be ready because they can be called upon anytime.”

With the league taking a break until next February, Kiwanuka now says he will use the chance to sharpen the keepers as they strive to avoid conceding 38 goals like it was the case last season.

Meanwhile, the team’s physical conditioning coach Helen Buteme has said a good pre-season helped the boys to be ready for the bumper schedule that has seen the team play four games in two weeks.

“I’ve had to use ice bath sessions and self fascial release protocols on the players for recovery especially after long trips [Arua and Mbarara], with two games a week, it hasn’t been easy for the players to have sufficient recovery and at the same time prepare for the next game but we’re fortunate we had a good pre-season so they are in great shape,” explained Buteme, the women's national rugby team skipper."

On how the players have adjusted to the schedule, Buteme said: “I have been pleased by the fitness and strength exhibited by the players in the four games that we’ve played so far, that said it hasn’t been perfect though.

“I am going to make use of this break to work on the conditioning weaknesses that I have identified in each player and to build strength in the players who picked up injuries so that by the time the league resumes next year, we have a fully fit team.”

Express are placed sixth on the 16-team log on eight points after four games played and the league is scheduled to return in February 2021 due to the African Nations Championship (Chan) tournament set to take place in Cameroon.

Jan Oblak has paid tribute to "amazing" Lionel Messi after his surpassing of Pele, claiming the Barcelona superstar is "the best" because he "sees everything" on the pitch.

Brazil legend Pele's long-standing one-club scoring record was finally broken on Tuesday night as Messi took his tally of goals for Barca to 644 in 749 games during a 3-0 away win over Real Valladolid.

The Argentina international's cool finish to round off the scoring at Jose Zorrilla Stadium was typical of a man who has made finding the back of the net look like an art form since beginning his senior career at Camp Nou way back in 2004.

Messi is regarded by many as the greatest player of the modern era, having inspired Barca to 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns over the past 16 years, winning six Ballon d'Or awards along the way.

The Blaugrana captain is still going strong despite having reached the ripe old age of 33, with Oblak of the opinion that a long-time rival's longevity at the highest level stems from the way he picks his moments to explode into life during matches.

The Atletico Madrid goalkeeper has heaped praise upon Messi following his latest milestone, while opening up on the battles he's faced against the Argentine on both a personal and team level.

"He watches my legs," Oblak told Sky Sports. "If I make one step, he will see it and shoot to the other side. This is why he is the best. This is why he is so difficult. He does not show it but he is always looking. He is always watching you. His eyes are on the ball but he sees you.

"He sees everything, I think. It is strange. Sometimes you think you are controlling them, you are controlling him. But in a second, he changes the game, he scores a goal, and Barcelona win.

"Sometimes you do not see him. Maybe you are thinking it is not dangerous. And then he scores. This happened to us last season. You need to be 100 per cent concentrated.

"He is still the best player in the world." 

The Slovenian shot-stopper added: "He has scored many goals against me. Too many! But he is a great player, an amazing player, the best player. There are many times that he scores a goal and you have this feeling that you cannot understand how he has scored so easily.

"You are not even close. Sometimes it feels like he has just passed the ball into the goal, it is not even a shot."

Asked how Atletico usually set their stall out to try and stop Messi, Oblak responded: "Normally, goalkeepers, we are shouting all the time to help the defenders but I know it is difficult when Messi is on the other side. The defenders do their best but it is difficult to do anything tactically to stop Messi because you never know what he is going to do.

"All you can do is play hard and when you see him don't leave him. Try to steal the ball but don't give a foul close to the goal because he is great at free-kicks. He is great at everything.

"If you are too close he will go past you. If you are too far he will shoot. It is not easy to decide how you will defend against him because of his unpredictability. It is impossible."

The 27-year-old concluded by talking up the significance of Messi's latest achievement and predicting that the Barca talisman will continue to break new boundaries until the time eventually comes for him to hang up his boots.

"I am sure that he is going to score many more than just 644, even though it is already a lot," he adds. "It is a really special achievement. I can only say the best words about him because he is the best.

"He has shown it for so many years and I can only congratulate him, wish him all the best, and hope that he scores many more goals.

"Just not against me."

Orlando Pirates head coach Josef Zinnbauer says Sagrada Esperanca made things difficult for his side with their man-marking system on Tuesday afternoon. 

