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Manchester United head into their final Champions League 2020-21 group stage fixture top of Group H, but they still face a tough task to ensure they qualify for the last 16.

Man Utd, Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig all sitt on nine points apiece in Group H, with the race for knockout stage qualification going right down to the wire.

Goal has what you need to know about what Man Utd need to qualify for the next stage of the Champions League.

Man Utd need at least one point - or a draw - away against RB Leipzig to progress to the knockout stage.

This is due to Man Utd having a superior head-to-head against Leipzig, who they beat 5-0 in the first leg.

They cannot qualify if they lose to RB Leipzig, even if PSG lose their final game against Istanbul Basaksehir..

Losing to RB Leipzig will see Man Utd drop down to the Europa League, and Leipzig and PSG progressing.

This is because Neymar's stoppage-time goal in Man Utd's 3-1 loss to PSG means that the French giants hold the superior head-to-head record between the two clubs. So in the event of both Man Utd and PSG losing, PSG will progress based on their head-to-head.

If both Man Utd and PSG draw their final games - with the duo plus RB Leipzig all finishing on 10 points - then Man Utd would win the group, PSG would finish second and RB Leipzig would enter the Europa League.

The Red Devils scuppered the opportunity to qualify for the knockout stages with an extra game when they lost to PSG at Old Trafford in matchday five.

Champions League 2020-21 knockouts: What does each team need to qualify for last 16?

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team needed just a point against the French heavyweights to qualify, but the defeat means that they will now absolutely need at least a point to keep their Champions League dreams alive.

PSG are in pole position to qualify for the Champions League last 16, and need just a point at home to Istanbul Basaksehir to ensure progression.

They will top the group with a win against the Turkish side at the Parc des Princes.

Solskjaer has called for his United side to go into Tuesday's game at the Red Bull Arena looking for a victory, saying: "You can’t sit back and hope for a 0-0 draw. That’s not in our genes, it’s not in the team’s genes, it’s not in the club’s genes, we want to go out there and win a game.

"We showed that against PSG that we wanted to go out and create chances and we’ll do that again."

Frank Lampard is hopeful that Hakim Ziyech’s hamstring injury only proves to be a minor problem.

The Moroccan only lasted 30 minutes of Chelsea’s 3-1 win over Leeds United on Saturday, and is due to receive the results of a scan on Tuesday.

Having spoken with the forward, Lampard gets the impression it is a problem that will sideline the player for weeks rather than months.

“He came to us at the back end of last season and trained a lot,” Lampard said of the signing from Ajax. “The injury [in pre-season] was disappointing and he missed some weeks, but straightaway he showed his intensity to work in the gym and on the training pitches as soon as he was back, and that was why he hit the ground running when he came into the team.

“I hope this is a minor injury. The feeling he had since the game is that it doesn’t feel too bad, which I’m hoping means we’ll be talking a couple of weeks, but we will wait for the scan.

“I’m not worried too much, he’s a fit lad, and he’s shown he will be an important player for us.”

Ziyech is definitely out of the Champions League clash with Krasnodar on Tuesday, but having already qualified it hands Lampard the chance to rotate his pack.

Lamard confirmed Kepa Arrizabalaga will take over in goal, and Billy Gilmour will start in midfield.

The manager stressed that he wants his players to get through the game without further injuries.

Asked about what he wants from the game, Lampard said: “Certainly no injuries, and some minutes for people who have not played as much as they would want and to show they deserve to play more, and to gain some more match fitness.

“You can’t switch the idea of winning on and off, so I want to see the right attitude in how we approach the game.”

Following the meeting with Krasnodar, Chelsea have games with Everton, Wolves, West Ham, Arsenal and Aston Villa before the turn of the year.

With Chelsea third in the table, the run of five games could shape their title challenge - and Lampard would like Ziyech to feature in a couple of those contests.

Caleb Ekuban was on target as Trabzonspor settled for a 1-1 draw with Sivasspor in Monday’s Turkish Super Lig encounter.

Nigeria’s Anthony Nwakaeme was ruled out of the encounter having suffered a muscle strain to his right thigh posterior muscle during training, while his injured compatriot Kayode Olanrewaju was expectedly ruled out.

Having lost their last two games across all competitions, the Braves came to the Medical Park Stadium with the ambition of arresting their poor form. Luckily for them, they returned home with just one point.

Sivasspor began the game on a cheerful note and went close to scoring in the third minute but Mustapha Yatabare was unable to beat goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakır.

The hosts had their chances too but Congolese Benik Afobe was a major culprit for missing clear-cut opportunities.

