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Gor Mahia’s Benson Omalla scored in a 2-1 win for Kenya against Sudan in the ongoing Cecafa U20 Championship at the Sheik Amri Abeid Stadium on Friday.

With the win, the Rising Stars have now qualified for the semi-finals courtesy of goals from the newly-called up Harambee Star and Fortune Omoto.

Omoto gave Kenya the lead in the 28th minute before Sudan equalised in the 85th minute from Al Gozoti Nooh’s strike. Omalla gave the Rising Stars a late win when he drove past Sudan’s backline and fired a low drive into the bottom right corner in the 90th minute.

The goal is the second for the former Western Stima striker who also earned two assists in their opening game. Ronald Reagan and Enock Wanyama as well Omalla scored against Ethiopia in the opener and that means Kenya are undefeated so far.

The group meeting between Kenya and Sudan was their second encounter in a matter of weeks since they faced off in a friendly tie in Nairobi before the Cecafa tournament.

The Stanley Okumbi-led side finished as Group B leaders and will face arch-rivals, the Hippos of Uganda, in the first semi-final on Monday.

In another match, South Sudan powered past Burundi with a 4-0 scoreline in the second match of Group B that was played at Sheik Amri Stadium too. The huge win saw the junior Bright Stars finish as the best losers and qualified for the penultimate stage.

William Kundu and Khamis Atari handed South Sudan a 2-0 lead before the half-time break while Japhet Ntunzwenimana’s own goal made it three-nil for them. Phillip Biajo scored the fourth one to hand South Sudan their first biggest victory and a second clean sheet in the tournament after they held Uganda to a goalless draw in the opener.

They have four points, same as Uganda, but an inferior goal difference meant they would finish second and will face the hosts and the reigning champions Tanzania in the second semi-final.

South Sudan, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda will fight for the two positions that will guarantee nations the available slots in the 2022 U20 African Cup of Nations.

The Cecafa final and play-off will be played on December 2.

Former Gor Mahia striker Jacques Tuyisenge has revealed he would not celebrate should he score for APR in the Caf Champions League tie against his former team on Saturday.

Tuyisenge left Gor Mahia, after winning three Premier League titles and a Shield Cup, for Petro Atletico of Angola but returned to Rwanda in the previous transfer window when the army side acquired him.

The Champions League tie has offered him an opportunity to play against K’Ogalo for the first time but he has confirmed he would not celebrate should he find the back of the net.

“Personally, I will not celebrate if I score, but I am going to give it my best to win the game,” the Amavubi star told The New Times.

“It is a very important game for us because we want to take a good lead to the return leg.

“We are going to mean serious business – fighting for a win. It is going to be a special moment, and of course, accompanied by a lot of pressure.”

In a separate interview, the striker revealed he was ready for the preliminary encounter against Gor Mahia after shrugging off an injury.

“Yes, I got injured while I was with the national team Amavubi but since I arrived at the club I was put under good care. I am now in good form and I am training well,” Tuyisenge said.

“I am 100% ready to represent APR during the Saturday game.

“I will be there given that I have been exercising which means I am in good form. I have no problem now and I am sure I will be there.”

He was not involved in the midweek friendly match against Association Sportive d'Arta of Djibouti which APR won 2-0, in a game the team used to test their preparedness for the Saturday match.

“For now, I do not know what the coach’s plans are although he chose to bench me during the friendly,” he added.

“He is the one who knows why but that does not matter for me because I have to stick on what the coach plans.”

Gor Mahia captain Kenneth Muguna explained why they would not focus on Tuyisenge alone during the Kigali showdown.

“We are taking the game with a positive mindset but it is not about playing against Tuyisenge because we will be playing against the whole APR, not just one player,” Muguna stated.

“There are some dangerous players in the team and that is enough reason to focus on all of them and not just one person.”

Gor Mahia jetted out for the tie on Friday.

Barcelona centre-back Gerard Pique has appealed to Lionel Messi to extend his stay at the club.

Out of contract in the summer, Messi has had a fractious relationship with the club for some time now. He pushed to leave on a free transfer after the season concluded and only stayed when he was told his contract was legally binding.