Pirates secured a narrow 1-0 win over the Angolan side in the Caf Confederation Cup first-round first-leg encounter at Estadio Municipal dos Coqueiros.

The only goal of the match was scored by Thembinkosi Lorch with 16 minutes left on the clock.

Zinnbauer was pleased to see Bucs record an away victory in tough conditions in the capital city of Angola, Luanda. 

"It was a tough game for us, the weather was very hot and the field was not so good - there was long grass and bouncy [field], a little bit for the ball," Zinnbauer told Pirates' media team.

"But from minute to minute, we became better in the game against a very strong defensive team with man-marking systems, so it was not so easy for our players.

"We have special players on the field that want more space and they went one-against-one, but when you always have an opponent on your back then it's not so easy."

It was Lorch's second goal in three matches having also netted in the 2-1 win over Bloemfontein Celtic in the MTN8 final almost two weeks ago. 

Zinnbauer was also happy with the fact that the Buccaneers kept a clean sheet in Angola. 

"But they did a good job today, it [turned out] very well, especially the result. This was a team effort today, and congratulations to Lorch, who scored a top goal," he added. 

"The away-goal was important for us and we didn't concede, which is also important for us."

The two teams will meet again in the second-leg game in South Africa on January 6 and the match is likely to be played at Pirates' home ground, Orlando Stadium. 

The winner on aggregate between Pirates and Esperanca will progress to the play-off round where the 16 winners on aggregate will advance to the group stage of Africa's secondary club tournament.

Before hosting Esperanca, Pirates will lock horns with their Gauteng rivals, Mamelodi Sundowns in a mouthwatering PSL game at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on January 2. 

In an unprecedented move, Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) have signed their first-ever Indonesian player since the club was rebranded in 2013 with Madura United's Syahrian Abimanyu seen as the future of the club.

The 21-year-old had previously spent a year of his teenage life with Spanish side Levante before returning to Indonesia and has consistently been through the various age groups of the national team.

On Monday, JDT club owner HRH Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim (TMJ) teased the signing of one Indonesian player, sparking various rumours as to the identity of the player before the club made the official announcement earlier today.

Singaporean Hariss Harun was the last Southeast Asian player signed by JDT and that was way back in 2014, with the now 30-year-old becoming part of the spine of the team that has conquered Malaysian football.

It was initially thought that Syahrian will be linking up with Johor Darul Ta'zim II (JDTII) in the Premier League, with Hariss still a major force and club captain with the Super League outfit, but TMJ has since come out to squash those suggestions.

In replying to the annoucement via the club's official Instagram page, the JDT supremo said that Syahrian will not be part of the JDTII side and will instead be sent out on loan to a foreign club.

With Hariss not on the wane just yet, this feels like a move where JDT are future-proofing themselves for life after the Singapore ace, whether that is in two, three or fours years time.

Getting Syahrian now and having him adapt to the culture and requirements of the club, all the while still learning his trade and improving his game makes a lot of sense.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) believes striker Michael Olunga can still do more in his playing career after becoming the first African player to win the MVP award in Japan.

On Tuesday, Olunga was crowned as the J1-League’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the concluded 2020 season after notching 28 goals for Kashiwa Reysol which helped the team to a seventh-place finish.

Olunga played a great role for the club and his influence led to his crowning as the best in the concluded season.

FKF President Nick Mwendwa has congratulated the former Gor Mahia striker for the fete which saw him become the first African player to attain it.

“We are very proud of Michael [Olunga] and I know he can still do more,” Mwendwa told Goal on Wednesday. “We congratulate him for the award and also urge him to work even harder.”

With Olunga conquering Japan, many Kenyan fans now feel the striker should try and play elsewhere especially in the Premier League.

Asked to comment on the issue, Mwendwa said: “I cannot comment where he wants to go, all I know is he is a top-class player and will do more wonders in seasons to come.”

On winning the award, Olunga told Goal: “It was a great season for me in 2020. "I was able to score a lot of goals. I would like to thank the people at Kashiwa Reysol for their support. I am very honoured to be Kashiwa Reysol's first top scorer and the first African MVP.”

The 26-year-old has further revealed his hopes for the league and African players at large.