With the tight first-half heading for a goalless draw, Ekuban curled in a low shot past Malian goalkeeper Mamadou Samassa after receiving a pass from Turkish midfielder Abdulkadir Omur.

The second-half got off to an explosive restart with Rıza Calımbay’s men trying all their possible best to cancel the deficit.

They achieved that 14 minutes from full-time through Hakan Arslan who pounced home a short pass from Yatabare – which left Cakir stranded.

Despite a late surge from the hosts to get the winner, the encounter finished on a no winner, no vanquished note.

After playing for 67 minutes, on loan Stoke City striker Afobe was replaced by Mali international as Ekuban whose strike was his first of the 2020-21 league season saw every minute of action. Cape Verde international Djaniny was not listed for the game by manager Abdullah Avcı.

On the other side, Cote d’Ivoire’s Max Gradel, Gabon’s Aaron Appindangoye, Morocco’s Faycal Fajr and Samassa were in action for Sivasspor from start to finish.

Yatabare was substituted for Ghana’s Isaac Cofie in the closing stages of the fixture while Cote d'Ivoire's Arouna Kone was introduced for Chad's Casimir Ninga in the 56th minute.

Thanks to this result, Ekuban’s Trabzonspor occupy the 12th position in the log with 13 points from 11 games, while Sivasspor who take on Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv in Thursday’s Europa League encounter are 16th with 10 points from 10 fixtures.

England manager Gareth Southgate has picked Poland superstar Robert Lewandowski as the biggest threat to his nation after the announcement of UEFA's World Cup qualifying groups for Qatar 2022.

The Three Lions were drawn into a group of six alongside Poland, Hungary, Albania, Andorra and San Marino, with the winner qualifying directly for next year's tournament.

With Poland and Hungary likely to be England's biggest threat to reaching the World Cup finals on a seventh consecutive occasion, Southgate singled out Lewandowski, who was arguably the Ballon d'Or favourite for this year before the award was cancelled due to Covid-19.

The Bayern Munich striker scored an extraordinary 55 goals last season as he led the Bavarians to the Champions League title and their eighth consecutive Bundesliga title.

"He's a fantastic player and he's as good of a number nine as there is," Southgate said.

"When you look at him, Harry Kane and [Romelu] Lukaku they are the number nines you think of as the best from around Europe.

"He is a player who can hurt you and his record for his country is phenomenally good. That's the challenge we will face at some point but let's see what the fixtures throw up tomorrow."

Despite England being hot favourites to win the group, Southgate was wary of the fixtures against Poland and Hungary, with the latter recently having success in the Nations League.

The Three Lions coach believes opposition players are keen to put themselves in the shop window for the Premier League and matches against England are a good opportunity to do that.

"Everyone has a mix of teams, Poland are a very good side, Hungary just got promoted into the Nations League top division so those two in particular will be tough games," Southgate said.

"The rest will be games that when I have played or managed with England are complicated games to navigate. Ultimately, it will be about what we do.

"Poland at Wembley and Poland in Poland is a game with great history. There was a period where we seemed to draw them every time so it is historic like the Hungary one as well.

"There's always an incentive for these nations to play well, put themselves on the map and try to put themselves in the sights of Premier League clubs so there's always a lot of incentives for the opposition."

Despite lavishing praise on Poland's talisman Lewandowski, Southgate was quick to single out England captain Harry Kane for compliments.

The manager believes Kane has grown as a leader in recent months and his leadership is starting to have a positive effect on the team performance.

"Not only are [Kane's] performances for us strong but his leadership is growing all the time," he said.

"He is growing with that responsibility and he is recognising the moment where his voice and attitude and mentality to training with interactions with other players is having a huge effect.

"So he really is growing as a captain and leader. It is not an easy thing to do. Captaincy is learned and leadership is learned. He has a lot of natural parts of that which he does without even realising.

"I thought in the last few months in particular he stepped up in other areas. We finished with a strong performance and a lot of young players on the field [with a win over Iceland]. They look to him as an inspiring player to play for and with."

The World Cup qualifying fixtures will begin in March 2021, with the group stage to be finished by November and the playoffs to conclude the qualification process in March 2022.

While the group winner will automatically qualify for Qatar 2022, the 10 group runners-up will go into the playoffs in March 2022, where they will be joined by the two best group winners of the 2020/21 Nations League that have neither qualified directly for the final tournament as group winners, nor entered the play-offs already as runners-up.

The 12 teams will then be drawn into three play-off paths for one-off semi-finals and a final, with the three path winners qualifying for the World Cup.

Gary Neville has described Mino Raiola’s comments about Paul Pogba’s stint at Manchester United being over as “terrible timing,” and urged the player to correct the record if the statement is untrue.