Although president Josip Maria Bartomeu has resigned his seat, forcing a presidential election scheduled for January, there is no guarantee that the new board will be able to talk him into staying, particularly as Barca are in the process of slashing their wage bill.

Pique, though, is not giving up hope that his old ally might be talked into staying at Camp Nou, having joined the club as in 2001 from Newell’s in Argentina.

Asked by Radio Marca if Messi is set to renew his deal, he said: “We’ll have to ask Leo, I don’t know. We hope that we will stay. It’s a very personal decision and we’ll see.

“As long as he continues at Barca, there is hope, and we hope that he can be seduced into staying.”

Meanwhile, Messi’s old attacking cohort Luis Suarez departed under a cloud in the summer, one of the actions that the old board took that riled the Argentine.

Pique admits it was difficult to see the Uruguay international depart for Atletico Madrid.

"I was very sorry when Luis left, he spent many years at the club and we shared many experiences,” he said. “You play with each other for 90 minutes, but you spend many, many hours with them. We see them every morning, we travel, we are in the hotels, it is as if they was a class-mate.”

Barcelona are enduring a difficult start to the season and presently lie 13th in the Primera Division standings, albeit having played one or two games fewer than virtually every other team in the league.

However, they already find themselves an intimidating 12 points off the pace of leaders Real Sociedad, having lost three of eight league fixtures under Ronald Koeman.

They play Osasuna at home on Sunday.

Young Africans (Yanga SC) coach Cedric Kaze has explained his happiness at seeing the team gain confidence in every game they play in the Mainland Premier League, saying it will go a long way to help them achieve their set targets.

The Jangwani giants maintained their unbeaten start to the 2020-21 season after seeing off title rivals Azam FC by a solitary in a match played at Chamazi Complex on Wednesday.

The win saw Yanga take a commanding lead at the top of the 18-team league table with 28 points, and also saw coach Kaze remain unbeaten since taking over the reins at the club from fired Serbian coach Zlatko Krmpotic.

After a 0-0 result in the first half, Yanga turned on the screw in the second period to grab the vital goal courtesy of Deus Kaseke, who after a well-laid cross from Yacouba Songne.

Kaze has now revealed his happiness upon seeing that confidence among his charges is improving game after game, saying that is the most important thing to be encouraged in a team.

“I can say the attitude of players has positively changed to the extent that they can now play as a team by attacking and defending together,” Kaze is quoted by Daily News.

"We are now gaining confidence to the extent that even if the ball is in danger zone, we try to build up, change the side of play which is very important in a game of football.

Kaze also hailed his players for their response after three consecutive draws by saying: “They knew that even if they were posting draws, there was still a room for them to improve in the upcoming games. What I hope for is for us to use well the scoring chances we make and also to play simple football.

“We were good defensively and I do not think that Azam created best chances to score other than simple balls which went straight to the goalkeeper. We also had opportunities to net more than one goal.”

Meanwhile, Azam media officer Thabit Zakaria said his side will now turn their focus on their match in the league.

“We had the mentality to win the game and grab all three points but, that was not achieved instead, we have lost the match. We now focus on our next match so and our mission to clinch the league title remains unchanged," he said.

Azam have already fired their coach Aristica Cioaba following the defeat.

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has revealed Joe Aribo is not suffering from coronavirus and should be available for selection when they take on Falkirk in Sunday’s Scottish League Cup tie.

The Nigeria international was not involved as the Gers played out a 2-2 draw against Benfica at Ibrox Stadium in the Europa League on Thursday night. 

Gerrard explained the midfielder’s unavailability for the encounter was not due to Covid-19 but to illness.

The Super Eagles star is expected to join the rest of his teammates in training on Saturday and could play a part against the Bairns. 

"He was unwell. He had a stomach complaint last night. The plan was for Joe to be involved, he's had a stomach complaint so he'll be getting some checks and assessing him, hopefully, he will be available for the weekend," Gerrard told the media.

“It’s important to say it is not Covid-related. He was negative on his test before people start putting two and two together".

