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Saidi Ntibazonkiza produced a superb display in his debut for Young Africans (Yanga SC) as they roared past Dodoma Jiji 3-1 in a Mainland Premier League match played on Saturday.

The Burundian star, who was signed in November but was yet to get clearance to play since the transfer window was still closed, was the star man for the Jangwani giants as he scored one goal and set up another to help the team open an eight-point gap at the summit.

However, it was the promoted side who took a shock lead in the third minute as Seif Karihe took advantage of a blunder by keeper Metacha Mnata to score with a header.

The goal awoke Yanga, who threw everything at Dodoma and it was no surprise when captain Lamine Moro met a free-kick from Michael Sarpong, and turned round to smash it home.

The teams headed into the half-time break tied at 1-1 but Yanga came back a more rejuvenated side as they sought to take the lead and protect their unbeaten run, and their relentless efforts were rewarded in the 69th minute when Ntibazonkiza announced his arrival with a beautifully taken goal.

Defender Bakari Mwamnyeto then made it 3-1 in favour of Yanga after a free-kick from Ntibazonkiza was not cleared by Dodoma defenders, and he used the half chance to squeeze the ball past the legs of the keeper and ensure they claim maximum points from the tie played in Arusha.

The win has now seen the Timu ya Mwananchi stretch their unbeaten run to 16 matches and they will remain at the top of the 18-team table with a gap of eight points since second-placed Simba SC, who are away in Zimbabwe for Caf Champions League duty, have 32 points and third-placed Azam FC 29.

The win also ensured new Yanga coach Cedric Kaze maintained his unbeaten start with the team he joined in mid-October after the sacking of Serbian Zlakto Krmpotic.

In other matches played on Saturday, promoted Gwambina FC secured a 1-1 draw against Tanzania Prisons, while Mtibwa Sugar scored through Riphat Khamis in the 42nd minute to sink JKT Tanzania.

Elsewhere, another promoted Ihefu FC picked up a vital win after sinking KMC FC 1-0.

Former France and Paris Saint-Germain boss Laurent Blanc has ended his four-year exile from management by returning to the dugout at Qatari side Al-Rayyan.

The World Cup winner was relieved of his duties at Parc des Princes back in the summer of 2016.

He had overseen three Ligue 1 title triumphs at PSG, while also claiming a number of domestic cup triumphs.

Blanc was, however, to be ushered through the exits as Unai Emery was appointed in his place.

The expectation was that an iconic figure from his playing days would have little difficulty in finding another job.

Blanc has taken a lengthy break, though, from the stresses of club management.

His CV still makes for impressive reading, having first seen his stock rise as a coach while leading Bordeaux to title glory in 2008-09.

That success eventually led to him being offered the opportunity to manage his country.

A man who tasted World Cup and European Championship glory as a no-nonsense centre-half was, however, to find the going tough on an international stage.

France won 16 of their 27 games under Blanc’s guidance, with a reign that started on the back of a shambolic showing from Les Bleus at the 2010 World Cup coming to an end after suffering defeat in a Euro 2012 quarter-final to Spain.

Blanc spent a year out of work before PSG came calling and took in 173 games at the helm of the Ligue 1 giants.

Several high-profile positions have been mooted for him since then, with his name often added to the mix when Manchester United – who he represented for two seasons at the end of his playing career – are in the market for a new coach.

Opportunities to fill other international roles have also been put to Blanc during his time away from football, with Morocco asking questions at one stage, but he has patiently waited on the right approach.

Al-Rayyan have tempted the 55-year-old back into the dugout, with Blanc set to join Barcelona legend Xavi in working with a Qatari outfit.

He has agreed an 18-month contract with his new employers and will be looking forward to getting back to work.

Sadio Mane became the biggest Crystal Palace slayer while Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino continued their productive partnership in Liverpool’s 7-0 victory at Selhurst Park.

Mane was handed his 12th league start of the season and set an impressive record to help Jurgen Klopp’s men demolish the Eagles.

The Senegal international ignited the goals surge when he set up Takumi Minamino in the third minute of the encounter.

The forward then found the back of the net in the 35th minute for his tenth goal against Palace, firing his strike beyond the reach of goalkeeper Vicente Guaita.