Raiola gave a lengthy interview to Tuttosport, which will be published in full on Tuesday, and the headline announcement was the line where he said “I can say that it’s over for Paul Pogba at Manchester United. 

"Paul is unhappy with Man United as he is no longer able to express himself in the way that he would like and as he is expected to. Paul needs a new team, a change of air.”

The comments became headline news, and are threatening to overshadow the build-up to United’s must-not-lose clash with RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.

Raiola’s statement emerged following Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s pre-game press conference, so the views of the Norwegian are not known.

However, It is likely that he will take a dim view of them - as has Red Devils legend Neville.

Taking to Twitter, the former full-back wrote: "Raiola - It’s happened many times before. 

“However surely Paul knew he was making this announcement? If he wasn’t aware then we should see a quote from him very soon correcting his agent. 

“Finally to do this ahead of Leipzig and the Man Derby is terrible timing for the team.”

United sit top of Champions League Group H, level on nine points with Paris Saint-Germain and Leipzig. 

A win or a draw in Leipzig would see the Red Devils progress to the knockout stages, but a defeat would in all probability result in them dropping into the Europa League as PSG are strong favourites to beat Basaksehir at home.

Following the trip to Leipzig, United entertain Manchester City at Old Trafford on Saturday.

With United sitting in sixth in the table, one point ahead of City, the Premier League game is of huge significance.

As such, Solskjaer will want total focus on the games at hand as opposed to a big-name player grabbing transfer headlines.

Raiola’s comments came a couple of days after Pogba netted only his second goal of the season in the win at West Ham on Saturday.

Bengaluru FC have a game in hand as they face NorthEast United in the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL) at the Fatorda Stadium, on Tuesday evening.

TV CHANNELS & LIVE STREAM

The Star Sports Network have the exclusive broadcasting rights of the ISL in India.

Commentary will also be available in vernacular languages across India.

TEAM NEWS

Bengaluru FC Possible XI:   

Injured - None
Doubtful - None
Suspended - None

Key Players - Sunil Chhetri, Cleiton Silva     

NorthEast United Possible XI: 

Injured - None
Doubtful - None
Suspended - None

Key Players - Benjamin Lambot, Idrissa Sylla

Mason Greenwood has been given a spell out of the limelight for both Manchester United and England but Gareth Southgate was delighted to see him back amongst the goals against West Ham.

The 19-year-old put the Red Devils ahead at the London Stadium in a 3-1 win on Saturday and he looks set to start against RB Leipzig in a crucial Champions League clash.

However, his last few months have seen him struggle to have an impact with club and country. England dropped Greenwood in September over a breach of coronavirus quarantine guidelines in Iceland.

Subsequently, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has since spoken with Southgate with the two managers agreeing he should avoid international duty, while also taking a back step at his club.

Now, it appears as though the youngster is back in the fold at Old Trafford and Southgate is keen to see him keep performing ahead of the next international break in March.

"I think for all the young players that we have got that there’s a huge competition for places," Southgate told reporters through a Zoom video press conference. "I think with Mason, you see that his finish for United epitomises his biggest strength for me. One chance and a fantastic touch to put him in a position and the finish.

"That’s what we were seeing towards the end of last season which was why we called him in to the squad in September so with any young players they will have moments when they are flying and going well with dips.

"He has great support at his football club, he has got people who care for him there and we will bring him in and out of the team at the right times. Hopefully, he will get a run of games now. At a club like Man United, any game is important and you always have to perform under pressure.

"You always perform with high expectations which is great for their young players because they will already deal with what they have to deal with for England."

England saw their group for the World Cup qualifying announced today with Poland and Hungary the two strongest nations to be drawn alongside the 2018 semi-finalists.

The qualifier dates will be announced tomorrow and campaign begins in March ahead of Euro 2020, which was pushed back to 2021 due to Covid-19 related disruptions to the football calendar.

Southgate admits that he knows his strongest XI for the upcoming pan-European tournament and also his best squad.

"I think we know now what team we would play if the tournament was tomorrow," he added. "But we have got 20 league matches before we see the players again. That’s an enormous about of games to see where the players are and we will potentially lose some to injuries.

"There’s still such a long part of the season to be played, that’s why we constantly track the players who are playing and on the fringes of the squad. You hope to be by March to be six weeks away from naming a final squad.

"So you will hope that’s what you have got for the summer but then there’s still another six or seven games. History says you might lose a few in that spell. We are pretty clear on what our long list would be, what it would look like for 23 and what our first XI would be."

Jamie Carragher says Mesut Ozil is not the solution to Arsenal's problems and believes the Gunners will have to go through a difficult period before things get better.