“Joe Aribo is better today and hopeful he arrives back into training tomorrow.”

Aribo has only featured in 11 games, scoring four goals for Rangers across all competitions this season due to injury problems.

The Nigerian midfielder has been turning heads since teaming up with the Ibrox Stadium outfit in the summer of 2019.

Aribo was named Rangers’ Young Player of the 2019-20 season following his eye-catching displays where he helped the club finish as runner-up in the Scottish Premiership.

The midfielder will be expected to continue his impressive performances in the current campaign and help Rangers win titles after narrowly missing the league trophy last term.

The first-ever Kolkata derby in the Indian Super League ended in favour of ATK Mohun Bagan as they defeated East Bengal 2-0 at the Tilak Maidan on Friday.

The first-half remained goalless but East Bengal looked the better team. Antonio Habas' team then struck twice through Roy Krishna (49th minute) and substitute Manvir (85th minute) in the second-half to bag all three points from the marquee clash. 

East Bengal head coach Robbie Fowler was not satisfied with the result but mentioned that they matched traditional rivals with their performance. Fowler, who has the experience of managing Brisbane Roar and Muangthong United prior to his stint at East Bengal, also believes that his side can grow better as the season progresses. 

"Well of course I'm not satisfied with the result. I think performance-wise we were okay. For a team who have been together two and a half weeks, I think we have put together a good performance. We are talking about a team who were champions last time and we matched them, more than matched them. The result is disappointing, the performance is okay, there are glimpses of what we can become," Robbie Fowler said in the post-match interview. 

The Englishman was of the opinion that ATK Mohun Bagan players were fitter and sharper than his players. He further lamented that East Bengal did not undergo the ideal preparation in the pre-season but there were a lot of positives to take from the match.

"Fitness-wise they were bit sharper than us, maybe towards the end." the former Liverpool player said.  

We haven't had the most ideal preparation but we accepted it. We have spent two and a half weeks on the training pitch. We have not trained together. I think we'll get better and better," he added. 

East Bengal will next face Mumbai City in an away fixture on Tuesday. 

Xavi Vilajoana would stand by Ronald Koeman as Barcelona coach if he is elected president of the club, hailing the Dutchman as a "brave and clear-headed" option in an interview with Goal.

The long-term board member, youth director of football under previous supremo Josep Maria Bartomeu's reign, is one of several candidates waging an election campaign to take the reins in January following the latter's resignation.

With the decision set to be made just over three weeks into the new year, whoever takes charge at Camp Nou will inherit a club fractured by on and off-field turmoil after a barren 2019-20 campaign brought the curtain down on a decade of near-unrivalled success.

Lionel Messi could depart the club next summer, while questions remain over the suitability of former Netherlands boss Koeman for the top job, despite the 57-year-old's long association with the Catalan outfit.

But Vilajoana has stressed the ex-Southampton and Everton boss would have his backing if he was to take overall charge, hailing his character as crucial to helping Barca weather a likely transition period over the next few seasons.

"Koeman, as Barcelona boss, is a brave and clear-headed coach," the prospective candidate said. "He is leading a team through a process of transformation and that takes time.

"Anyone who has played football will know that everything requires time. [If I take charge], Koeman would still be the coach."

Vilajoana's stance is in contrast to fellow presidential candidate Victor Font, who has made no secret of his desire to bring Xavi back to the club as head coach. 

Vilajoana further opened up on the intentions behind his decision to run as a replacement for Bartomeu, noting that he sees himself as a man enshrined within the club's dynamics and values that he finds absent in other prospective runners.

"I present myself as a natural evolution, because the moment right now makes me think that the club needs people with knowledge," he added.  "[It needs people] with a love for the institution above all else and who can make decisions for the benefit of it.

"I have been at the club for 20 years. I know what joys and disappointments mean and I believe that any future projects have to be based on the knowledge, experience and esteem of the club, with involvement and generosity. I don't see these values ​​in any other candidate."