Mane, thus, became the highest-scoring player against the Eagles in the Premier League, overtaking Jermain Defoe.

The 28-year-old also became the fourth player in Premier League history to score in seven consecutive appearances against an opponent, after Robin van Persie, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Romelu Lukaku.

Salah, meanwhile, came off the bench to make a significant contribution for the Premier League champions.

The fleet-footed forward was believed to have been dropped to the bench after expressing his disappointment over the club’s captaincy.

The Egypt international was, however, brought on moments before the hour mark for Mane and set up Firmino for his side’s fifth goal, which is the 17th time the duo have combined for a Premier League goal for Liverpool.

Only Robbie Fowler and Steve McManaman have combined for more goals for the Anfield outfit in the English top-flight.

Salah went on to score two more goals in the encounter after benefitting from assists from Cameroon international Joel Matip and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Salah has now bagged 13 goals and three assists in the Premier League while his teammate Mane has found the back of the net five times in the competition.

The victory ensured Liverpool extended their lead on the Premier League table after gathering 31 points from 14 games.

The African stars will hope to continue their fine performances when the Reds take on West Bromwich Albion in their next league match on December 27.

Arsenal should “write this season off” after a terrible start to the 2020-21 campaign, according to Paul Merson, who feels the club should give their young players more playing time and begin planning for 2021-22.

The Gunners have been bad enough to spark talk of a potential relegation to the Championship , with key players failing to find their best form and looking bereft of ideas on the pitch , while Mikel Arteta's future at the club is a constant topic of discussion.

The north London outfit's hierarchy has publicly backed the manager , however, and it appears the Spaniard will be given time to get things back on track. Still, Merson feels this season is now a lost cause and that Arteta should be looking instead to build for next year.

“I feel for the manager, I know he’s a bit lost at the moment,” Merson said on Sky Sports . “He’s a young manager coming into the game with an unbelievable opportunity at Arsenal but you’ve got to have these players. 

“I’d sit down with the board and write this season off. We’re going to stay up [so] let’s get all these youngsters in now and see how good they are. They have to have 15 games these kids to see if they’re good enough and then build for next year.”

Merson added that the lack of quality within the ranks at Emirates Stadium is such that historically weaker teams with far fewer resources now appear to have players that would walk into Arteta's side, and singled out Granit Xhaka's poor discipline as a major issue.

“Let’s be honest, I’m watching the game against Southampton thinking half the Southampton players would get in the Arsenal team,” Merson said. 

“You can’t have 10 players. People like [Xhaka], without being horrible, get the manager the sack because they go down to 10 men and that’s it. 

“This is no disrespect to Southampton because they are doing very well and they are a good team, but half the players would get in. That should not be right. This is Arsenal.

“I was thinking Danny Ings would walk straight in, the two midfielders (James Ward-Prowse and Oriel Romeu) would walk straight in, the two centre-halves (Jan Bednarek and Jannik Vestergaard) would get in easily. 

“I mean that’s the spine of the team straight away. What are you going to win without the spine of a team? Any successful team in the world is a great goalie, great centre-half, great midfield player, great centre-forward and then you build around that. 

“If you’re not strong through the middle you’re never going to win anything.”

Summer signing Gabriel Magalhaes had been one of the better performers since arriving from Lille in the summer, but the centre-back showed discipline problems of his own when getting a second yellow for hauling down Theo Walcott.

As a result, Merson was not impressed, commenting: “People are going on about Gabriel? Seriously? You’ve had a yellow card already, why are you getting tight? Why would you get tight and pull him down? He’s still got to beat four or five players to score and then he’s shocked?”

In an attempt to find any positives, Merson quipped on the Brazilian: “His teeth looked good!”

Lionel Messi has equalled Pele's all-time record for goals scored with a single club by netting his 643rd career goal for Barcelona. 

The Argentine has played his entire professional career at Camp Nou, having moved to Spain as a teenager from Newell's Old Boys in order to continue with his vital growth hormone treatments. 

And, since making his competitive debut in 2004, he has matched countless all-time records in football - even some that, like Pele's, were once thought to be unassailable. 