Ozil is unavailable to play for the north London side because coach Mikel Arteta left him out of the 25-man squads for the Premier League and Europa League squads for the season.

But Arsenal have had a difficult start to the campaign as they sit 15th in the league with four wins from 11 matches. 

The club's crisis deepened on Sunday when north London rivals Tottenham beat them 2-0. Arteta said after the game that he is happy with the number of chances they are creating but admitted they "need to score goals" to save their season.

Carragher was asked if Ozil would provide the quality Arsenal need, but the former Liverpool defender says their problems lie much deeper than that.

"I don't think the answer is bringing Ozil in," he said while discussing the Germany international with former Arsenal star and caretaker manager Freddie Ljungberg on Sky Sports.

"When three managers decide not to fully back him, I know you [Ljungerg] used him more, than those managers did, but I think you had a situation where he came off and threw his gloves. Mikel Arteta doesn't use him, two managers, maybe three with [Ljungberg], are they all wrong, really?

"There's no doubt he's got quality, but we've spoken about Ozil so often over the last few years and I don't think he's the answer to fix Arsenal's problem. Why don't people pick him? There must be something. 

"There might be talk about [Arteta] being under pressure now, or the situation he's in, I wouldn't even think about Mikel Arteta's position. I really like Arteta.

"There's a lot of nonsense around the cub. I think some of the signings have been a joke, in terms of bringing Willian in, [David] Luiz in, Cedric [Soares] in. There's Kia Joorabchian making signings at the club.  

"Mikel Arteta brought in [Thomas] Partey and Gabriel, they look like Arsenal's two best players at this moment.

"They've had four managers and three CEOs since 2018, just stick with Arteta, but there's going to be a lot of pain for Arsenal."

Ljungberg, however, believes the former Real Madrid star would have made a difference in some matches.

"I don't say that Mesut should play every single week," he said. "When you play maybe [Manchester] City, who keep the ball a lot, you'll just defend all the time, so when you have possession or need to find that little cute pass, I don't think there are many better players than Mesut in doing that. Of course you lose a bit defensively.

"It's a decision they made, I don't know why. He's outside of the 25-man squad so they can't use him, but for those things I don't see many players better in the world."

Television personality and Arsenal supporter Piers Morgan has accused Mesut Ozil of being the Gunners' equivalent of Paul Pogba in an extraordinary rant on social media.

Morgan and Ozil have regularly clashed on Twitter over the years, with their last exchange occurring shortly after the German international was axed from Arsenal's Premier League and Europa League squads.

The 32-year-old's exclusion has seen him fail to play a single minute for Mikel Arteta's Arsenal so far in the last season of his contract at the Emirates Stadium.

Despite his exile from the first team, many Arsenal fans still support Ozil, who joined the North London club in 2013 and helped them win three FA Cup titles.

The German international used his Twitter account to thank the Arsenal fans who have backed him during his tough period, posting a picture of himself playing at the Emirates Stadium with the crowd in the background.

"The feeling of having fans behind you... #grateful #bestfans #hardtimes," Ozil posted.

However, the tweet drew an angry response from Morgan, who accused Ozil of being Arsenal's equivalent of Pogba, with the TV personality insisting the playmaker was seflish and not supported by the club's true fans.

"Real Arsenal fans aren’t behind you. You’re our Paul Pogba - massively overpaid, massively under-performing, & shockingly overinflated sense of your own importance. #truth." Morgan tweeted.

Ozil promptly responded, calling Morgan "bitter".

Piers, buddy, are you still bitter from the other day?�‚It seems like you're not a big fan of World Champions �©�ª�«�·�† I wish you would see as good as you hear things ☎️�‚ https://t.co/oIka73MdfK

Morgan first started his war of words with Ozil back in April, when he accused the former Real Madrid star of being selfish when the Covid-19 pandemic was threatening jobs at Arsenal.

"People like Mesut Ozil who have just said: ‘Sorry, no. I may be one of the highest-paid players at Arsenal, one of the highest-paid in the world, I might be worth gazillions and sitting on my backside at the moment doing nothing, but no I’m not going to take a pay cut," Morgan on his Good Morning Britain show.

Morgan and Ozil also exchanged several tweets last month with the broadcaster reiterating his plea for the midfielder to leave Arsenal during a heated back-and-forth.

Ahead of Arsenal’s meeting with Leeds United at Elland Road on that weekend, Ozil wrote on Twitter: “Let's goooooo.”

The tweet prompted a response from Gunners fan Morgan, who said: "I wish you would, Mesut. For your sake and Arsenal’s."

Ozil chose to respond, and his answer could certainly raise a few eyebrows.