Elsewhere, Vilajoana ruled out any attempt to lure Neymar back to Camp Nou following the Brazil international's acrimonious exit to Paris Saint-Germain, while further outlining his plans to address Messi's future at the club if elected.

New Gor Mahia signing Jules Ulimwengu was not part of the team that travelled to Rwanda for the first leg match in the preliminary round of the Caf Champions League against APR.

The 21-year-old Burundi international was signed from Rayon Sports to bolster the attacking department. However, he will not be involved on Saturday away to the Rwandan champions.

"There were some issues with Rwanda's immigration department regarding the player, and as a result, he was not cleared to travel," a source close to the player told Goal.

"It was also a blessing in disguise for him since he is not fully fit as well, it means he has time to continue training."

Ulimwengu is not the only player who will miss the game as there are two others who have been confirmed unavailable owing to different reasons. 

"Midfielder John Ochieng' misses the Rwanda trip following an injury he picked last weekend during a friendly match against [Nairobi] City Stars," the club confirmed via their official social media outlet.

"Striker Benson Omalla will not be available for the Caf match against APR in Rwanda; the lad is with Kenya U20 team in Cecafa Championship in Tanzania."

The team arrived in Kigali on Friday and underwent the Covid-19 test later in the day.

"We had a safe flight from Nairobi to Kigali, we are in a hotel and already done our second Covid-19 test as required, we had the first in Nairobi yesterday," club's team manager Jolawi Abondo confirmed.

"The authorities have promised to deliver our results very early in the morning. All players and staff who are here in Rwanda are in good shape and upbeat." 

The game will be played on Saturday from 16:00.

Travelling Players: Boniface Oluoch, Gad Mathews, Geoffrey Ochieng, Michael Apudo, Philemon Otieno, Kelvin Wesonga, Charles Momanyi, Joachim Oluoch, Andrew Juma, Ernest Wendo, Bertrand Konfor, Kenneth Muguna, Bernard Ondiek, Cliffton Miheso, John Macharia, Samuel Onyango, Nicholas Kipkirui, Tito Okello.

Technical Bench: Roberto Oliveira – Coach, Samuel Omollo – Coach, Patrick Odhiambo – Assistant Coach, Jolawi Obondo – Team Manager, Willis Ochieng’- Goalkeeper’s coach, Fredrick Otieno – Team Doctor, Victor Otieno – Logistics.

Official: Dolfina Odhiambo.

Former Uganda Premier League champions Sports Club Villa and Ecopharm have signed a five-year USh2.4 billion partnership deal.

The deal will see Ecopharm Medical Centre or Aspire Centre provide medical assistance to SC Villa’s players and all staffs. The club will get up to USh484 million each season as the junior team, as well as their next of kin and the club’s staff, will also earn medical cover.

“This is a great day for SC Villa, as the club, we are looking at strategic development and partnerships,” SC Villa CEO Shawn Mubiru as was quoted by Football256.

“This partnership with our new partners Ecopharm grows our eco-system which will not only help the team but also the club and its members.

“Every strategic partnership that we bring on board will not only benefit the club but the community because SC Villa is a community-based club.”

Mubiru is confident the Ecopharm deal will convince other corporates to invest in football as there are potentially good returns.

“We have done a lot of negotiations with our partners and we are glad that we have brought out the best deal for the club,” the top official added.

“I hope that this sends a signal to the business community that football is a strategic field where they can invest and get value.

“I am delighted to announce to you that we have a partner that will not only have the welfare of the players but also interested in seeing a healthy community.”

There is also a discount for the club’s members who will visit Aspire Medical Centre courtesy of the deal.

“This deal will give our members a significant discount on all Ecopharm centres,” Mubiru concluded.

“Why Ecopharm? medicine is paramount to a player and we are proud to have them on board because this partnership brings significant importance to the club.”

The firm deals in medicine, cosmetics, baby care products, first aid kits, vitamins and herbal supplements and the new deal is expected to offer more stability to a club that has struggled off and on the pitch in the recent seasons.

The record Premier League winners finished third in the 2019/20 season.