Saturday's goal against Valencia just before half-time was his 643rd strike for the Catalans. 

Unusually for a player not exactly known for his prowess in the air, Messi used his head to pull Barca back level at 1-1 at Camp Nou, a vital goal as Ronald Koeman's men look to reignite their spluttering Liga campaign. 

After the break Ronald Araujo was then on hand to fire the hosts into the lead.

Messi's record with Barcelona also includes 10 Liga titles, four Champions Leagues and a total of 34 major trophies. 

His exploits have also helped him to six Ballon d'Or prizes, more than anyone else in football history. 

Pele, meanwhile, accrued his extraordinary total over 18 years in the Santos first team, a time in which the Brazilians were considered one of the greatest teams in South American and indeed the world. 

In 656 official matches he netted 643 times, just shy of a goal every game, although his overall total was restricted by the Peixe's policy of widespread travel and touring in the late 1960s and early 70s which meant Pele played fewer competitive matches. 

When those friendlies, as well as his goals for the New York Cosmos and the Brazil national team, are taken into consideration, the retired forward is believed to have scored well over 1,000 goals over the course of his glittering career, which included three World Cup titles - more than any other player.

George Ssenkaba scored the only goal that gave Express FC a 1-0 win over Sports Club Villa at Muteesa II Stadium, Wankulukuk to end a winless run that had stretched to five games.

Ssenkaba found the back of the net in a tight Kampala derby to condemn the Jogoos who had previously registered a morale-boosting win over Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA FC), to yet another defeat.

The striker was left with no one to mark him in the 47th minute as he collected a pass from Frank Kalanda and his final strike was too clinical for Said Keni to stop in SC Villa’s goal.

Goalkeeper Mathias Muwanga denied the record champions a chance to equalise deep in the second half as he swept the ball away after Isaac Ogwang’s header. The Jogoos did not look a dangerous side and the hosts were comfortable in dealing with their sparingly-engineered attacks.

The win, registered at Muteesa II Stadium, Wankulukuk with a sizeable number of fans attending the match, was the second for the Red Eagles against SC Villa in 13 attempts. Allan Kyambade scored the only goal that gave Express their last win against the Jogoos more than three years ago.

Coach Edward Kaziba would have seen his team reduced to 10 men when Keni intentionally elbowed Brian Ssenyondo but neither the centre referee nor his assistants deemed the offence big enough to warrant a red card.

Express are now on eight points after four games as they recorded a second victory, after one against Bright Stars. On the other hand, SC Villa have now lost two games after the initial one against Uganda Revenue Authority (URA FC).

The Premier League will now take a break until February 2021 in order to accord players a chance to feature in the African Nations Championship in Cameroon. Head coach Johnathan McKinstry has already selected a provisional squad of 28 players who are expected to begin training on Monday.

Express FC XI: Mathias Muwanga, Enock Walusimbi, Arthur Kiggundu, Issa Lumu, Murushid Juuko, Daniel Shabena, Abel Eturude, Godfrey Lwesibawa, Frank Kalanda, George Ssenkaaba, Eric Kambale,

Subs: Crispus Kusiima, Richard Bbosa, John Byamukama, Enock Ssebagala, Frank Ssenyondo, Mayanja, Denis Mubuya.

SC Villa XI: Saidi Keni, Gavin Kizito, Derrick Ndahiro, Moses Kiggundu, Asuman Alishe, Emmanuel Wasswa, Amir Kakomo, Goffin Oyirwoth, Ronald Ssekiganda, Isaac Ogwang, Nicholas Kabonge,

Subs: Martin Ssenkooto, Abdallah Ssenkooto, Joseph Nsubuga, Benson Muhindo, Faizal Muwawu, Abdallah Salim, Abdallah Ssekandi.

Jurgen Klopp has explained his decision to bench Mohamed Salah in Liverpool’s trip to Crystal Palace, with the Reds boss considering a much-needed rest to be a “good idea” for the Egyptian.

The defending Premier League champions opted to tinker with their attacking plans for a meeting with the Eagles at Selhurst Park.