"Piers, was that really you, or was your phone hacked?" was Ozil’s response.

South Africa legend Benni McCarthy is tipped to take over as AmaZulu coach after Ayanda Dlamini stepped down from the role on Monday.

The 36-year-old will return to the Usuthu youth development ranks as Allan Freese takes over as interim coach.

"Coach Ayanda has done a phenomenal job since assuming the head coaching role,” AmaZulu president Sandile Zungu told the club website.

“The passion and zeal the players have demonstrated under his tenure as head coach demonstrates that he is one of the prospects for the future.

“We will continue to trust him with the advancement of our development structures because he is fully committed to Vision 2032. His role is very integral in ensuring that AmaZulu have a solid base of young players coming through the ranks.”

As the AmaZulu “management evaluate a way forward,” regarding the search for a new substantive coach, McCarthy’s name has surfaced as the favourite to take charge at the KwaZulu-Natal side as per reports by Far Post and various other publications. 

Owen da Gama, Eric Tinkler and Shaun Bartlett have also been mentioned as possible Dlamini replacements.

Bafana Bafana great McCarthy has completed a full year without a job after leaving City in November 2019, while Da Gama last coached Highlands Park in the PSL bio-bubble.

Tinkler is available following his recent sacking by Maritzburg United, while former Kaizer Chiefs assistant coach Bartlett is unattached since his former boss Ernst Middendorp was fired by Amakhosi at the end of last season.

Dlamini leaves AmaZulu placed 11th on the Premier Soccer League standings after managing one win, three draws and two defeats.

He had been entrusted with permanent first-team duties after saving the club from relegation as interim coach last season following the dismissal of Jozef Vukusic.

The former Usuthu forward becomes the fourth PSL coach to lose his job this season after Dylan Kerr was fired by Baroka FC, Patrick Aussems' sacking by Black Leopards and Tinkler losing his Maritzburg United post.

The Champions League has featured some of the best goalscorers in history.

As the premier club competition in Europe and arguably the world, it is a stage that has been graced by countless icons of football.

Striking sensations such as Raul and Andriy Shevchenko dominated during the 1990s and 2000s, while Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have taken the art of scoring to a whole new level.

Goal takes a look at the all-time top scorers in the competition's history, dating back to the inaugural European Cup in 1955.

As you can see from our table below, Cristiano Ronaldo is the top scorer in the history of the Champions League (including the European Cup). He is closely followed by his arch-rival, Barcelona's Lionel Messi .

There is a significant gulf between that pair and the rest, Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski following in third. Lewandowski is level with Madrid icon Raul .

Karim Benzema completes the top five, with the likes of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Thierry Henry and Alfredo di Stefano the best of the rest.

Champions League/European Cup all-time top 20 goalscorers:

*Correct as of December 2, 2020
**The list takes into consideration data from 1955-present
***Players in bold are still active

The composition of the all-time goalscorers list is mostly made up of players who are playing or played in the modern Champions League era (i.e. 1992 onwards) which has added more contintental games to the modern day calendar. Specifically, of the 20 players in the list above, 15 of them played from the mid 1990s on.

However, despite that, two players who played in the pre-Champions League era (when the tournament was known as the European Cup) still figure prominently, with former Real Madrid star Alfredo di Stefano and Benfica icon Eusebio featuring in and around the top 10.

Ferenc Puskas , who shone for Real Madrid in the 1950s and 1960s, is also in the top 20. Former Bayern Munich striker Gerd Muller is in the top 20 and no player comes remotely close to his phenomenal goals-per-game ratio of 0.95.

Puskas boasted a goal-to-game ratio of 0.85 and Di Stefano's was 0.84, while Messi's is currently 0.81, which is undoubtedly the best in the modern era.

Kenya U17 are set to leave for Rwanda on Tuesday ahead of the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (Cecafa) U17 Championship.

The Oliver Page-led charges are targeting a top-two finish in the annual competition to seal their place in the U17 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon). The team has been training for the competition hoping to topple the competitors and win the competition.

Kenya are pooled with rivals Uganda and Ethiopia in Group B while hosts Rwanda are in Group A alongside Eritrea and South Sudan. Group C has Sudan, Djibouti and Tanzania.

Meanwhile, defending champions Uganda have named their squad for the competition. 

Coach Hamuza Lutalo opted to go for a 20-man squad hoping to successfully defend their title.

Among those in the team is Express FC duo Mwebe Henry and Humphrey Oyirwoth. 

Defenders Ibrahim Juma (KCCA FC), Enock Luyima (Volf), Simon Mukisa (KCCA), Peter Gava (Express FC) are also on the team.

