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SC Villa coach Edward Kaziba has explained the importance of winning their first home match against Mbarara City in the Ugandan Premier League (UPL) on Wednesday.

The Jogoos had opened the 2020-21 campaign with a 2-2 draw against BUL FC and will now return home for their second match at Bombo Military Barracks Grounds in Bombo.

Coach Kaziba has now maintained they must strive to get a win in the home game, saying it will set their pace to reach some of the targets they have earmarked for the season.

“The first home game of the season is always important, and we are fully aware of this,” Kaziba told the club’s official website ahead of the match. “We need to start off our home games with a win.”

On whether the team has any injury concerns from the last fixture, Kaziba said: “We don’t have any injuries in the team, having passed the last fitness test in our previous fixture, Derrick [Ndahiro] is now fully fit.

“Benson [Muhindo] will sit out this game due to a red card he received on matchday one and shot-stopper Saidi Keni remains out as we complete the paperwork for licensing and Mohammedi Nsereko also returns to the squad and he is available for selection.”

About the team having never lost to Mbarara City in a home fixture, Kaziba said: “That is a good piece of history but that is in the past now. A lot of things have changed since then; we are going into this game basing on the present conditions not the past.”

Villa midfielder Emmanuel Alex Wasswa is confident they have prepared well to start their home matches with a win.

“I am very prepared for the game; the coaching staff have been taking the team through all the necessary drills. We are ready for the game," he told the same publication.

“In the same fixture last season, we beat Mbarara 3-1 so we will not settle for less. Since this is our first home game this season, we hope to win.”

Villa will, however, play the fixture without fans owing to the strict Covid-19 pandemic standard operating procedures set by Uganda’s Ministry of Health.

There is a "witch-hunt" to get Ole Gunnar Solskjaer out of Manchester United, according to Phil Neville, who insists the club's early Champions League exit is not a "disaster".

United missed the chance to book their place in the knockout stages of Europe's elite competition after losing 3-2 away at RB Leipzig on Tuesday night.

Solskjaer's men only needed a point to qualify, but found themselves two goals down after 13 minutes, with Manchester City loanee Angelino opening the scoring before setting up Amadou Haidara to increase the home side's lead.

The Red Devils fell even further behind midway through the second period after Justin Kluivert capitalised on hesitant defending from Harry Maguire and fearful goalkeeping from David de Gea to chip the ball into the net, leaving the visitors facing an uphill task in the final 20 minutes.

Bruno Fernandes was able to reduce the deficit from the penalty spot before Paul Pogba's goal set up a frantic finale, but Leipzig ultimately closed out the match to book their place in the Round of 16 for the second successive year.

There have again been calls for Solskjaer's head following another damaging defeat, with United once again struggling for consistency at the start of the 2020-21 campaign.

However, Neville thinks the Norwegian has been subjected to a lot of unfair criticism, and he has backed the Red Devils to respond by getting a positive result in Saturday's derby clash against Manchester City.

"There's an awful narrative where the minute United lose a game it seems like a disaster,” the treble winner, who formed part of the club's famous class of '92, told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"It's not a disaster tonight, but it's disappointing. United wanted to be in the last 16.

"There are Manchester United teams in the past with better managers than Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - like Sir Alex Ferguson - which have gone out at this stage. It does happen, it has happened.

"It's quite a freakish time at the moment. There are managers in the Premier League who are below United in the league but have great reputations and don't get the stick Solskjaer gets.

"If United win on Saturday - and Ole's teams tend to do well in big moments, I think Saturday is a big moment for the manager and for the players.

"They played poorly in the first 30 minutes, they got punished in a group which was really, really difficult and they're out of the competition. They're now in the Europa League, they've got to go out and win that.

"The narrative from inside the club is far, far different to that outside the club, where it seems there's a total witch-hunt to get this boy out of the job."

Gabriel Martinelli has given Arsenal a very welcome attacking boost after he returned to competitive action following nine months out injured.

The Brazilian striker played for the Gunners' Under-21 side on Tuesday night in their Papa John's Trophy clash with AFC Wimbledon. He started the game and played 45 minutes before being withdrawn at half-time.

Arsenal U21 went on to lose the game 3-0 to their League One opponents and ended the game with nine men after Tim Akinola and William Saliba were sent off in the final few minutes.

Martinelli has been out of action since March after suffering a serious knee injury in training, just as the 19-year-old was establishing himself as an important first-team player in Mikel Arteta's side.

The Brazilian scored 10 goals in all competitions last season - which is as many as Arsenal have managed as a collective in the Premier League after 11 games in the 2020-21 campaign.