Leading marksman Salah, fresh from leaving the door open for a future move away from Anfield, was named among the substitutes as Takumi Minamino slotted into the starting XI.

The Japan international required less than three minutes to make an impact, as he opened the scoring in a record-setting 7-0 win, with Salah introduced in place of Sadio Mane with 57 minutes on clock.

He also added another entry to the history books, as he scored two and made another in a lively cameo, with Klopp of the opinion that he made the right calls on individual and collective levels.

The German told reporters at a post-match press conference when asked about his decision to leave Salah out: “It's just the first time for a while that we have the opportunity to do something like this.

“We played Sunday-Wednesday, so we needed fresh legs today. So Joel [Matip] could come in, Naby [Keita] could come in and then we had to think about how we can deal with that in the first line and Mo played the last four games, so a massively intense period. So it was clear it will be him.

“Then usually you would expect in a game like this against Crystal Palace – the result recently between us and them were always pretty tight – so bringing him in the last half an hour, I thought it's a good idea.

“We did that, by the way, but it was not exactly the scenario we would have expected, of course. That's it.”

Minamino, whose versatility has been put to good use across his time at Anfield, caught the eye in an advanced role but Klopp says there is no grand plan on his part to use the 25-year-old as more of an attacker than a midfielder.

He added: “First and foremost, we want to use Taki, so that's it.

“The way we play, if you play for us in midfield, you need to have offensive skills as well. So that means Taki can play there, played twice, played good.

“More importantly, in training he looked really sharp, really in a good shape – that's why he played today. He played a top game today, nice finish and just is in a good moment. That's what we want to use.

“I saw him in the dressing room now and he couldn't avoid smiling all over his face. It's a good moment. He's in a really good place and helps us a lot.”

Liverpool, who have ensured that they will be top of the Premier League table at Christmas, will be back in action on December 27 when they play host to West Brom.

Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Denis Onyango was fortunate not to concede a penalty during Saturday's 1-1 draw with Golden Arrows at the Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium in Durban, according to former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Siyabonga Nkosi.

Arrows more than matched their more illustrious opponents and enjoyed the better opportunities to potentially convert one into three points.

The KwaZulu-Natal side also had a couple of penalty appeals turned down.

In a 71st minute incident, the ball was deflected onto the hand of Downs defender Ricardo Nascimento.

But because he had no time to move out of the way and also because he never raised his arm towards the ball, it seemed like the right call from referee Jelly Chavani.

"His hand was in a natural position, and I felt there was nothing he could have done to avoid it," SuperSport TV analyst Nkosi elaborated.

However, in another incident with about five minutes of regulation time to play, Onyango came charging off his line to gather an aerial ball into the box.

He caught the ball comfortably with both hands, but then as replays clearly showed, he raised his elbow into the face of Arrows defender Mathome Mathiane.

During a lengthy stop while Mathiane received treatment, referee Chavani consulted with the fourth official but then took no further action.

As Nkosi pointed out, the Ugandan international was fortunate not to get booked or even sent off, not to mention conceding a penalty which could have resulted in Abafana bes'Thende winning the match.

"For Onyango, and the kind of experience he has - he could have cost the team there," the former Amakhosi man said.

"That was very naughty. Very cynical. He has the control of the ball, but then the man is not even trying to challenge him and then he knocks him.

"The referee, or at least the assistant referee, should have spotted that and given a decision against that. And a caution," Nkosi concluded.

Fellow analyst and former Banyana Banyana striker Amanda Dlamini meanwhile questioned the consistency of match officials.

“For me it's the lack of consistency, we saw midweek, Orlando Pirates versus Chippa, there was an elbow (from Sandile Mthethwa, which did not seem obviously deliberate) on Deon Hotto and there was a straight red,”  Dlamini said. “The question with Onyango is that it's dangerous play.”

Daniel Amokachi has blasted the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for allowing a $2 million compensation clause in Gernot Rohr’s contract.

Rohr was appointed as coach of the Super Eagles in 2016 following Sunday Oliseh’s resignation as manager of the national team.

The former international, under whom Nigeria enjoyed an impressive stat of losing only two games in 14 matches, explained a number of reasons for resigning, including the failure of the federation to support him and also over his unpaid wages and contract violation.