Antonio Habas, the most successful coach in the history of the Indian Super League, was satisfied with his team ATK Mohun Bagan's win over East Bengal at the Tilak Maidan on Friday. ATK Mohun Bagan lived dangerously in the first-half but they came back strongly in the second half to bag all three points from the Kolkata derby.   

ATK Mohun Bagan struck twice after the half-time through Roy Krishna (49th minute) and substitute Manvir (85th minute) to blank East Bengal in the marquee clash. Habas was satisfied with his team's overall effort in the game.

"I'm satisfied because the team, the players put out a fantastic performance and big effort. I am very happy," Habas said in the post-match interview. 

ATK Mohun Bagan played defensively in the first half as East Bengal combined well with their passes and created ample opportunities. The home side, however, failed to convert their chances into goals. 

Habas, however, said that the scoreline depicted the story of the match and claimed that his side was superior that East Bengal. The Spaniard also mentioned that he doesn't believe in a one-way mentality to attack or defend and stated that football is a game of transition. 

"I think we decide the game with the score. We were superior to our opponent," the Spanish coach said. 

"This is football. it is a transition between attack and defence (and vice versa). I don't understand football which is only attacking or only defence," he added. 

By the virtue of the victory in the derby, ATK Mohun Bagan have made a perfect start to their season and are top of the table after two matches. 

Former Arsenal star Freddie Ljungberg believes that Mesut Ozil should still have a role to play at the Emirates Stadium.

Ex-Germany international Ozil finds himself on the periphery with the Gunners, having fallen out of favour with manager Mikel Arteta.

The playmaker has not been included in either the Premier League or Europa League squads this season, despite being the club's highest earner.

Ljungberg, who had a brief spell as Gunners interim boss before Arteta was appointed in December 2019, feels that a compromise needs to be reached.

“Mesut is a great football player, we know that,” Ljungberg told The Athletic . “We all have different opinions and everybody needs to accept that people have different opinions.

“For me, maybe the way football has gone now sometimes he’s not as athletic defensively. Let’s say when you play Man City you don’t have the ball and need to just run after them, maybe you need more athletic players.

“What I tried to do, what I believed in, was that when you play teams who, on paper, you’re a bigger club than or you think they’ll have a low block and you need someone to unlock it, Mesut has the total quality to do that. I think there is a space for a player like that in those kind of games.

“But then as well you need to have a communication with the player — not just Mesut, every player. There are different games that suit certain players and other games suit others. The days of playing every single minute of every game maybe are just not happening that often anymore.

“When I left in the summer he was in the squads and now he’s not. What’s happened there, I can’t answer. I don’t know if something else has happened, I have no clue. But if you look at pure football qualities, I think my answer is quite obvious.

"When I was interim coach, I would play him in the games when I thought he could unlock defences, even if I knew his defensive job was not as good as some other players. So that’s my opinion; there should be a space in certain games.”

After nine games, Arsenal are 12th in the Premier League standings. They play Wolves at home on Sunday in their next outing.

Nantes manager Christian Gourcuff has revealed Moses Simon has returned from a thigh muscle strain ahead of their Ligue 1 game against Marseille on Saturday.

The Nigeria international suffered the injury problem in their defeat to French champions Paris Saint-Germain in October.

The winger has subsequently missed Nantes’ last three games, including their draw against Lens last time out at Stade Bollaert-Delelis.

The 25-year-old was also not available for the Super Eagles’ 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying double-header against Sierra Leone.

Ahead of their clash against Andre Villas-Boas’ men, Gourcuff has confirmed Simon will be available for selection for the encounter and also provided an update on Mali international Charles Traore.

"The good news, which was expected, is the return of Moses Simon who will travel to Marseille,” Gourcuff said in a pre-match press conference.

“No additional problems to report. Charles [Traore] is still unavailable. We will have to see his physical condition in a few days.

“Regarding Anthony [Limbombe] and Roli [Pereira de Sa], we should not plan before the end of the year."

Simon has been a key member of the Canaries since teaming up with the French club in 2019, initially on loan before the deal was made permanent.

