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Gor Mahia have confirmed they have secured a flight to Algeria to honour their Caf Champions League match against CR Belouizdad on Saturday.

The Kenyan champions were due to travel to Algeria on Sunday for the first leg meeting on Wednesday, but they requested the Confederation of African Football (Caf) to push the game forward as they cited a lack of proper preparation owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

While Caf had refused to push the game on the first request, the African body later changed its mind and postponed the game to December 26, and also offered Gor Mahia with optional flights they can use to reach the country.

Gor Mahia have now confirmed they have secured a Qatar Airways flight to Algeria on Thursday, December 25, and they will arrive in the North African country a day before the match that will be played at Stade du 5 Juillet 1962 Stadium.

“We will depart Nairobi at 12.55 am on December 25, and arrive in Doha, Qatar at 6.45 am,” Gor Mahia said on their official social media pages. “We will then depart Doha at 8.35 am and arrive in Algiers, Algeria at 3.20 pm [Kenyan time].

“The team will have a rest on December 25, then play on December 26 and depart from Algiers at 5.10 pm [Kenyan time] on December 28 and arrive in Nairobi on December 29.”

On confirming that Caf had indeed postponed the fixture, FKF President Nick Mwendwa pleaded with Gor Mahia to make sure that they honour the fixture because they will face dire consequences if they fail to travel.

“It is true, Caf has written to us confirming the game has been pushed forward," Mwendwa told Goal on Tuesday.” The flights are available on Wednesday, December 23 and Friday, December 25. Caf have provided Gor Mahia with options regarding the flights that will be convenient for them.

“It is now up to Gor Mahia to organize themselves for another Covid-19 test and ensure they have made travel arrangements. The consequences of missing that game will be dire to the FKF and the club as well.”

The last time Gor Mahia played against an Algerian opponent was in 2019 when they were drawn to face USM Alger in the same competition.

USM Alger came to Nairobi and beat K’Ogalo 4-1 and returned home in Algiers to win the return leg 2-0 and advance to the next round with a 6-1 aggregate scoreline.

The two teams also met in the Confederation Cup in the 2018 season with the first leg staged in Kenya ending in a 0-0 draw before USM Alger won the return leg 2-1 at home to advance 2-1 on aggregate.

In 2019, Gor Mahia were also drawn to face Algerian side Hussein Dey in the Confederation Cup, and they won the first leg staged in Nairobi 2-0 but lost away 1-0 to claim a 2-1 aggregate win.

Lionel Messi will be considered the best footballer of all time, says Carles Puyol, after the Barcelona star eclipsed Pele for the record of most goals scored for one club.

Messi’s goal against Valladolid on Tuesday night  took him to 644 for Barcelona to surpass the 643 that Brazilian icon Pele scored for Santos.

The 33-year-old’s landmark is the latest in a string of records the Argentine attacker has set since making his debut for Barcelona as a late substitute against Espanyol in October 2004.

Puyol, who started that game, believes that his former team-mate, and a six-time winner of the Ballon d’Or, will go down in history as football’s greatest player.

“If you ask me who Michael Jordan is, I will say that he is the best basketball player in history,” Puyol told Goal, speaking as part of Budweiser’s celebration of the history-making Messi moment, crowning him the undisputed King of Football. 

“I think Messi will have the same status – the best footballer of all time. It is also talked about whether Michael Jordan is the best in history, and these are opinions, and sometimes it is difficult to be objective. It is difficult for a Real Madrid fan to recognise that Messi is the best.

“We have been lucky to have him but I really say, taking away the feeling of being a cule, that the numbers are there, these have not been invented and they show that he is the best.”

Messi has surpassed the level of Pele and Diego Maradona for many, and Puyol believes it will be difficult for a future player to go beyond what the current Barca captain has achieved.

He added: “Now, we say no, but hopefully in the future there will be someone better. For football and sport lovers, it would be good because we would see incredible things.

“I see it being difficult, if not impossible, for someone to be at that level for so many years but we will have to wait and, for now, enjoy Leo.”

Reflecting on Messi’s record-breaking goals total, Puyol said: “Firstly, I have been very fortunate to be able to play with him and with this generation of footballers, and to have done so with the team of my heart.

“I am very proud of the work we did together.

“The beginning of my career was difficult because I went five years without winning anything, but then we managed to win it all and, to this day, we are the only club that has won six titles in the same year.

“I continue to trust that a Barcelona led by Leo will continue to win titles.

“I don’t know if he has much more to achieve. He still has to win a title with the national team.

“I am not Argentine but I would be excited for him because I think he deserves it and I know he really wants to do it.

“At Barcelona, he has already beaten all the records and I don’t know if there will be anyone who can fight with him in the future because he has set the bar very high.”