Rohr guided the Super Eagles to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia with ease but failed to progress past the group stage.

Nigeria, under former international Stephen Keshi, had played in the round of 16 of the 2014 edition of the global tournament, a year after winning the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

Rohr’s side managed to finish third at the 2019 Afcon in Egypt and was handed a new deal after the federation revealed their satisfaction with his performances.

The Super Eagles recently failed to beat lowly-rated side Sierra Leone in the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and the former Burkina Faso boss has heavily been criticized for the not-too impressive performances from his side.

Special assistant on sports to Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari, Amokachi, revealed Rohr’s contract contains a huge $2 million compensation clause and has lambasted the federation for the deal.

“For the administration to bring somebody like Oliseh and not giving him time because he’s Nigerian and they let go,” Amokachi told Brila FM.

“To bring in somebody like Amuneke and not giving him time then they let him go. Then you bring a new coach where those two coaches are far better than him; pedigree-wise and portfolio-wise.

“But still, they gave the machinery a lot of money, $60 plus with all the bonuses, if they play two matches in a month, then you’re talking over $100,000.

“And then at the end of the day, you put a $2m clause on a coach that has never won anything. A coach that came from Burkina Faso to Tunisia then to Nigeria and you put a $2m clause, that’s the first I’m hearing such.

“If you were bringing Guardiola you can put $10m if he says he wants it because you know who he is; he has won laurels. But for a coach that has not done anything, not achieved anything and you put a $2m clause? There’s a lot of failure in that.

“I’ll not rate them (NFF) out of 10, but all these things I’ve broken down will tell anybody with common sense where I’m coming from.”

Nigeria’s qualification for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon has now been delayed following their back-to-back draws with Sierra Leone and should they lose their next two qualifying games, they could end up not qualifying for the continental tournament.

Iker Casillas has opened up about his relationship with Jose Mourinho during their time together at Real Madrid.

Friction between the two at the Santiago Bernabeu eventually led to a public falling-out, with club legend Casillas ousted from the first team and Mourinho eventually ousted from his position as manager.

Casillas says he wasn’t a fan of some of Mourinho’s off-field antics – particularly when he poked then-Barcelona manager Tito Vilanova in the eye – which contributed to their relationship deteriorating.

"There was a players' strike in August 2011,” Casillas explained in Colgar las Alas, a Movistar+ documentary.

“As the captain, I spoke to my team-mates and we decided that we weren't going to play which meant the opening games of the season wouldn't go ahead. We said a couple of things that neither of us liked and took badly but it was left there. Then came the Super Cup.

“We gave a terrible impression. There were scraps, battles, giving your heart and soul… but the other things (poking Vilanova’s eye) - that was the kind of thing you might see at other clubs - tacky clubs, who need to resort to that sort of thing, and that is not for us.

"We played Levante, a game in which we fell further behind to Barcelona. That was the moment when we stopped talking. We were alone together in a room and he starts telling me that I should be more open and honest.

“I told him that I didn't think it was right for a professional to poke another coach in the eye. Someone from the press department at the club grabbed us and told us to calm down, to talk it through. We sat down again and said what we had to say face to face.

"There were two or three games [in 2012-13] in which we didn't play well. That was when the old resentment resurfaced, when we fell behind in the table. Our relationship deteriorated. It had reached the point of no return by the third year.

“Up until the second year it was a love-hate relationship. He told me he didn't think I was focused, he didn't think I was playing well… I thought that maybe it was true. I had other things on my mind that I was worried about at the time.”

Nevertheless, Casillas says Mourinho was quick to get in touch with his best wishes when the goalkeeper suffered a heart attack in 2019.

"He called me, wished me the best. Those are the little things which I should focus on. Other people have made more out of the animosity than we have".

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is like an umbrella at AC Milan, according to CEO Ivan Gazidis – sheltering younger players from outside pressure and helping them develop.

The veteran Swedish striker has had a transformative effect since returning to San Siro, with Milan top of the Serie A table as the New Year nears.

Ibrahimovic is Milan's top scorer with 10 goals to his name this season but younger players like Jens Petter Hauge, Brahim Diaz and Rafael Leao have also made important contributions.