The forward has featured in more than 32 appearances for the club across all competitions and in the current campaign has made eight appearances, scoring one goal and providing one assist.

Nantes are 14th on the Ligue 1 table after gathering 13 points from 11 games and Simon will hope to help the Canaries return to winning ways against Marseille after their back-to-back draws against Metz and Lens.

Crystal Palace’ Eberechi Eze, Jordan Ayew, Cheikhou Kouyate and Jeffrey Schlupp have been handed starting roles against Newcastle United in Friday’s Premier League game.

Roy Hodgson’s men are 11th on the league table after gathering 13 points from nine games following four wins, one draw and four losses.

Eze teamed up with the Eagles in the summer after his impressive performances for Championship club Queens Park Rangers.

The midfielder has adapted well to the Premier League and will be making his ninth appearance for Palace against Newcastle.

Ghana international Ayew will be making his seventh league start in the encounter and has been in fine form for the side in the current campaign.

His compatriot Schlupp will also be making his eighth Premier League appearance for the Selhurst Park outfit this season.

Senegal international Kouyate, who has featured in a number of roles for Palace this season, will hope to produce another solid defensive display at Selhurst Park.

Ivory Coast international Wilfred Zaha has been left out of the clash as he is still in isolation after testing positive for coronavirus.

The forward has been an influential figure for the Eagles, helping them to keep their Premier League status.

Palace lost their last Premier League game against Burnley without Zaha and will hope the African stars on parade will help them bouce back from the defeat.

SuperSport United secured a hard-fought 2-1 win over Maritzburg United in a Premier Soccer League (PSL) match which was played at Harry Gwala Stadium on Friday night.

The hosts took the lead when Ronwen Williams scored an own following a defensive mix-up in the box, but two goals from Bradley Grobler inspired Matsatsantsa to a victory. 

The Team of Choice were desperate to snap their six-match losing run in the league after succumbing to a 1-0 defeat to Black Leopards in their last match last weekend.

Assistant coach Delron Buckley, who was in charge of the team in the absence of Ernst Middendorp, recalled Thabiso Kutumela to the starting line-up after the striker was benched against Leopards.

Meanwhile, Matsatsantsa were hoping to avoid their third successive defeat after suffering a 2-1 loss to Orlando Pirates in their previous match last weekend.

Coach Kaitano Tembo made three changes to the team which faced Pirates with Ghampani Lungu, Kudakwashe Mahachi and Thatayaone Ditlhokwe making their return to starting line-up.

Maritzburg got off to a bright start with Kutumela causing havoc for the SuperSport defence with his clever movement in the visitors' half.

The deadlock was broken just eight minutes into the match after Kutumela's low shot was brilliantly saved by SuperSport goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.

However, Onismor Bhasera's attempted clearance hit Williams and the ball went into the back of the net to make it 1-0 to Maritzburg.

Matsatsantsa then took control of the match and they managed to restore parity after some good work by Evans Rusike down the right-hand side beating two defenders.

The Zimbabwe international then set-up Bradley Grobler, who made no mistake as he beat Maritzburg keeper Sebastian Mwange to make it 1-1 in the 14th minute. 

The visitors came very close to making it 2-1 when Lungu was sent through on goal and he rounded Mwange, but his effort was brilliantly cleared off the goal-line by Daniel Morgan.

Mahachi had a chance to hand Matsatsantsa the lead just before half-time, but he was denied by Mwange, who ensured that the first-half ended with the two teams locked at 1-1.

Maritzburg dominated possession after the restart, but they were struggling to create goalscoring opportunities with the SuperSport defence looking impenetrable.

The visitors took the lead for the first time on the night against the run of play when Mahachi combined with Grobler, who fired past Mwange to make it 2-1 to SuperSport in the 64th minute.

The momentum was with the Team of Choice in the closing stages of the match with Williams producing a magnificent finger-tipping save to deny Judas Moseamedi.

Bongokuhle Hlongwane and Fares Hachi were both introduced by Buckley as the home side looked to snatch a late equalizing goal. 

However, SuperSport stood firm at the back in the dying minutes of the match and ultimately, they secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Maritzburg.