“I hope that what I have achieved will have a positive impact on Japan and on the rest of the world,” he continued.

“I hope that the J-League will continue to have the best football in Asia and that more and more African players will play in it.”

Before moving abroad, Olunga also turned out for Thika United and Tusker in the Kenyan Premier League (KPL).

Olunga, who played 32 games for Kashiwa Reysol in the 2020 J1 season, also won the Golden Boot. This was the first time an African player won the MVP in the J1-League.

Kaizer Chiefs will be facing a sterner challenge in the Caf Champions League when they host Primeiro de Agosto in the first round at the FNB Stadium on Wednesday.

It is a different test from the previous round for Amakhosi who are aiming for a maiden group stage spot on the backdrop of a difficult run on the domestic front.

After getting past Cameroonian champions PWD Bamenda in the preliminary round, Chiefs are not yet convincing enough to suggest that they can swat aside Agosto, who reached the semi-final of the 2018 Champions League.

Their struggle against Bamenda, by coach Gavin Hunt’s admission, was a cause for concern and this is backed by a winless run of six Premier Soccer League games.

However, the Soweto giants will be keen to deliver a solid performance against Agosto to end 2020 on a high and also boost their confidence going into the New Year.

TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch

Squads & Team News

Hunt has been enduring a difficult time as Chiefs coach as he struggles to address his team’s weaknesses.

Week in, week out, the coach complains about his side’s poor finishing or defensive frailties, and emphasises the need to correct them.

However, there seems to be little hope to get it right for Chiefs as they continue to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.

Now much talk on Chiefs is about the imminent return of striker Samir Nurkovic from injury, and there are high expectations that the Serb’s comeback would solve Amakhosi’s woes in front of goal.

Nurkovic has started training with the rest of the squad but it is not yet clear if he will be fit enough to play on Wednesday.

Chiefs, however, welcome back midfielder Philani Zulu who missed their last league match against Bloemfontein Celtic due to suspension and is still suspended their next Premier Soccer League game.

Just like Chiefs, who boast of a number of international players, Agosto also have players who turn out for different national teams.

Veteran goalkeeper Toni and his rival between the sticks Neblu are Angola internationals together with Paizo, Herenilson, defender Dany, Isaac, and Jose Marcia who were all at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations finals.

Defender Bobo Ungenda is a DR Congo international, while Yazid Atouba represented Cameroon at the 2016 African Nations Championship.

Such experience in the Agosto squad could give Hunt a picture of what his side is coming up against if all those players are fit to play on Wednesday.

Match Preview

While Chiefs have been struggling for form and looking for ways to get past this hurdle, they can bank on the fact that Agosto have not played a competitive match since March.

This is against Chiefs’ participation in 13 games across different competitions so far this season.

Match fitness will, therefore, not be a concern for Hunt, who battles to correct their glaring weaknesses in defence and attack.

Amakhosi’s opponents did not take part in the preliminary round of this competition after being given a bye.

While it will be the first time Chiefs face Agosto, their coach Hunt has come up against the Angolans before.

On their way to the 2018 Champions League final, Agosto eliminated Bidvest Wits in the first round when Hunt was still in charge of the Students.

Wednesday’s match will be the first time for Chiefs to meet Angolan opposition since 2001 when they were beaten in the final of the then Caf Cup Winners’ Cup by Interclube.

One of the candidates in Barcelona’s upcoming presidential election has promised to knock down Camp Nou and build a new stadium if he is elected.

Agusti Benedito says his plans would be cheaper than the ‘Espai Barca’ project which is already in the works.

Those plans would see Camp Nou’s capacity rise to 105,000 but work has been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic since being approved in 2018.

Along with an improvement in on-field performances, the future of Lionel Messi and the club’s finances, the future of Camp Nou is a key issue in the election, which will take place on January 24.

Benedito suggests Barca could play at Espanyol’s former stadium, constructed for the 1992 Olympic Games, for three years while a new stadium is built.

"If we win the elections, we will build a new stadium," Benedito said at a campaign presentation.

"We have considered two options. The first is to knock Camp Nou down and build it in the same place. That would mean playing in Montjuic for three years.

"The other option is to build a new stadium in Sant Joan Despi [the site of Barcelona’s training ground]. It would be voted on in a referendum during the first year of our mandate if we're elected on January 24.