“For me, it was a big challenge to come back here to try to change the mentality, to try to change the situation and to make the players understand what Milan was about,” Ibrahimovic recently told UEFA.

“When I play, I bring my character, my personality and obviously my quality onto the pitch. I put a lot of pressure on my team-mates, I try to get the most out of each of them.”

As far as Gazidis is concerned, Ibrahimovic’s presence has been a breath of fresh air.

"The thing I am very happy about is the leadership we are showing, not only in Zlatan who obviously is like an umbrella for all players, he feels comfortable withstanding pressure and helping young players to grow,” he told Sky Sports. “Zlatan continues to call himself Benjamin Button, continues to rejuvenate.

“It is very interesting, all the players who come to Milan want to win something and this will be a legacy that Zlatan will leave because he has won so much in football and it would be easy to live on his wages and enjoy life because he has nothing left to prove.

“But he came here understanding the meaning of our challenge. He's a different player than he was ten years ago; he doesn't run as much as he once did, but he has ten players around him ready to run for him.”

Milan’s apparent rebirth hasn’t only been a product of Ibrahimovic’s hard work, of course, and Gazidis was also keen to pay tribute to coach Stefano Pioli.

"He was fantastic putting all these players together, with a great sense of unity and a common goal. We are playing purposeful, attacking football; we have scored at least two goals in the last 14 or 15 games."

Zesco United have moved to employ a foreign quota rule that will see a drastic reduction of foreign players at the Zambian Super League giants.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Richard Mulenga has confirmed the club will now have five slots given to the foreign players at the end of 2021.

“I wish to inform our strategic stakeholders, especially Zesco United fans that we are mandated by the Zesco United Football Club board to reduce the number of foreign players to five by the end of 2021,” Mulenga said.

“This process has already started as part of preparations for us to reach this target."

Burundian international Enock Sabumukama has already left the club as Mulenga stated the business in the last transfer window was done with the new rule in mind.

“The club has put in place strategic measures to ensure that this process is executed smoothly,” the official added.

“For example, Kelvin Kampamba was strategically brought in to ensure that there is cover in midfield in case one of our midfielders left the club at the end of this year. Bruce Musakanya is another creative midfielder that the club recently signed to provide similar cover.”

The administrator also acknowledged the roles that have been played at the club by foreign talents. Zesco United have been a dominant side in Zambia in the last decade as they also qualified for Caf competitions in eight seasons.

“It is worth acknowledging that foreign players have had a positive impact on this club. They have contributed immeasurably to the growth and success of the club,” added Mulenga.

“However, it is also crucial for us to look at the cost of doing business in this current environment. Furthermore, there are strategic policies that the Football Association of Zambia is currently looking at. One of these is the introduction of foreign player quotas. As a club, we don’t want to be caught off-guard when these things are finally implemented.

“It remains our mission to bring the best players to Zesco. This change in policy will also give our home-grown players an opportunity to play for the biggest club in the land and a rare platform to shine at both local and international level.

“This is evident through the promotion of three home-grown players who have graduated from the Zesco United youth team to the senior side and currently playing first-team football.”

Kenyans at the club enjoy the giant share of the slots given to foreigners; Ian Otieno, David Owino, Jesse Were and John Makwatta are the Harambee Stars at the Ndola club.

Among the four, only Owino has been enjoying fewer minutes from last season.

Dieudone Ntibahezwa of Burundi, DR Congo’s Marcel Kalonda, and Thabani Kamusoko of Zimbabwe are the other foreigners at Timu ya Ziko.

The Court of Arbitration of Sports (CAS) has revised fines imposed on Football Kenya Federation (FKF) following the wrongful dismissal of Adel Amrouche in 2014.

Initially, FKF was ordered by CAS to pay the tactician Ksh109 million but in a document dated December 3, the amount has been revised to Ksh89, 440,268.

The court has outlined the charges accrued from the salaries of June and July 2014 plus 5% interest, compensation for breach of contract plus interest per annum since March 4, 2016.

FKF has also been given room to consider a partial payment to settle the fines with the former Harambee Stars head coach.