The victory took Matsatsantsa to the third spot on the league standings, while the Team of Choice remain 16th on the table.

SuperSport will now take on Kaizer Chiefs in their next league match on December 15, while Maritzburg will face Mamelodi Sundowns on December 5.

The weekend’s action kicks off on Friday night with a match between two clubs trending in opposite directions. Real Valladolid vs Levante UD is a clash between a Valladolid side who come into the encounter on the back of two consecutive wins and a Levante side that hasn’t won since Matchday 3.

On Saturday, the first game of the day is a duel between two of this year’s newly promoted sides as Elche CF host Cadiz CF.

Both their meetings last season in LaLiga SmartBank ended in goalless draws, but both teams have added fresh attacking talent since then with the likes of Tete Morente, Lucas Boye and Alvaro Negredo, so goals can be expected this time around.

At 4.15pm CET on Saturday afternoon, Valencia CF face Atletico Madrid in arguably the most intriguing fixture of the entire weekend.

Atleti just defeated Barcelona last weekend to spark talk of a title push and they’ll look to lay down a marker when they visit Mestalla. Other title challengers such as Real Madrid and Real Sociedad have suffered defeats against Valencia CF this season and Los Che always step it up for the biggest occasions.

It won’t be easy, but to take three points from this one would be a statement win for Diego Simeone’s men.

SD Huesca vs Sevilla FC sees the home side searching for their first win of the campaign, as they’re the only team in the division yet to enjoy a victory. The newly promoted side haven’t performed badly this season, though, picking up seven draws. Sevilla may be tired from their midweek exploits in Russia in securing Champions League last 16 qualification and, if the Oscenses smell blood, they’ll go for it.

Last year’s champions Real Madrid conclude the Saturday schedule with their home match against D. Alaves.

This could be a tricky game for Los Blancos, though, given that the Basque side are in their best run of form of the season and are unbeaten in their past four.

Sunday’s schedule contains four fixtures and the first of them comes at the Camp Nou, where FC Barcelona host CA Osasuna. It was in this fixture that Barça’s title challenge fell apart last season with a 2-1 loss.

It’s still very early in the campaign, but Ronald Koeman’s men won’t want another setback against the side from Pamplona.

Two difficult-to-call fixtures follow on Sunday afternoon with Getafe CF vs Athletic Club and then RC Celta vs Granada CF.

Athletic Club arrive full of momentum after a huge 4-0 victory over Real Betis this week, while Getafe CF are seeking their first win in five matches.

Then, in the latter, all eyes will be on Eduardo Coudet as he has his first home game on the Celta bench. With his side bottom of the table, there’s plenty of motivation for the new coach.

Another blockbuster battle comes up on Sunday night as Real Sociedad welcome Villarreal CF to the Reale Arena.

These two teams are currently inside the top three and have each earned the right to be considered title challengers.

There’s an extra special element to this game as well when it comes to the dugouts, as coaches Imanol Alguacil and Unai Emery came through the Real Sociedad youth academy together three decades ago.

They’ve gone on to achieve so much since then, and now lead two of the clubs that have been the most impressive through the first ten matchdays of the season.

Matchday 11 then concludes on Monday with Real Betis vs SD Eibar.

It’s a second Monday game in a row for Betis and they’ll be determined to avoid a repeat of the four-goal hammering they suffered in Bilbao last time out. Eibar may relish the chance to play at the Benito Villamarin as so far this season they’ve been earning just 0.5 points per game at home, but 1.75 points per game away.

We’ll see on Monday if they can keep that trend going.

Watch LaLiga Santander live this weekend on SuperSport LaLiga on DStv Channel 204.

Nicolas Pepe needs to start delivering for Arsenal against “big sides”, says Ray Parlour, with a £72 million ($96m) asset at Emirates Stadium accused of taking “the easy option” against Premier League opponents.

The Gunners made the Ivory Coast international their club-record signing when doing a big-money deal with Lille in the summer of 2019.

Pepe was supposed to arrive in north London and become a talismanic presence for an ambitious Premier League outfit.