Martinelli, whose injury kept him out of Arsenal's FA Cup and Community Shield triumphs earlier this year, signed a new contract at the club over the summer and in October gave a positive update about his recovery.

He said: “I’m feeling very well, I’m regaining confidence and I can feel my knee is better. After an injury like this you are kind of scared to force the knee again but the past couple of weeks it has been fine and soon I can start training with the ball.

“I think we have an excellent squad and along with Mikel’s forward-thinking and winning mentality we can carry on doing well. We are playing well and training well, everyone wants to win and we are all giving everything. I believe this season is very promising.

“We won trophies last season and I believe we can win this season again and also qualify for the Champions League.”

While Martinelli is nearing a first-team return, the Wimbledon defeat represents another blow for Saliba, who has failed to break into the Arsenal first-team picture since a big-money move from Saint-Etienne.

Saliba, who spent last season on loan back at the Ligue 1 club before returning to Arsenal to supposedly feature regularly for Arteta's side, was given a straight red card in the 90th minute at Plough Lane for a reckless tackle.

Ugandan left-back Fred Nkata has confirmed he will leave Football Kenya Federation Premier League side Bandari after his contract ends in December.

The former Sports Club Villa defender signed for Bandari in 2016 and worked with his Premier League-winning father Paul Nkata, and is now destined for a new challenge, as his time with the Mombasa club comes to an end.

“Good morning to the Bandari FC family,” Nkata wrote on his Facebook page. “It's with a heavy heart that I announce that I will be leaving Bandari at the end of my contract this year December 2020.

“It has been an incredible four years since I joined in January 2016. I leave with very good memories that will always remind me I have a home and a family here and people with whom I have made an everlasting bond.”

Nkata explained why he joined Bandari, where he went to feature in the SportPesa Super Cup final in 2018, the FKF Shield Cup final and in the Caf Confederation Cup up to the first round in 2019 alongside his compatriot William Wadri.

“When I chose to come to Bandari, it was to give my all and help to elevate the club to greater heights and I feel we achieved that,” he added.

“The reasons are solely footballing ones and I feel that now is the time to take another step in the right direction.”

The defender also named individuals whom he said were key during his time with the coastal side.

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude and absolute appreciation to the Bandari fans who made me feel at home and supported me every step of the way, through the highs and the lows, in triumph and in defeat, I say thank you very much,” the former Tusker defender concluded.

“I want to highlight my utmost respect for chairman Musa Hassan and Chief Executive Officer Edward Oduor for granting me the opportunity to serve Bandari FC.

“In a special way, I'd like to thank coach Paul Nkata, coach Bernard Mwalala and the entire coaching staff I have worked with, my teammates, the club administrators, the board and everyone who wakes up every day to try and take this club to greater heights.

“I wish the club all the best on their journey in the BetKing Premier League this season and future endeavours.”

Bandari, who will face Nairobi City Stars on December 14, were not as active as a number of Premier League sides during the last transfer window.

Uganda Revenue Authority (URA FC) coach Sam Ssimbwa has stated they deserved to win their Ugandan Premier League (UPL) match against Soltilo Bright Stars on Tuesday.

The Taxmen were playing their first home match for the 2020-21 campaign at the Arena of Visions in Ndejje but could only manage a 0-0 draw against a very defensive Bright Stars side.

Ssimbwa, who has also coached Kenyan side Sofapaka, has now said his side played fairly well despite missing two of their key strikers, and that they deserved to get a better result than the draw.

“We played above average and to me, I think we should have taken the day because we created scoring chances, unfortunately, our main striker of the day Steven [Mukwala] didn’t do what he was supposed to do,” Ssimbwa told reporters after the match.

“I am worried that my team is not scoring goals, and you know my top two strikers are out because of Covid-19 and this time around we even changed the formation, playing two strikers but if I could bring [Chikongo] back, that is our striker, he can solve the problem for us, but I hope it won’t continue.”

On their next fixture against SC Villa on Saturday, Ssimbwa said: “We are going back to the drawing board, to rectify mistakes which have hindered us from winning the game today [Tuesday].

“We shall sharpen the strikers, we shall also sharpen the attacking midfielders to see that if [Mukwala] doesn’t click alone, they can also assist us to score, we shall also organise our defending because we made some mistakes which could have resulted into us losing the match.”

Against Bright Stars, Ssimbwa made three changes to the team that started in the season opener against Mbarara City which ended in a 1-1 draw, Brian Majwega, Hudu Mulikyi, and Mutyaba Julius replaced Galiwango Ashraf, Katongole Faruk, and skipper Kagimu Shafik, respectively.