The federation, under Nick Mwendwa, has had to deal with cases of wrongful dismissals lodged by Amrouche and Bobby Williamson.

Under his watch, Mwendwa has employed five coaches; Stanley Okumbi, Paul Put, Sebastien Migne, Francis Kimanzi and the current man in charge of the senior team Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee. From Okumbi, who now handles the U20 side to Put, Migne and Kimanzi, none has so far come out to claim wrongful termination of their contracts.

Kenya were to pay the Algerian coach the Ksh109m or risk expulsion from the 2022 World Cup qualification. The coach, who is now in charge of the Botswana national team, expressed his disappointment should Kenya be banned, for not paying his dues.

“I don’t want to be that person who kills the dreams of our players,” Amrouche told Goal in a previous interview .

“Most of the players in the Kenyan squad are my former players and friends and it will hurt me most if they miss out on playing in the qualifiers just because my case against FKF brings sanctions from Fifa.

“I also, have respect for Kenyan supporters, they are good people, I enjoyed their support when I was the coach back in Kenya, I enjoyed their hospitality and will be offended to see them miss to watch and support their team during the qualifiers.”

Since leaving Kenya, the 52-year-old manager has handled USM Alger, Libya, MC Alger and now Botswana.

Kenya have been drawn alongside Ugandan, Rwanda and Mali in the first round of the World Cup qualifications.

Young Africans (Yanga SC) have confirmed new signing Saidi Ntibazonkiza has now been allowed to play for the team in the Mainland Premier League.

The Burundian forward was signed by the Jangwani giants before the mini-transfer window was opened on December 15, 2020, but he has now been cleared by Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) to play for the side.

Despite being signed in November, Ntibazonkiza has only managed to play for Yanga in a friendly in which they beat Singida United 3-0, with the striker notching a double while Deus Kaseke grabbed the third goal.

Yanga Media Officer Hassan Bumbuli has now confirmed they have received a clearance to use the player in their league matches and he will be in contention to start against promoted side Dodoma Jiji on Saturday.

“We have finished all his paperwork and now the player is free to play for us,” Bumbuli told reporters in Arusha. “It will now depend with the coach if he is ready to use him, he is with the squad in Arusha and everything is confirmed now."

On the team’s preparations, Bumbuli said: “We have had good preparations heading into the match against Dodoma, we were supposed to play against them in Dar es Salaam but we decided to shift the match to Arusha so that our fans in the town can also see the team in action.

“It is also a good chance for the fans in Arusha to see the new signing [Ntobanzokiza] in action, so we ask the fans to come out in large numbers and support us against Dodoma.”

In a recent interview, Ntibazonkiza vowed to help the team achieve the targets they set for the 2020-21 campaign.

“I’m happy to play for Yanga, they approached me in their quest to reinforce their squad and I said, 'Let me go for the challenge to see how we can build the team altogether,'” Ntibazonkiza said as quoted by Daily News.

“I will use my experience and with a combination of other experienced players, we will achieve the goal.

“I feel happy to see people appreciating what you do. It’s my first experience to play with Yanga but I see a bright future here,” said Ntibazonkiza, who has also played for Burundian giants Vital’O and also Kaysar Kyzylorda in the Kazakhstan Premier League.

On which team will stop Yanga from winning the title, Ntibazonkiza said: “Let’s see how it is going since I’m a new player I cannot say that, it’s is too early considering the fact that I have not yet played for a league match.”

Ntibazonkiza started to play football at Vital'O as an asylum seeker, when he came to the Netherlands in 2005. NEC were the nearest professional football club, and because of that, he trained with their youth team.

Tijani Babangida has lamented Nigeria’s style of playing football, which he described as "kick and follow" under Gernot Rohr.

The Super Eagles were known for their style of play in Africa, with a lot of emphasis on wing-play, which has helped them win a number of laurels, including three Africa Cup of Nations titles.

The West Africans have heavily been criticized for not having a definite playing style under German tactician, Rohr.

Last month, the Super Eagles laboured to back-to-back draws against lowly-rated Sierra Leone in Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. 

Babangida claimed Nigeria’s deviation from their football culture is the reason for their struggle to win games in recent times.