Carles Puyol spoke as a La Liga ambassador, as part of Budweiser's celebration of Lionel Messi's record-breaking 644th goal. For more info visit youtube.com/Budweiser

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Manqoba Mngqithi has revealed how he masterminded a win over Jwaneng Galaxy in their Caf Champions League match on Tuesday afternoon.

The Tshwane giants brushed aside the Botswana champions 2-0 in the first-round first-leg match which took place at Lobatse Stadium. 

Mngqithi explained that they had a plan to neutralize Galaxy's aerial threat and he was also impressed by Ivorian striker Dion Sede Junior, who kept the Masandawana defence busy. 

"The game was a tough one. We knew it was not going to be easy. We have played against these guys [before]. We have played them three or four times. We know they are a hard-running team," Mngqithi told the media. 

"We know they are a very strong team on set-pieces. Number 19 [Ditsele], if I am not mistaken, is very influential and he is established on how the team plays. The Ivorian striker worked very hard. 

"He was everywhere on the pitch and he gave a good account of himself. It is encouraging to see how much work that boy does. So on set-pieces, we knew they would be dangerous with the Ivorian, Ditsele, number 14 [Isaac Paeye] and number 5, the centre back [Fortunate Thulare]."

Rarely used defender Bangaly Soumahoro surprisingly started for Sundowns as Mngqithi looked to combat Galaxy's aerial threat from set-pieces, crosses and long balls. 

"We really believed that it was one area they can punish us from because they have very good delivery and those boys are very aggressive on set-pieces that is why we made sure that we brought a team which was strong aerially because we knew the pitch condition did not allow us to play our normal football," he continued. 

"So, we had to make sure we try to strengthen that department because even in our last match - we conceded from a set-piece. For us, it is one area which we are always working hard to make sure we consolidate on."

The 49-year-old tactician is expecting a difficult match against Galaxy in the second-leg encounter which will be played in South Africa on January 5. 

"That one is a little bit of a tricky one because we will not be with the players during the Christmas break [as] we will give them a few days off," he added. 

"We are having a game on the 2nd [January] against Pirates and the 5th [January] we are playing you guys [Galaxy]. We know it is not going to be an easy game for us because it will depend on how people party [during the Christmas break], but I am optimistic that we will come right. 

"Our boys understand the value of getting into the group [because] that is what we always play for. For us, it is more than important to make sure that in the Champions League we have the dominance that is required."  

The winner on aggregate between Sundowns and Galaxy will advance to the group stage, while the losing team will be relegated to the Caf Confederation Cup play-off round. 

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.”

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.

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.”

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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. 

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

The All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) developmental side Indian Arrows will begin their journey in the 2020-21 I-League season on January 10 against Churchill Brothers in Kolkata.

This season the Arrows will see a host of new faces in their ranks as most of their players from last season have secured lucrative contracts with Indian Super League (ISL) clubs.

Arrows, under the tutelage of head coach Shanmugam Venkatesh, underwent a pre-season camp in Bhubaneswar before heading to Kolkata where they took part in the 2020 edition of the IFA Shield. The Arrows were ousted from the group stage after they had managed to secure just a point in their two games. They drew 1-1 against Southern Samity and lost 0-2 against eventual runners-up of the competition, George Telegraph.

The Arrows coach mentioned that taking part in the IFA Shield was an enriching experience for the rookie players in his squad and the exposure will help them to improve ahead of the new I-League season.

“I thank the AIFF for giving us the opportunity to play in the IFA Shield,” said Venkatesh. The boys played after a long time and first time they played against senior players and foreigners. It was a great experience before the I-League start. Of course, the result was not in favour of us, but it was good experience for the boys and it will help for the upcoming I-League.

“Most of the players were inexperienced. Most of the players never played for a senior side. Of course, we have to improve in certain areas, and I am sure the boys will improve further.”

Indian Arrows were at the bottom of the I-League table last year before the season had to be abruptly ended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They had nine points from 16 matches and had managed to win two games which came against giants East Bengal and Churchill Brothers.

Drawing positives from the last season, Venkatesh suggested that the youngsters had fought valiantly against the big clubs and that the experience they gained was more important than the results.

“Last year was a different story. If you see all the matches, we were very close and also the scoreline, most of them we lost 1-0. This is a development team, yes, of course, the results are important but at the same time, we have to see if the players are getting the right platform and opportunity.

“This year it is a new challenge. We have a new batch of players and most of the players are 2003 born and are 17 years old. It is a great opportunity to play in the I-League. The idea is the same for us, to prepare these players for senior India. This is a big challenge and I am confident that the boys will definitely do better.”