Uganda and Kenya will be aiming to renew their rivalry after the U20 teams met in the semi-finals a couple of days ago.

The Hippos managed to get a 3-1 win over the Stanley Okumbi-led Rising Stars.

It took Uganda 22 minutes to open the scoring against their neighbours. A good move ended up with the ball on Kenneth Semakula who managed to beat the goalkeeper from close range.

Three minutes later, it was 2-0; Kenya were aiming at an instant reply and were caught in a counter-attack. Ivan Bogere managed to keep his cool and double the advantage.

Uganda, deservedly, went into the break with a 2-0 advantage as the Kenyans got a chance to strategize and come back stronger.

Even after the break, it was the Hippos who looked likely to get another goal.

It became worse for the Okumbi-coached team when the Rising Stars conceded a penalty in the 63rd minute, and Bogere stepped up to complete his brace and make the score 3-0.

With 10 minutes to go, Kenya pulled a goal back courtesy of Enock Wanyama, but it was too little too late.

The U17 competition starts on Saturday, December 12.

Goalkeepers: Mwebe Henry (Express FC), Magada Abdu (Busoga United), Oyirwoth Humphrey (Express FC)

Defenders: Vincent Mulema (Kyetume FC), Ibrahim Juma (KCCA FC), Enock Luyima (Volf), Simon Mukisa (KCCA), Peter Gava (Express FC), Madoi Ronald (Wakiso Giants)

Midfielders: Ivan Irinimbabazi (Bright Stars FC), Kaliisa Shugai (Express FC), Travis Mutyaba (Vipers SC), Eddy Elvis Mwanje (KCCA), Samir Mudiba (Express FC)

Forwards: Oscar Mawa (KCCA), Issa Bugembe (Bright Stars), Jumbe Fahad (Vipers SC)Basil Tenywa Tuma (Eton College, UK)

J1 League outfit Vissel Kobe are enjoying a good run in the 2020 AFC Champions League East Zone tournament, currently being held in Qatar. 

The Kobe-based football club have just progressed to the quarter-finals (semifinals of the East Zone tournament) of the continent's premier club competition. They notched a facile 2-0 win over Chinese giants Shanghai SIPG on Monday at the Khalifa International stadium, one of the venues for the 2022 World Cup. 

Powering them forward was none other than Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta, who scored the opening goal in the 31st minute. Right winger Daigo Nishi, who has previously won the competition with Kashima Antlers, scored the second goal five minutes into the second half to send Vissel Kobe into the quarter-finals. 

It is a brilliant result for Vissel Kobe who are playing their first-ever AFC Champions League campaign, thanks to their Emperor's Cup win in 2019. And they are ensuring that their maiden campaign among Asia's best is one to remember. 

"We are very happy that we played very well and the players stuck to the instructions. This victory is not just for us, but for all the fans back in Japan who sent us their messages of support," said Vissel Kobe coach Atsuhiro Miura.

Hearteningly, it is their marquee signing in Andres Iniesta who is making the difference in Qatar. He scored a goal in a 3-1 win over Guangzhou Evergrande - a result that helped the club reach the Round of 16 from the group stages. 

The Spanish playmaker was involved throughout on Monday as well, producing an array of his trademark passes and taking the occasional potshot at goal while playing behind the Brazilian Douglas who led the lines well. Rightly so, he was named the man of the match as well. 

His goal was a throwback to the vintage form he displayed at his peak. He received the ball from Hotaru Yamaguchi, dribbled his way into the box and placed a finish past three defenders and the goalkeeper. 

The 36-year-old, who has literally won it all in a glittering career, looked to be as hungry as ever during the 65 minutes he was on the pitch. The result brings a very special achievement very much in the realms of possibility for Iniesta. 

Not many have won the continental titles in both Asia and Europe (at least ever since AFC Champions League was remodeled into the current format in 2001). One name that comes off the top of your head is Italian coach Marcelo Lippi who won the UEFA Champions League with Juventus (1995-96) before winning the AFC Champions League with Guangzhou Evergrande (2013). 

However, Lippi did it as a coach. Iniesta certainly has a chance to become the first player to do so. Thomas Vermaelen, former Barcelona defender who is also a part of the Vissel Kobe side, can also achieve this feat alongside Iniesta. 

And Doha could witness this historic moment if Iniesta and Vermaelen manage to power Vissel Kobe to the holy grail. 

There is a bit of concern for Vissel Kobe though, given Iniesta was taken off after suffering what look like a thigh injury. They will hope the master playmaker's injury is nothing serious and he returns for the semifinals. 