“We never knew Nigeria as a country that plays kick and follow football but we already lost our culture of football in Africa," Babangida told Punch. 

“We have our own culture of play, just like the Brazilians, and I believe only Nigeria and Brazil have that culture in football. But we have lost it.

“You will discover that whenever we play against any team with whatever tactics they come up with, they fall down easily when we start playing our game.

“Now we have changed and we are not looking for those kinds of players that suit the system. And then we find it difficult because we are playing the 4-4-2 defensive system and that’s why we are always having problems.

“Nigeria is a country with a lot of potential players and the only country that can compete with Nigeria in terms of potential is Brazil.

“We are almost the same as them and that’s why we were always beating other Africans or other nations when we played against them because we have the quality, we have the group and we also have the culture. But that culture is what we have lost.”

Babangida made 36 appearances for the Super Eagles during his playing years, scoring five goals before his retirement

Mohamed Salah admits he was “very disappointed” not to have been named captain for Liverpool’s recent Champions League match against Midtjylland.

Jurgen Klopp named a much-changed side for their dead-rubber final game in the group stage, with star man Salah scoring Liverpool’s goal in a 1-1 draw.

Salah was expecting to be named captain as the most experienced player in the team, but the armband was instead worn by 22-year-old Trent Alexander-Arnold.

“Honestly, I was very disappointed,” Salah told AS. “I was expecting to be the captain... but it's the manager's decision, so I accept it.”

Salah stirred up speculation of a move away from Liverpool, refusing to rule out a future switch to Barcelona or Real Madrid.

The interview may not have gone down well at Anfield, with Salah dropped to the bench for Saturday’s game with Crystal Palace.

Jurgen Klopp told BT Sport: "Mo Salah is on the bench, they have all played a lot of games. He can come on and make a difference. We need all the boys.”

Liverpool fans will of course be hoping that speculation proves to be nothing more than that. For now, Salah has his eyes on the goal, though he didn’t like to say he was aiming for a third Premier League golden boot.

“I don't want to say that for now. But, yeah, I'm always trying to score goals to help the team to win the game.

“There's a good chance to be a third-time top scorer again. But the most important thing is to win something, to win the big trophies with the team. That's the most important thing.

“I think I have broken a few records; I wish I could break all the records for the club, that would be nice. But yeah, it's just like I said again, the team comes first before any record. But as much as you keep breaking records and winning games, that's great also.

“I think over the last few seasons we've been doing good in the Champions League. I think also in the Premier League, as well. We had a good chance to win them both. Last season we were unlucky in the Champions League. We will fight for both this year, that's from my point of view that we will fight for both.”

Crystal Palace will slug it out with Liverpool in Saturday’s Premier League game and have named their squad for the encounter.

Eberechi Eze, Jordan Ayew, Wilfried Zaha, Jeffrey Schlupp and Cheikhou Kouyate have been included in Palace starting XI while Mohamed Salah has been dropped to the bench for the Reds.

Eze will be making his ninth league start for the Eagles in the encounter after his scintillating performances since his arrival at the club from Championship side Queens Park Rangers.

The midfielder won the November Player of the Season and his strike against Leeds United was also adjudged as the best goal from the Eagles in the month under review.

The Anglo-Nigerian has formed a fine partnership with Zaha, who has also been in blistering form for Palace, having scored seven goals and provided two assists in the current campaign.

The Ivory Coast international will be starting his 11th Premier League game in the season for Roy Hodgson’s men.

Ghana international Schlupp has also been afforded a starting role along with his compatriot Ayew, following his recent impressive showings for the club.

Schlupp scored his first Premier League goal of the season against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend and will hope to deliver another eye-catching performance.

Kouyate has played in the defence and midfield for Palace this season and will make his 13th league appearance for the club at Selhurst Park.

Liverpool, meanwhile, have excluded their star forward and Egypt international Salah from the starting lineup.

Jurgen Klopp, however, named Cameroon international Joel Matip, Guinea midfielder Naby Keita and Senegal forward Sadio Mane in the starting XI.

Liverpool lead the Premier League table with 28 points from 13 games while Crystal Palace are 12th with 18 points from the same number of matches.