The AIFF revived the Indian Arrows project in 2017 with the vision to nurture young Indian talents and ensure they don't find the jump from youth to professional football too high.

Reiterating the Indian FA’s vision, Venkatesh suggested that his only goal is to prepare the young players well so that in the coming years, the players can represent the senior Indian team and play for top clubs in the country.

“The vision is to prepare for U19 AFC Championship qualifying round in 2022. I-League, IFA Shield and whichever tournament we play now is preparation. Of course, I-League is a great opportunity for them. The U17 boys getting a chance in the I-League is a big thing for them. After I-League this season, they will gain more experience and at the end of the day I want to see more players from this team play for senior India and top clubs. This is our target,” said the former India international midfielder.

Scottish manager David Robertson took charge of Real Kashmir FC in January 2017, just six months after the club was formed and has done a commendable job so far.

Robertson guided the club to promotion to the I-League in just their second year of existence and created history as Real Kashmir became the first club from the valley to play in the country’s top division league.

The Scottish coach will be in charge of the club for a fourth consecutive season this year and he suggested that he feels a deep sense of loyalty to the club, their fans and most importantly with the region of Kashmir.

“I have been part of the club since they started and I have been lucky to be a part of such a successful club,” said the Real Kashmir coach while explaining why he continued to remain associated with the club.

“I feel loyal to the people of Kashmir and I also feel loyal to the ownership. Sandeep (Chattoo) has been fantastic to me and my family. To be honest, I find it difficult to not come back here. Even in these tough times, thousands of miles away from home and family, I dint want to let the club and Kashmir down. Obviously, it will at some point come to an end either my decision of the club’s decision as it happens in football. But I just love every minute when I am here.”

Robertson is known for his pragmatic approach which has worked for the club in the past two seasons in I-League. They finished third in their debut I-League season and was on the fourth position on the league table last season before the league had to be abruptly stopped due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.

In their first season in the top tier, the Scot used to constantly mention that his only target was to stay afloat in the league, even at a time when the club was unbeaten in 13 matches and were one of the title contenders. The reason he said for saying so was the lack of experience of his players at the top level.

But now his players are experienced and Robertson acknowledged that they would aim to fight for the league title.

“I would like to think that we could be there (winning title). Obviously, in the first few games, no one knows where they are but I think we have assembled a good squad capable of pushing the challenge. Two years under the belt now we know what it is all about. Obviously, there is no East Bengal or Mohun Bagan this year which makes a little bit easier for the other teams. The giants are no longer there and now there will be a new favourite to win the league.

“The two years I’ve had in the I-League has certainly opened my eyes and each year I am here, I am more prepared. Our squad is a lot stronger this year with a lot more experience. We would like to be pushing for the title, come the end of the season.”

The upcoming I-League season will witness a change in its format as the 11 teams will play each other just once in the stage before they will be split into two groups. While the top five teams will compete for the title by playing against each other in a round-robin format, the bottom six teams will play each other to save relegation.

Robertson acknowledged that a shorter season will be a difficult challenge for them and the team who would have the better start will have a better shot at the title.

“It is all about how we start. This year the problem is it is a very short season. 10 games, one against each team in the league stage then it gets split. It is very difficult. It is not like a long season where you get time to build. You’ve got to make sure you start well to have a serious chance of lifting the title or even challenging,” said the Real Kashmir boss.

Real Kashmir were recently crowned champions in the IFA Shield which concluded on December 19 in Kolkata. Robertson’s side got the better of George Telegraph in the final to lift their first major trophy since winning the Second Division I-League in 2018.

The former Rangers player suggested that competing in and winning the prestigious IFA Shield will help boost the confidence of the team ahead of the all-important upcoming I-League season.

“It was great to win the IFA Shield. We hardly trained unlike a lot of other teams. We had an almost new squad and the players did not play for seven-to-eight games. I believe there must be something magical about the yellow jersey because any hurdles that are thrown at us, we overcome that. It shows that we are a good side again this year and it gives us a lot of confidence going into the first league game.”

There is a common notion that Real Kashmir get a lot of advantage while playing at their home at Srinagar as most teams in the I-League struggle to adjust to the extreme weather conditions in the city. While Robertson agreed, he also highlighted the other side of the coin.

“Obviously we would have liked to play at our home. There is obviously the altitude and then there were the harsh winters, tight conditions with a full house stadium. But you have to look at this as well that we travelled from cold temperatures to warm places like Goa, Kolkata. We had to adapt with that plus we had two days of travel. What people don’t know is that we had to travel from Srinagar to New Delhi and then an overnight stay and then a second flight.

“This season will be completely different. Firstly, no travelling and climate will be the same for everyone else. It works both ways.”