Joachim Low is "immensely disappointed" at the way stories regarding his future were leaked to the press but is convinced he remains the right person to manage Germany.

World Cup-winning boss Low has been under huge pressure following last month's 6-0 Nations League humbling at the hands of Spain.

It was Germany's heaviest defeat since losing to Austria in a friendly in 1931 by the same scoreline and led to rumours that Low, in charge since 2006, was on his way out.

German Football Association (DFB) president Fritz Keller offered his backing to Low in the days after the loss and the governing body last week confirmed he will stay in charge.

However, reports in Germany have suggested Keller tried to convince Low to cut short his contract by a year so that a new coach could be brought in after next year's rescheduled Euro 2020.

Low broke his silence at a news conference on Monday and, while disappointed at what has been said and reported in the past few weeks, he is hopeful of now moving on.

"I would like to put one thing in the right light: I am always open to constructive criticism," he said. "So I was amazed to read and hear certain stuff after the Spain defeat.

"We were all disappointed and angry that we let the fans down in the final game of 2020. The anger is still seething inside me. We don't have the chance to correct the result. 

"As always, we immediately started looking ahead. There were also some discussions with the DFB last Monday - it wasn't possible earlier. 

"I grew up with the fact that things that are discussed internally remain internal. It has to do with trust and credibility. You can also openly express your opinion. 

"But I was very annoyed that a lot of things leaked out after the first press release - by whoever. That disappointed me immensely. 

"I also said at the meeting that there were things that had happened that disappointed me. I made it clear to Fritz Keller once again on the phone what I heard about the matter.

"There is nothing more to say about it. But that stays with me. We have spoken out and that is the end of the matter for me."

Speaking at the weekend, meanwhile, Germany team director Oliver Bierhoff revealed he held talks with Ralf Rangnick over succeeding Low as head coach.

"I'm not sure whether he actually said that or hinted at it," Low said. "He didn't speak to me personally about it. But of course it's part of his job to think about it fundamentally.

"What happens if...? What are the next steps...? That's why he doesn't have to talk to me about it. That's not a problem for me. I think that's a manager's job. 

"As Oliver always said: After the next tournament, a balance will be drawn. Then the association and also the coach have to decide whether the goals have been achieved or not. 

"So it is completely normal to take care of things that can happen in good time. This is completely understandable for me."

The DFB released a statement a week after the Spain debacle stating Low would be given "time and emotional distance" before a decision would be made on his future.

Again, though, Low was unhappy with the wording of the statement.

"There was a press release that I needed an emotional distance. That was incomprehensible to me. I've been there for a long time and have seen a lot of things. 

"I said give me a day and then I'll be available for anything. I was disappointed with that, with some things that got public. Which partly did not correspond to the truth. 

"I have once again made it very clear internally that I want unity and trust in things that are discussed internally. I made that clear."

Germany's defeat to Spain brought an end to a 12-match unbeaten run and saw them finish second in Nations League Group A4. 

Former Mamelodi Sundowns forward Anthony Laffor has denied any bad blood between him and former coach Pitso Mosimane and says leaving the Brazilians “is not the end,” as he also declares his readiness to open a new chapter in his playing career.

The 35-year-old was let go from his contract by Sundowns last week together with veteran defender Wayne Arendse and midfielder Katlego Otladisa.

After injuries limited his game time for the past three seasons, Laffor parted ways with Downs but he says he is not bitter and “life has to go on.”

“Coach Manqoba Mngqithi was the first person to call me. Unfortunately, I can’t disclose the details of our conversation,” Laffor told the City Press print edition as per Phakaaathi.

“All I can say is that I respect the club’s decision and I bear no grudges. Leaving Sundowns isn’t the end – life has to go on. I’ve won everything with the club. What more could I ask for?”

The Liberian’s departure put a close to his trophy-laden stint at Sundowns where he arrived in 2012.

At Downs, he won five Premier Soccer League (PSL) titles, a Caf Champions League crown, Caf Super Cup, two Nedbank Cups and as many Telkom Knockout trophies.

But after gaining full fitness towards the end of last season, Laffor was still frozen out of the playing team, fuelling already existing rumours that he was no longer in the good books with former Downs coach Mosimane.

The player, however, denies any rift existed between him and the Al Ahly tactician who signed him from SuperSport United.

“There was nothing personal between me and Pitso,” said Laffor.

“We’ve kept in contact since he moved to Egypt. I remained humbled while waiting for game time, believe in time. I’m 100% fit now and ready for my next move.”

It is not yet clear if the Liberian’s next move will see him remaining in the PSL where he first arrived in 2005 to sign for Jomo Cosmos.

He won two league titles with SuperSport United, which makes him one of the most decorated players in the PSL.

England have been drawn alongside Poland, Hungary, Albania, Andorra and San Marino in Group I as UEFA completed the draw for World Cup qualifying on Monday.

Qualifying will begin on March 24-25 of 2021 with the total of 10 matchdays being played between then and the middle of November.

The world’s top-ranked side Belgium were paired with Wales, Czech Republic, Belarus and Estonia in Group E as they look to return to the World Cup after defeating England in the third-place game in 2018.

The 2018 World Cup winners France, meanwhile, will have to combat Ukraine, Finland, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kazakhstan in Group D while runners-up Croatia were drawn with Slovakia, Russia, Slovenia, Cyprus and Malta.

The seedings were based on FIFA world rankings on November 26, with Belgium, France, England, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands the top-ranked sides, making them unable to be drawn together.

The ten group winners qualify automatically for the finals which will take place in Qatar from November 21 to December 18, 2022.

Following the completion of group play, the 10 group runners-up will go into the playoffs in March 2022, where they will be joined by the two best group winners of the 2020/21 UEFA Nations League that have neither qualified directly for the final tournament as European Qualifiers group winners, nor entered the play-offs already as European Qualifiers group runners-up.

The full groups are as follows:

Group A

Portugal, Serbia, Republic of Ireland, Luxembourg, Azerbaijan

Group B

Spain, Sweden, Greece, Georgia, Kosovo

Group C

Italy, Switzerland, Northern Ireland, Bulgaria, Lithuania

Group D

France, Ukraine, Finland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kazakhstan

Group E

Belgium, Wales, Czech Republic, Belarus, Estonia

Group F

Denmark, Austria, Scotland, Israel, Faroe Islands, Moldova

Group G

Netherlands, Turkey, Norway, Montenegro, Latvia, Gibraltar

Group H 

Croatia, Slovakia, Russia, Slovenia, Cyprus, Malta

Group I

England, Poland, Hungary, Albania, Andorra, San Marino 

Group J

Germany, Romania, Iceland, North Macedonia, Armenia, Liechtenstein

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA FC) head coach Mike Mutebi has given injury updates ahead of the Ugandan Premier League encounter against Onduparaka FC on Tuesday.

It will be another opportunity for KCCA to register a win against the Caterpillars after picking a 2-1 victory against Bright Stars in the opener.

Mutebi revealed Gift Ali is now fit and will start in the Tuesday game but another three stars, as well as the national U20 players, will not be part of the game.

“Gift Ali was injured but he is back now, is going to start and so largely, the team that represented us against Bright Stars is the team that is going to represent us again,” Mutebi told the club’s website.

“I need all of my starters fit and Ali is going to add more because he is very key in the whole play.

“Julius Poloto, Sadat Anaku, and John Revita, of course, are all injured and the ones who played for the U20 side are not available largely because they are not tested.”

Mutebi said they are ready for the Onduparaka encounter especially after the opening win which he says was key for their confidence.

“We were truly motivated by the win and you know when you start by winning it gives you confidence,” he added. “So, the players are very confident, have prepared very well and we are going to play very well.

“Onduparaka are not going to be easy but we have had a number over them but I think it is going to be a different Onduparaka altogether.

“We have had a number over them but we must fight and win beautifully.”

The experienced tactician, however, picked an issue with his players especially in how they faced Bright Stars on Thursday.

“The problem with our players has always been inconsistency,” he concluded.

“They play very well in the first half and can score up to five goals in that half and in the second half, they wrongly think it is all finished.

“We need to be consistent and score more goals. Consistency is still lacking but I believe they are going to solve that.”

Onduparaka were held to a 1-1 draw by Express FC in their respective opener.

Jamshedpur picked up their first win of the season and denied ATK Mohun Bagan their fourth consecutive victory with a 2-1 display at the Tilak Maidan in Goa on Monday.

Nerijus Valskis scored a brace for Jamshedpur while ATK Mohun Bagan cut short the deficit with a goal from Roy Krishna. 

ATK Mohun head coach Antonio Habas admitted concern about his team conceding goals from the set-pieces. Habas mentioned that his side had only conceded once from the set-piece in the previous season but they have done it twice already in the ongoing edition.

"In last season we conceded one goal (from set-piece), this season (we have let in) two in one match. We have to improve in training," Antonio Habas said after the game.

ATK Mohun Bagan have been accused of playing a bit too defensively in games but Habas disagreed when it was suggested that his team didn't do well because they couldn't counter attack. 

"Today it was not possible to counter attack because the opposition played a lot of long balls. I don't understand when people say that we play counter-attack. It is a fantastic lie."