The 25-year-old is yet to scale those heights, with many placing him into the expensive flop category.

Time is still on Pepe’s side when it comes to silencing his critics and enjoying a reversal in fortune, but he needs to find confidence and consistency from somewhere.

A reckless red card in his last domestic outing against Leeds did little to aid that cause, but a third Europa League goal of the season was recorded in a 3-0 win over Molde.

Parlour saw plenty of potential in that outing, but he is looking for a forward with undoubted ability to stop being a flat-track bully and follow in the footsteps of star wingers that have gone before him, such as Robert Pires and Marc Overmars.

“He has shown it in patches,” former Arsenal star Parlour told talkSPORT of Pepe.

“He was much better [against Molde], I must admit. He’s better when he runs at players, commits players.

“He takes the easy option usually in the Premier League. He needs to run at full-backs, make them commit.

“He’s good when he gets on his left foot, he has a good strike on him and you can see him taking corners. The reason he plays on the right is so he can cut inside and shoot with his left foot.

“We always had left wingers who were right-footed, we had Pires, we had Overmars who would cut in and get 20 goals a season.

“It’s alright doing it against Molde, against the smaller sides, you have to do it against the big sides. He has to make that impact against the Leeds Uniteds and the teams in the Premier League.

“He has shown glimpses he can do it in the Premier League, but he hasn’t done it on a regular basis.

“Again, when you go back to consistency, you have to do it week in, week out. You need to be a seven or eight out of 10 week in, week out and that’s where you are going to be a real success at your club.”

Pepe has taken in 56 appearances for Arsenal to date, with 12 goals and as many assists recorded across those outings.

High-flying Premier Soccer League (PSL) side Swallows FC are looking to sign South Africa international Kgaogelo Sekgota.

The Birds have a had a great start to the 2020/21 season and they are currently placed at the top of the PSL standings.

The Soweto giants are still looking to beef up their squad having registered their interest in Sekgota, who is known to be on the radar of Kaizer Chiefs.

Sekgota had a successful spell with now-defunct Bidvest Wits last season on loan from Portuguese club Vitoria Setubal.

His agent Bally Smart has confirmed that they are negotiating with Swallows over the services of the left-footed attacker.

"We are talking to Swallows and we are likely to sign soon," Smart told Goal. 

Wits had an option to purchase Sekgota from Setubal outright at the end of the season.

However, the Clever Boys sold their PSL status to Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila ahead of the current campaign.

The 23-year-old returned to his parent club, Setubal, but he was not included in their final squad for 2020/21 season. 

His former coach at Wits, Gavin Hunt, who has since joined Chiefs, is believed to be keen to reunite with the speedy player at the Naturena-based giants.

However, Chiefs are currently banned from registering new players after being found guilty of signing Andriamirado 'Dax' Andrianarimanana illegally.

The four-time PSL champions can only register new players from July 2021 and they look set to miss out on yet another target. 

Amakhosi were interested in signing former Wits trio Sfiso Hlanti, Phathutshedzo Nange and Brandon Peterson, but they stopped training with the club last month.

This was after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) dismissed Chiefs' appeal against a two-window transfer ban.

Swallows have already signed 15 players in the current transfer window having gained promotion to the PSL after clinching last season's National Division (NFD) title.

The Soweto giants have snapped up Hlanti and Keagan Ritchie (both Bidvest Wits), Sammy Seabi (Mamelodi Sundowns), Phetso Maphanga (Chippa United), Thela Ngobeni (Highlands Park), Kamohelo Mahlatsi (SuperSport United), Thabo Matlaba (Black Leopards), Given Thibedi (Chiefs), Thabo Mosadi (Ajax Cape Town), Moeketsi Makhanya (JDR Stars), Wandisile Letlabika (Bloemfontein Celtic), Musa Nyatama (Highlands Park), Kagiso Malinga (SuperSport United) Ruzaigh Gamildien (Chippa United) and Daniel Gozar (Free State Stars).

Swallows chairman David Mogashoa posted a photo of himself with Sekgota on Friday: