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After throwing a 2-0 lead against FC Goa in the opening match, Bengaluru FC coach Carles Cuadrat is keen to make amends when they lock horns with Hyderabad FC in their next encounter in the Indian Super League (ISL). Against the Gaurs, his team chose to attack on the counter but that could well change in the next game as they might look to take the game to Hyderabad.

"Against Hyderabad we have a different match plan. All the players are ready...I mean all the players. The younger payers, the seven foreign players are alll ready. It is just the start and we don't know how it is going to end. We watched their (Hyderabad's) victory against Odisha. We are expecting a tough game," stated the manager on the eve of the match. 

Being clinical was a concern for Bengaluru last season and Cuadrat agreed that they could have done better in front of goal against Goa. 

"We are training hard. We got six more days to prepare. Some of the players had been training for two weeks and now they have three weeks. We are much fitter (than we were in the last game). We had some chances to make the scoreline bigger. Sunil (Chhetri) missed one chance from a counter-attack. Fran (Gonzalez) could have headed one from a free-kick. Some players were not ready for 90 minutes and we had to make substitutions.

"We have some players who are familiar with the squad. For Kristian (Opseth) and (Deshorn) Brown, they were playing the first game after just 10 days of training. They understand the team. I am sure we can play with three foreigners (strikers) together. No problem with Kristian, Brown and Cleiton (Silva) playing together." 

Giving away a two-goal lead wasn't the best of starts for the Bangalore-based club. But the tactician feels that his team responded positively in the last 20 minutes against Goa and the result could have been different if they could have found a good through-ball to their strikers.

"I totally agree with that (on managing the game better). Some players were tired. We wanted to get the three points. We were playing well and so I did not want to change much. Unfortunately, they got two goals in three minutes. On many occasions when a team concedes two quick goals, they go on to ultimately lose the game. You tend to become negative as a team. But that did not happen. We adjusted a little bit. We put better players like Dimas (Delgado) and that helped the team to become more mature. We managed the last 20 minutes in a different way. We also troubled them as we got two corners and created goal-scoring chances. We were close to the last pass success. If we had made that, then the scoreline would have been different," explained Cuadrat. 

All the matches in this edition of ISL will be played in empty stadiums due to the Coronavirus pandemic. It means Bengaluru have been missing their fans at the venue. The manager feels although it is not affecting the results right now, it could have an effect in the future. 

"Not yet but it might happen in future. We have got more points at home. The fans help us in an incredible way. We have scored many last-minute goals and that is due to the atmosphere in the stadium. It is not going to happen here. But there are no excuses. We have to keep fighting," signed off the coach. 

Former Orlando Pirates Mark Mayambela has resurfaced at South African second-tier side, Cape Umoya.

The National First Division team announced their squad for the new season this week, ahead of their first fixture of the 2020/ 21 campaign, away to TS Sporting in Mpumalanga on Saturday afternoon.

Mayambela was just one of several former Premier Soccer League (PSL) stars who have signed for the Cape side.

Defender Tshepo Gumede and midfielders Michael Morton and Manti Mekoa, another three players who also previously spent time at Pirates, are also at the club.

The well-travelled former Mamelodi Sundowns striker Eleazar Rodgers is also part of the setup, as are Roscoe Pietersen, formerly of Ajax Cape Town and SuperSport United, and Erick Chipeta, a Zimbabwean international who was once at Ajax and later Chippa United. Also in the team is Gabriel Nyoni, another Zimbabwean, who last played at Maritzburg United.                

For Mayambela, 33, Cape Umoya is the latest in a lengthy list of teams he has played for.

Others include Bloemfontein Celtic, Swedish side Djurgarden, Chippa United, SuperSport, Ajax Cape Town and Cape Town City, where he played just five league matches last term.

The Khayelitsha-born Mayambela was a big fan's favourite during his time with Pirates between 2010 and 2013 but arguably never delivered on his full potential.

After playing 21 league games in his first season, he managed just seven appearances the next season and just one in the 2012/13 campaign, before leaving for Sweden.

Cape Umoya will be looking to improve on their showing last season when they finished in 11th spot, 22 points behind champions Swallows FC.

Umoya are the club which arose out of the ashes of former PSL team Platinum Stars.

After the Rustenburg-based Platinum Stars were relegated in 2018, former head coach Roger De Sa became part of a consortium which bought the status of the North West outfit and moved it down to the Mother City.

They are one of four Cape Town clubs in the second tier, the others being Cape Town Spurs (formerly Ajax Cape Town), Cape Town All Stars and Steenberg United. 