In the entire match, URA could only manage two chances, one from Ivan Sserubiri in the first 10 minutes and another by Michael Birungi in the 36th minute which all went begging.

URA will have a chance to make things right when they play at home against SC Villa on Saturday.

Didier Drogba has thanked the players from both Paris Saint-Germain and Istanbul Basaksehir for walking off the pitch in the fight against racism, with new officials having already been confirmed for the postponed Champions League match.

PSG welcomed Turkish side Basaksehir to Parc des Princes for a crucial Group H decider on Tuesday night, knowing that a win or a draw would see them qualify for the round of 16.

However, the contest only lasted 14 minutes before play was halted, as fourth official Sebastian Coltescu was accused of using racially offensive language towards Basaksehir assistant coach Pierre Webo.

Webo was sent off for his role in the argument, which caused the away side to walk off the pitch in protest, and PSG followed soon after in a display of unity against racial prejudice, which Drogba was pleased to see.

The Chelsea legend's former team-mate Demba Ba was heard remonstrating with Coltescu as he leapt off the substitutes' bench, asking the question: "Why, when you mention a Black guy, do you have to say 'this Black guy'?"

Drogba posted a video of Ba's protests on social media and praised the actions of both sets of players after the match was officially called off, writing on Twitter: "Thank you Demba Ba and Achille Webo for standing out and to the players for leaving the field."

UEFA has confirmed a new set of match officials will be used when the game is restarted at 5:55pm GMT (12:55pm ET) on Wednesday evening in an official statement on their website, which reads: "UEFA has - after discussion with both clubs - decided on an exceptional basis to have the remaining minutes of the match played with a new team of match officials.

"A thorough investigation on the incident that took place will be opened immediately."

PSG ended up qualifying for the Champions League knockout stages despite their fixture being pushed back by a day after Manchester United suffered a 3-2 defeat away at RB Leipzig.

The French champions' superior head-to-head record against the Red Devils means they will progress regardless of whether they go on to pick up a positive result against Basaksehir.

Young Africans (Yanga SC) head coach Cedric Kaze has wondered why his side did not score more than two goals against Ruvu Shooting in a Mainland Premier League tie at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on December 6.

Yanga pulled off a 2-1 victory to keep their good run in the season going but the Burundian coach feels Timu ya Wananchi would have had more goals had they been clinical enough against a side that inflicted a 1-0 loss against their arch-rivals Simba SC.

“We faced a well-organised side who have a very experienced coach and who understand the league better, but we managed to make a statement that we are in the league to compete,” the former Vital’O coach told Daily News.

“Looking at that game from a technical perspective, one wonders why we only managed to score just two goals as we had instances where we could have got more than two goals.

“We squandered a lot of chances but the good thing is that we managed to get three points from a very difficult team.”

The next game for the record champions will be a clash against Mwadui FC on December 12 but Kaze has underlined the importance of his players remaining consistent.

“The most important thing is for the payers to maintain consistency in all games and not only in one game,” the coach, whose side have not been defeated in 14 games and with 34 points, added.

Kaze also explained why the arrival of Saidi Ntizanbonkiza, a Burundian free agent who was recently signed, will add more confidence to the players.

“Failing to score does not mean a player is bad but sometimes that happens because of low confidence. With Ntibanzonkiza’s arrival, definitely confidence of some players will improve,” he concluded.

The Burundian's arrival fuelled speculation around Yacouba Sogne’s future. Sogne is among the players signed in the last transfer window but rumours have it that he might leave the club in December.

There are is speculation around Farouk Shikhalo’s future, who has found it hard to dislodge Metacha Mnata from the starting XI.

Since signing for Yanga, the former Bandari and Posta Rangers goalkeeper has always had to contend with a place on the bench alongside Ramadhan Kabwili.

Wakiso Giants coach Douglas Bamweyana has expressed disappointment at how his team played against Kyetume FC in a Ugandan Premier League match on Tuesday.

The Purple Sharks were forced to fight from two goals down to pick up a point in a 2-2 draw with Kyetume at Kabaka Kyabaggu Stadium, Wakissha. Ibrahim Kasule and Yasin Mugume scored to cancel out goals from Baker Buyala and Saaka Sharif.

The result has left coach Bamweyana a disappointed man especially on the two goals his side conceded in their first home fixture of the 2020-21 campaign.

“I thought we never won second balls, we got a few bad situations at the start and probably we cleared that later,” Bamweyana told the club’s official website. “We gave away two easy goals and that shouldn’t be happening again, that was our let down today.”

On the team’s resurgent comeback from two goals down, Bamweyana said: “But again, I am proud of the boys, they came back, fought hard and tried to control things and for patches with moments of turbulence but I think we can do better on to the next games.”

On the overall game, Bamweyana explained: “We were the better team on the pitch and we should walk away with all points but it wasn’t our day.

“We had very good chances to win especially in the second half including one on one situations but it wasn’t meant to be our day.”

Bamweyana made four changes from the starting team against Police, handing Samson Kiirya his first game in over three years, Kasule his senior start, Lawrence Bukenya his first game, and Karim Ndugwa.

Wakiso started brightly with the man of the match Mugume forcing Mutakubwa into saving his two well-weighed crosses into the area.

But it was unfortunate as they went down in the 11th minute when Buyala slotted home after Kiirya had stopped Matovu’s shot from a free-kick on the edge of the box.

Four minutes later, Saaka made it 2-0 for the visitors with an easy tap-in after the Sharks failed to clear their lines.

However, Wakiso pulled a goal back when a good move initiated by Bukenya saw Ssenyonjo pass to the marauding Simon Namwanja, whose cutback found Kasule, who beat his marker and slotted past Mutakubwa.

The game was level six minutes to half-time thanks to Mugume’s strike after getting on the end of a good cross from the right by Amos Muwonge.

Wakiso will now prepare to host champions Vipers SC on Saturday.

Stefan Savic says Joao Felix can claim the Ballon d'Or one day but has insisted that his colleague must first win something with Atletico Madrid.

Atletico forked out a club-record fee of €126 million (£115m/$153m) to bring Felix to Wanda Metropolitano from Benfica in July 2019.

The Los Rojiblancos won the race for the Portuguese playmaker's signature ahead of a host of top European clubs, including Spanish rivals Real Madrid, but he has taken time to adapt to his new surroundings after a rapid rise to prominence in the Primeira Liga.

Felix was only able to show glimpses of his talent during his first season on Atletico's books, scoring nine goals in 36 matches as he found himself in and out of Diego Simeone's starting XI.

The 21-year-old has, however, taken his game to new heights at the start of the 2020-21 campaign, helping Simeone's men storm to the top of La Liga in the process.

Felix has found the net five times in 10 domestic outings while also recording three goals in five Champions League appearances, having developed an aggressive streak to complement his impressive creative skills in the final third.

Savic says the Portugal international was the subject of unfair criticism at the start of his Atletico career, and has predicted that his talented young team-mate can go onto win football's most coveted individual prize if he continues on his current trajectory.

“He is a different player, something that we did not have in the squad. He is still a young boy, he has room to grow and you have to leave him alone," the Montenegro international defender told Goal.

"You have chosen the best possible club to grow. He has a great future and if he continues like this, I have no doubt that he can be a great player or a Ballon d'Or winner, but before that he has to win something with the club."

Savic went on to play down Atletico's title chances, stressing that it is still far too early to get carried away by their position in the Liga standings.

“We are very good, but we don't like to talk now about how the League will end. It is too early to make calculations to win the League," he said. "We are very good, we have won eight games, but we did not get out of our 'game by game' and hopefully when the year ends we can win a title.

"Hopefully we can continue in this line until the end of the season."

Asked if it would be a missed opportunity if Atletico fail to win their first domestic crown since 2013-14, Savic responded: “It is not a failure if we don't win the league, for sure. There are other very good teams. No one can force us to win anything. The team tries every year to win titles. That's how it is.

"We have won the Europa League, we have won the Super Cup, we were very close to winning the Champions League and we are going to fight all the titles.

"This team has a lot of potential but it is still early to know how this season will end."

Real Madrid's record signing Eden Hazard has had a hard time in Spain ever since he moved from Chelsea for £89 million in 2019. 

The Belgium international has been blighted by ankle and leg problems since joining the Spanish giants from Chelsea nearly 18 months ago. Last season he started just 14 games in La Liga, playing a minor role as Madrid won the title in his first campaign at the club.

He has continued to struggle this term and suffered another injury in just his third league start of the campaign against Alaves last week. His Belgium teammate Thomas Vermaelen, however, has thrown his weight behind the winger and has stated that Real Madrid will see the best of Hazard soon. 

"Firstly, everybody is very quick to say that he's got an injury. Injury-prone and that kind of stuff. I think he had a knock on his ankle and that's not his fault. It must be a muscle injury. I think it's not too bad," he told Goal.

Vermaelen, currently in Qatar for the AFC Champions League campaign with his Japanese club Vissel Kobe, stated that the 29-year-old is a world-class player and he will show his best in Real Madrid colours sooner rather than later. 

"For me personally he's a world-class player, played against him in England. He will come back. He's very positive. When he comes back and starts playing the game. You'll see the best of him. I'm not worried about him. He'll come back." 

The 35-year-old defender also had words of encouragement for his former club and Real Madrid's arch-rivals, Barcelona. The Blaugrana are also struggling in LaLiga this season, currently languishing in the seventh spot, a far cry from the excellence they are used to. 

Off-field issues like Lionel Messi's transfer request and subsequent board-level changes have also affected the team. 

Vermaelen, who won four La Liga titles and a Champions League trophy with the club, believes that Camp Nou will witness their favourite back at their very best soon. 

"For me its just about the side. They have some problems financially as well. Barcelona is always a good team. Everyone is expecting Barcelona to be at the top of the club every season which is so difficult. Sometimes it goes like that.

"Eventually, Barcelona will come back at the top. At the moment, maybe it will be difficult for the situation the club is in."

Barcelona "didn't turn up" against Juventus, according to Antoine Griezmann, who has admitted that the team lacked desire and attitude in the Group G showdown.

Juve claimed an impressive 3-0 victory at Camp Nou in the Champions League on Tuesday night as Barca surrendered their 100 per cent record in meek fashion.

With both sides already safely through to the knockout stages, the Blaugrana only needed a point to secure top spot in the group, but fell behind after just 13 minutes when Ronaldo stepped up to score a penalty after being fouled by Ronald Araujo in the box.

Juve doubled their advantage seven minutes later, with Weston McKennie rising to meet Juan Cuadrado's pinpoint cross with a flying volley which beat Marc-Andre ter Stegen all ends up in the Barca net.

All the pre-match talk centred around the renewal of hostilities between multiple Ballon d'Or winners Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who hadn't played against each other since the former's move to the Allianz Stadium from Real Madrid in 2018.

Ronaldo put his long-time rival in the shade by converting another penalty early in the second half, with Messi ultimately enduring a night to forget after failing to score with his seven shots on goal.

Griezmann, who led the line for Barca and came closest to scoring for Koeman's team when he headed a Messi free-kick onto the crossbar shortly after Ronaldo's second goal, was in no mood to offer any excuses for the defeat after the final whistle.

The Frenchman conceded that the hosts only started playing once the game had slipped away from them, before expressing a desire to move on quickly ahead of a La Liga clash against Levante on Sunday.

"We didn't turn up," Griezmann told reporters post-match. "In the first half, they got the better of us. It was a lack of everything: of desire, of attitude, willingness to run, all of it was bad.

"In the second half, there was already a three-goal advantage and it was easier for us but we had a bad day and a bad game.

"Who else can be blamed if we are the ones who play? We have to work on this and want to improve, want to play, and only in this way are we going to move forward.

"We are going to try to put the excuses to the side. The only way is to put everything aside, through work and nothing else. We have given a very bad account of ourselves, for the fans."

Juve qualified for the round of 16 as Group G winners after outscoring Barca 3-2 during their two meetings, and can thusly look forward to a favourable draw as they continue to chase down a first European Cup triumph since 1996.

The Blaugrana will have to face off against one of the other pool winners in the next stage, with the likes of Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Liverpool all waiting in the wings.

Former Orlando Pirates winger Daine Klate believes that Orlando Pirates have “the capabilities and the players to deal with the pressures of a Cup final” and that will push them to overpower Bloemfontein Celtic in Saturday’s MTN8 final at Moses Mabhida Stadium.

Pirates go into Saturday’s match having last won a piece of silverware in 2014 when they claimed the Nedbank Cup.

Their opponents have also gone for a long period without making additions to their trophy cabinet which last accommodated a major Cup in 2012 when they won the Telkom Knockout.

But Klate, who won the 2010 and 2011 MTN8 with Pirates, feels that the Buccaneers are favourites to prevail as winners on Saturday.

After impressively knocking out their Soweto rivals Kaizer Chiefs on a 5-0 aggregate scoreline in the semi-final, Klate takes Pirates as short favourites.

But the ex-Buccaneers star is not totally discounting Celtic whom he feels will not be pushovers.

“I would probably go for Pirates but I think Bloemfontein Celtic have done really well,” said Klate as per Sowetan Live.

“In fact, both teams have done well to get to the final. Celtic got through Mamelodi Sundowns in the quarterfinals to get to the semifinals where they beat SuperSport United, the reigning champions.

“Pirates beat Kaizer Chiefs to get to the final so I think both are deservedly in the final. It’s a difficult one to call but I would like for Pirates to win it. I don’t think Pirates have won a trophy since I left the team.

“I think they have got the capabilities and the players to deal with the pressures of a cup final. They have a lot of experience in the team again. The same with Celtic; they just came from the Nedbank Cup final which they narrowly lost against Sundowns.

“So I think it’s a very even final and both teams can win. But I would like for Pirates to triumph.”

Saturday’s showdown will be Celtic’s second final in three months after losing out on the Nedbank Cup to Mamelodi Sundowns in September.

But the Free State side got their revenge a month later when they eliminated Downs from the MTN8 at the quarter-final stage.

They then went on to knock out SuperSport United in the last four of this tournament.

The last time Celtic and Pirates met was early November when the Bucs edged Siwelele 1-0 away at Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium.

Qatar have been invited by UEFA to join a World Cup qualifying group containing European champions Portugal, as they look to prepare for the 2022 World Cup. 

Qatar are the reigning Asian Champions and are also assured of a spot in the 2022 World Cup as hosts. But the Maroons are looking to fine-tune their preparations for their first ever World Cup campaign. 

The Asian champions' will be in Group A which also contains the Republic of Ireland, Serbia, Azerbaijan and Luxembourg apart from Portugal. Their results will not count towards qualification though. 

They will face each side twice, but their 'home' matches will be staged in Europe to allow shorter flight times for their opponents. Qatar are also set to play in the Copa America and Gold Cup next year as they look to gain further experience from competing against strong footballing nations. 

UEFA confirmed the news on Tuesday and announced Qatar would begin their campaign against Luxembourg at a neutral venue yet to be confirmed on March 24, 2021.

Felix Sanchez Bas' side, who are ranked 59th in the world and won their first ever Asian Cup with a 3-1 win over Japan in last year's final, will take on Portugal next September and October.

H.E. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani, President of Qatar Football Association, said: “We are delighted that Qatar will participate in UEFA qualifying matches for the next FIFA World Cup, which our country is proud to be hosting. Playing matches in Group A against high-quality teams provides our national team with an excellent foundation as we continue our journey of preparation ahead of 2022.” 

“Our squad has made major strides in recent years, including winning the AFC Asian Cup in 2019, and we are determined to showcase the progress we’ve made and the talent our country possesses when we host the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East and Arab World in 2022," he added. 

The Confederation of Africa Football (Caf) has imposed a fine of Ksh1million on Kenya after top dignitaries breached security protocols at the end of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Comoros on November 11.

According to a statement from the African body, Kenya’s Deputy President William Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga forcefully entered the pitch to talk to Harambee Stars players after the match, which ended 1-1 at Kasarani Stadium.

“The Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya and the former Prime Minister decided to talk to the Kenyan team at zone one,” read the statement from Caf. “The dignitaries had heavy security attached to them.

“They barged through the stewards arranged by Caf security officer. In terms of the Caf Statutes & Regulations; In terms of Articles 82, 83.1, 83.2, and 151 of Caf Disciplinary Code.

“Caf Disciplinary Board has, therefore, decided to impose upon the Kenyan Federation a financial sanction of 10, 000 USD (Ten Thousand US Dollars).”

During the match, Comoros took the lead courtesy of M'changama Youssouf's well-curled free-kick but striker Masoud Juma equalised for the Harambee Stars in the second half after the visitors had been reduced to ten men.

Speaking to Harambee Stars players after the match, Ruto challenged the team to defeat Comoros at Moroni, in the reverse fixture, and come home with maximum points.

“We understand it was a tough game for you but you have given the best despite the challenges involved,” Ruto told the players. “As Kenya, we are confident you will go to Comoros and beat them. I am confident, from what I have seen here, there is a high chance of coming back home with a win.”

The 53-year-old politician then went ahead to give the national team Ksh1 million to motivate them, promising more if the team performs well in the campaign.

“This [money] is meant for your dinner, but we will further appreciate you if you give us a positive outcome on Sunday," he said at the time.

“The Covid-19 situation has not made it easy for most of you since you have not trained for some time, but the spirit is there and with better preparations, I am sure you will perform even better.”

The FKF through president Nick Mwendwa has said they will not appeal the decision by Caf to fine them.

“We will not contest against the Caf decision, there is no need,” Mwendwa told Goal on Wednesday.

Kenya went on to lose the reverse fixture in Moroni 2-1 to leave them with slim hopes of making it to the finals of the competition to be staged in Cameroon.

Alejandro Menendez has joined Albacete Balompie as the head coach until the end of this season, the Spanish club announced on Tuesday. 

He will be the third coach in this season after Lucas Alcaraz and Aritz López Garai and has a difficult task at hand of avoiding relegation of a team that currently sits last on the table with just 11 points from 17 games. 

Their last win came in October when they beat Rayo Vallecano 2-1. In their last five matches, they have drawn once and lost the remaining games. The bottom four teams get relegated at the end of the season and they are currently four points off that mark. 

But Menendez does have plenty of time in his hand to turn things around as more than half of the fixtures are yet to be played. This is his first stint as a coach after he left East Bengal following a derby defeat to Mohun Bagan. 

After parting ways with the Red and Golds, Menendez said, "I am happy for the progress the club has made during my tenure as the head coach and I wish to see the new leadership to take this progress to the next level. I enjoyed my duration with the club and wish the team and the fans all the best."

The Spanish coach came under a lot of pressure in the new year when the team lost against Churchill Brothers away from home and then against Gokulam Kerala at the Kalyani Stadium. But the Kolkata derby defeat proved to be the last straw. 

Menéndez arrives at Carlos Belmonte with a technical assistant, Juanma Barrero. The rest of the coaching staff will remain the same barring assistant coach, who will now be Fran Noguerol. He is the former Albacete captain who has been linked to the club since he hung up his boots in the 2014-15 campaign.

Kenya midfielder Francis Kahata has dismissed reports he is set to leave Simba SC of Tanzania in January.

Goal understands the Tanzania champions are working on a loan deal for the player, who has fallen down the pecking order at the club, with Zambia’s Clatous Chama and Luis Luís Miquissone of Mozambique the preferred choice for coach Sven Vandenbroeck.

The 29-year-old signed for the Wekundu wa Msimbazi on July 4, 2019, and was the darling of the club fans before he started warming the bench under Vandenbroeck.

A source privy to Kahata’s situation told Goal on Tuesday they are working on loaning out the player and did not rule out a return to Gor Mahia.

“We have information the club wants to loan him out but they will pay his salary,” a source, who did not want to be named, told Goal on Tuesday.

“It is also believed Simba want to loan him out to his former club Gor Mahia, because he does not want to warm the bench anymore.”

The player has now come out to deny the allegations, telling Goal he was still contracted with Simba and termed the loan links as just "rumours".

“Those are just rumours, I am not leaving Simba until I see through my contract,” Kahata told Goal on Wednesday.

The former Thika United player has further taken to his social media pages to rubbish the transfer reports.

“I’ve seen news or rumours circulating on a section of media outlets purporting that Simba has released me,” Kahata wrote on his Facebook page. “Those are malicious and misleading news and I don’t like it at all.

“I am still a Simba player honouring my contract and committed to the team till the lapse of my legal responsibility.”

Apart from Kahata, Simba also have another Kenyan player in their ranks – defender Joash Onyango – who joined the team at the start of the 2020-21 campaign, also from Gor Mahia.

Unlike, Kahata this term, Onyango has featured in all Simba matches in the league but missed the return leg of the Caf Champions League against Plateau United of Nigeria played in Dar es Salaam on Saturday, after picking up an injury in the first leg played in Abuja, where they won 1-0.

Simba will resume league action when they take on Polisi Tanzania at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Wednesday.

Simba SC have received a huge boost after two key players have been passed fit to face Polisi Tanzania in a Mainland Premier League match on Wednesday.

The Wekundu wa Msimbazi are making a return to the local scene after taking part in the Caf Champions League, where they sealed their place in the second preliminary round after a 1-0 aggregate win against Plateau United in Nigeria.

Simba won the first leg played in Abuja 1-0 and then managed a 0-0 draw in the return leg to qualify for the next phase, where they will now take on FC Platinum from Zimbabwe.

Ahead of their return to league action at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, coach Sven Vandenbroeck has confirmed two players who missed the game against Plateau United – defender Joash Onyango and striker Chris Mugalu – have both recovered from injuries and will be available for selection.

“Chris Mugalu is well after recovering from injury and Joash Onyango has returned has also returned after the injury he picked in Nigeria,” Vandenbroeck told the club’s social media pages. “Maybe the two players will play on [Wednesday] but more sure it's next Sunday's game.”

Vandebroeck further confirmed that Larry Bwalya will miss the match against Polisi as he will be attending to family issues back in Zambia.

“On a sad note, we will not have Bwalya in the team to face Polisi Tanzania because he asked for permission to attend to family issues, and we have allowed him to travel,” Vandenbroeck continued.

On playing against Polisi, Vandenbroeck said: “We expect a tough match from them, we know they are not an easy team, we have played against them before and they always tend to up their game against us.

“We must be prepared to get something out of them, it is a game we must win because the gap between us and number one is growing every day and we must reduce it, so we don’t have excuses other than to win the game.”

Simba will be keen to get maximum points to help close the gap between them and rivals Young Africans (Yanga SC), who are on top of the 18-team league table with 34 points from 14 matches.

Azam FC are second on 27 points while Simba are third on 24 though they have three matches in hand.

Even though Inter Milan face Shakhtar Donetsk and not Real Madrid on Wednesday, Achraf Hakimi can still have a hand in the elimination of his former employers.

The sale of Hakimi to Inter in the summer prompted a few raised eyebrows due to the Morocco youngster’s significant growth in two seasons at Borussia Dortmund to become one of the brightest wide defenders in Europe.

Thus, potentially facing off with Los Blancos on the continent likely excited the right wing-back, but it’s safe to say the 22-year-old had games to forget against old friends in both encounters.

Hakimi’s error in the 3-2 defeat in Spain was a black mark on that return to his old stomping ground, while another defeat at San Siro — in part aided by the exasperating Arturo Vidal who received an avoidable first-half red card — put the prospects of Antonio Conte’s side progressing at risk.

Results in gameweek five, however, threw up another curveball in Group B with all four clubs still in with a chance of advancing before the final round of games.

Shakhtar’s 2-0 win over Jekyll and Hyde Real saw them leapfrog the Spanish giants into second — due to a superior head to head — while the Nerazzurri picked up a deserved 3-2 win over table-topping Borussia Monchengladbach on eight points, despite some really late VAR drama in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Conte’s side remain bottom on five points but go into Wednesday with one task: beat the Ukraine side on home turf to have a fighting chance of going through. The Italians have their fate out of their hands, as an Inter win and a draw between Zinedine Zidane’s side and Gladbach would send the two of them through at the Serie A heavyweights' expense.`

Arguments can be made for both sides unconsciously settling for a point — especially if they are still tied going into the final 10 minutes or so — but the merits of topping your group to avoid the competition’s heavyweights may result in an outright winner.

Back to Hakimi, whose brace vs Bologna at the weekend presents a headache for the former Chelsea manager going into Wednesday’s clash...or does it?

The turbo-charged Morocco star’s showing in Milan featured two well-placed goals on his weaker left foot, prompting the Inter website to wax lyrical about the summer signing following the 3-1 win.

There was also a sober goal celebration in honour of Mohamed Abarhoun, who sadly passed away last week aged 31 after a long battle with stomach cancer. Despite his recent difficulty in Italy, the young defender’s gesture was a nice touch that hints at a young man with a wise, thoughtful head on his shoulders.

Still, the encounter wasn’t without difficulty. There were uncomfortable scenarios defensively before his first while an argument could be made that he could have closed down Musa Barrow from crossing in the build-up to Bologna halving the deficit.

There have been more obvious errors at the back — games vs Parma and the aforementioned defeat by Real immediately spring to mind — which isn’t lost on Conte whose selection of the more defensive Matteo Darmian in games vs Atalanta, Sassuolo and Gladbach reflect the sense that the passionate manager requires a bit more defensive astuteness in tougher games against tricky attackers.

“This is a lad that is just over 20 years old and who played for just two seasons in Dortmund and the Bundesliga, a league which is much less tactical,” the Inter boss interestingly stated after beating Bologna. “He’s working hard and has understood the differences between playing in Germany and Italy.”

“Here, there’s less space and there’s greater preparation for matches, with opponents studying his characteristics more.”

That post-match interview continued with the ex-Chelsea boss expressing the need for Hakimi to find the right balance, before thereafter affirming how much scope he has to improve.

Regardless of the recent preference for Darmian, the Morocco wideman very likely remains Conte’s first choice at right wing-back. The recent, more sensible usage of the 22-year-old by the former Italy boss can be somewhat likened to an individual who spots flaws in a much-needed gift after it’s been unwrapped and then looks to find solutions.

Even though Inter’s wider defensive and structural issues threatened to derail a win vs Gladbach last week, the Expected Goals Against in games Darmian has started suggests they’ve looked more comfortable at the back. Their xGA of 0.8 vs Atalanta was followed by 0.7 at Sassuolo, while Marco Rose’s side only accumulated 1.0 xG in the Italians’ 3-2 win in gameweek five.

When compared to the last three games Hakimi’s started in all competitions, it makes for interesting reading: 1.9, 1.8 and 1.3 vs Torino, Real Madrid and Bologna respectively. Striking? Yes. Putting all the defensive difficulty down to the North African? Certainly not.

Be that as it may, Conte’s early withdrawals of the wing-back along with Romelu Lukaku, Alessandro Bastoni and the returning volatile Vidal hints at a possible start in a game they absolutely need to win on Wednesday night.

Whether the stars align for the Nerazzurri remains to be seen, however, Hakimi will derive joy in going through at Real’s expense, even if he fails to reveal this desire publicly.