"If we do it immediately, the project we're putting forward wouldn't cost more than €900 million (£817m/$1.1bn).

"This would be financed by the sale of the stadium's naming rights for a period of 25 years."

A host of presidential candidates are hoping to replace former incumbent Josep Maria Bartomeu, who resigned along with the rest of his board in October 2020 after a motion of no confidence against him.

Barcelona are currently under the leadership of temporary president Carles Tusquets.

Tusquets laid bare the economic challenges facing the club when he said that, had he been in charge at the time, he would have sold the wantaway Messi over the summer.

He told RAC1: “Economically speaking, I would have sold Messi in the summer.

“It would have been desirable for the money you would’ve received and the money you would’ve saved. La Liga requires wage limits.”

East Bengal are set to send nine Indian players on loan in the January transfer window, Goal can confirm. 

Balwant Singh, Gurtej Singh, Rafique Ali Sardar, Eugeneson Lyngdoh, CK Vineeth, Samad Ali Mallick, Abhishek Ambekar, Mohammed Irshad and Anil Chavan are the nine players who will be released.

The Red and Golds have already agreed terms with fellow Kolkata club Mohammedan Sporting over the transfer of defender Gurtej Singh and goalkeeper Rafique Ali Sardar. The two players have travelled to Kolkata last night and have entered the I-League club's bio-bubble.

While Gurtej and Rafique Ali will ply their trade in the I-League for the remainder of the season, midfielder Eugeneson Lyngdoh is close to joining another Indian Super League (ISL) club, sources close to Goal have confirmed.

The fate of the other six players are yet to be decided but the Kolkata giants are trying to find clubs for them as the team management looks to offload them. 

East Bengal are currently at the bottom of the ISL table with just two points from their first six matches. Head Coach Robbie Fowler has expressed his displeasure over the quality of the Indian players in his squad on multiple occasions this season. He had even mentioned after the Hyderabad game that the squad had been assembled with I-League as the target competition. This was before the club managed to enter the ISL. 

It has to be noted that none of these nine players, who are being released, were recruited by the current team management. 

East Bengal entered the ISL late and as a result, have not had time to prepare and assemble a squad capable of challenging and competing in the ISL. By the time their participation was confirmed in the ISL, it must be kept in mind that the cream of Indian players had already signed for other ISL clubs. 

With nine players out, East Bengal will be left with 26 domestic players in their ranks for the rest of the season.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been compared to Cristiano Ronaldo by Everton assistant Davide Ancelotti, who describes the forward as a "special player".

Calvert-Lewin has taken his game to new heights since Carlo Ancelotti's appointment at Goodison Park in December 2019.

The 23-year-old has hit 14 goals in 16 appearances across all competitions for Everton this season, helping the team rise to fourth in the Premier League and qualify for the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

Gareth Southgate has been impressed enough to hand Calvert-Lewin a regular spot in his England set-up, and he has even been linked with a big-money move to Manchester United.

Ancelotti has coached some of the best strikers of all-time over the course of his illustrious career, with the likes of Ronaldo Nazario, Filippo Inzaghi, David Trezeguet and Didier Drogba all benefitting from his wisdom on the touchline.

The Italian manager's son, who works as his father's No.2 at Goodison, believes Calvert-Lewin has the same superstar potential, and has even drawn similarities between the Toffees talisman and Juventus frontman Ronaldo.

“I think he has all [the attributes] to be the same," Ancelotti Jr told talkSPORT.

“Of course, he is at the beginning of his way. But as I said, game-by-game, I’m seeing big improvements. Also in training he is working very hard to improve.

“The special ability he has, that all the big talents have, is that he knows his body really well. He knows his feelings really well and that’s not so common.

“For example, [Cristiano] Ronaldo was a player like this. He was able to understand his body.”

The Everton coach added on the qualities that make Calvert-Lewin stand out: “He is a special player. He has fantastic abilities.

“Game-by-game you can see his improvement and how he is able to make the difference in this league. It’s not easy to make the difference.

“Especially from a physical point of view, it’s difficult to see a player in this league that is better than the others because the level is really high.

“But Dominic is able to impress from this point of view.”

Ancelotti Jr went on to discuss the Toffees' bright start to the 2020-21 campaign, comparing their recent progress to that of cross-city rivals Liverpool at the beginning of Jurgen Klopp's reign.

“If you look at the starting line-up when Klopp came in, it was completely different [to now],” he said.

“With the planning, to be patient and to try to build year-by-year, you can reach objectives if you are ambitious. Everton is ambitious.

“Last year we arrived in 12th place and this is just the second year, so we don’t have to think we are going to win the league. We don’t have to put too big objectives for us.

“But we have to be competitive as we’ve shown in the last three games [in wins over Chelsea, Leicester and Arsenal], build the mentality year-by-year and improve the team year-by-year.

“Everton can follow the way Liverpool have in the last years.”

Ronald Koeman believes Lionel Messi is happy at Barcelona after another record-breaking performance by the six-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Messi scored the third goal in a 3-0 La Liga win over Real Valladolid on Tuesday – the superstar captain's 644th strike for Barca as he surpassed Pele for the all-time record amount of goals for a single club .

First-half goals from Clement Lenglet and Martin Braithwaite gave Barca a cushion at Estadio Jose Zorrilla before Messi overtook the record set by Pele during 18 years at Brazilian club Santos.

Although Messi expressed his desire to leave La Liga giants Barca after 19 years during the off-season, Koeman believes his talisman is now happy.

"I've said it a lot," Barca head coach Koeman said. "I see Leo happy here.

"He's very important for us with his creativity.

"You can see that when there are good players alongside him."

Koeman switched to a three-man back line for the trip to Valladolid after Barca's defence were left exposed in the 2-2 draw against Valencia on Saturday.

Barca kept the hosts subdued until goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen made a double save in the 71st minute when the Catalans were holding a comfortable three-goal lead.

"We changed to improve the defence and the wings," Dutchman Koeman added.

"We've seen a very serious performance with good concentration and good chances created."

Pedri provided the delivery for Lenglet's opener and claimed his second assist with return pass to Messi, as Koeman reserved praise for both the 18-year-old and his midfield partner Miralem Pjanic.

"Pedri is a very good player when he plays in the middle," said Koeman. "Pjanic had to wait for his chance but he played a great game. He was good with the ball, but also defensively."

Fifth-placed Barca are eight points adrift of La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid, with Koeman's side scheduled to host struggling Eibar on December 29.

The Catalans will begin the New Year on the road versus Huesca on January 3, before staying away from home to take on Athletic Club (Jan 6) and Granada (Jan 9).

Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti has admitted he rejected the chance to manage Manchester United because he was about to take the head coach role at Real Madrid.

Ahead of the Wednesday's Carabao Cup quarter-final against the Red Devils at Goodison Park, the Toffees manager revealed he was offered the job at Old Trafford by Sir Alex Ferguson prior to the Scottish legend's retirement.

But Ancelotti was on the verge of accepting the lead role with Los Blancos and was forced to decline the offer, with no other chance to join the Red Devils eventuating since.

“You want to know from me [about coaching at Man Utd]?!“ Ancelotti said.

"I can say that I still keep a fantastic relationship with Sir Alex, and we met when he decided to stop (retire).

"But I was close to Real Madrid, and so I appreciate the fact that at that time he talked to me. And that’s it, no other opportunity [to manage United]."

Everton are flying high in the Premier League so far with this season, with the Merseyside club sitting in fourth position after 14 matches played.

The Toffees have met Man Utd once this season - in the league in November - with Ancelott's team going 1-0 ahead in the opening stages before the Red Devils struck back twice through Bruno Fernandes to eventually win 3-1.

Ancelotti explained the regard he holds for the Red Devils institution, indicating he placed them alongside some of the biggest clubs in world football.

"Yes of course Manchester United is a fantastic club, a fantastic team I battled against them a lot of times when Sir Alex was there, when I was at Chelsea," he said.

"I have a lot of respect for this team, for this club, it is a historical club in the world of football like Milan, like Real Madrid, a lot of respect."

Everton face a busy Christmas-New Year period of fixtures that starts with a clash on the road against strugglers Sheffield United on Boxing Day.

The Toffees will then return to Goodison Park for matches against Manchester City and West Ham on either side of the turn of the year.