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Nick Mwendwa has categorically stated the new 'bus' for the 2020-21 Premier League season has already left the station and will not reverse for anyone left behind.

Responding to a question on whether the season will kick off without three ‘rebel’ teams – Ulinzi Stars, Mathare United, and Zoo FC - who are yet to endorse the FKF and StarTimes deal, Mwendwa told Goal: “We have 15 teams in the bag already, that is a bus of 15 clubs and it is ready to take off.

“We have actually taken off the stage and it is upon the other teams to think twice, if they want to help their players [by taking part in the league with money], then we still have time for them to jump in but we don’t have time to wait for anyone, they must decide quickly because this bus has a very high speed and will not turn back when it takes off.”

Mwendwa further explained the tug of war between the ‘rebel’ clubs and FKF was of no value because “the TV rights they are fighting to take charge of belongs to FKF.”

“Let me put it very clear, the rights of the league belong to FKF, and that is why TV rights belong to us, we only decided to give KPL the rights because they were managing the league for us, so all the rights including media rights, commercial rights belong to FKF.

“If the clubs have issues, they should come to FKF offices and raise them, we don’t have time to waste, but one thing they cannot do to hold other clubs at ransom, we are not ready to be held back now we have managed to secure sponsorship for our league.”

On whether Gor Mahia have signed the deal, Mwendwa said: “Gor Mahia gave us an endorsement from their duly elected secretary-general and the rest is now history, they are part of us, that is why we have 15 teams, we have written to the remaining three to sign in courtesy and are waiting to hear what they say.”

On how much they have as sponsorship for the league, Mwendwa said: “StarTimes gave us 1.1million dollars, BetKing 3.4million dollars, and remember all the contracts are signed in dollars, and we don’t want to hide anything, those days of hiding things are long gone.

“KPL never used to tell us how much they received from SuperSport, but here in FKF we will put everything out for everyone to know what is going on.”

The top-flight is set to resume on Saturday since it was ended prematurely in mid-March owing to the coronavirus pandemic, with AFC Leopards taking on Tusker in the opening match at Nyayo Stadium.

There is a quantum of solace to be found in the reality that, in this most atypical of years, the showpiece event of African club football will be contested by the continent’s two most successful entities.

If a disc-shaped dirigible flying vessel were to land on Earth, bearing sentient beings from a far-flung planet in the vast void of space, and they demanded (or even asked nicely) a crash course in all that the Caf Champions League is about, they would not get a better answer than Al Ahly vs Zamalek.

The stakes are not quite as galactic as this scenario depicts, but the importance and scale of this game is not off by much.

Understand, this is less a rivalry between football clubs and more an ideological, almost political divide. In a world increasingly stripped of individualism, these two behemoths exist as the basis of social identity in Egypt; one is either an Ahly supporter, or a Zamalek supporter.

So strong is the feeling on both sides that even Mohamed Salah, his country’s most iconic footballing star, has balked at stating his preference clearly, and instead voted for an engaging final in a recent interview.

After all, the history of the Cairo derby has been fraught with suspicion, recrimination, conspiracy theories and even violence.

So hot has the fire of its fervour been that, in one famous instance in December 1971, the entire league season was caught in the blaze after the award of a penalty to Zamalek caused Ahly fans to storm the pitch in protest.

Five years prior, the fire was of a literal variety, with a section of the stadium burnt during the derby as fans, spurred on by the dissent of Ahly fans, ran amok.

In 2003, Ahly lost the title on the final day of the league season, and to this day there are some who claim it was at the behest of high-ranking government officials, who favoured Zamalek and order their players to throw the ultimate match against ENPPI.

When both sides met in the Super Cup in February, there ensued a brawl following the White Knights’ penalty shoot-out victory, and come their league meeting a few days later, the victors forfeited in protest against sanctions imposed (on both teams) by the Egyptian Football Association (EFA).

Not even the practise – dating back to 1956 – of having foreign referees officiate has done much to quell misgivings; for all the fans know, the whole world is split along the same lines as they are. Knowing this then, it is no surprise that when Caf named Ahly the club of the 20th century, Zamalek who immediately alleged bias, challenging that claim on the grounds they had won more continental titles overall.

It is this depth of feeling, this intensity, this constant striving for one-upmanship that will come to a head on Friday night when Ahly and Zamalek grapple in what has been termed the Final of the Century (this is supposed to function as a belated “tie-breaker”, essentially).

That its culmination – despite winning 13 Caf Champions League titles and appearing in 19 finals between them, they have never before crossed paths in the Final – will take place inside an empty Cairo Stadium is the cruellest irony. Due to Covid-19 restrictions and in the interest of public safety, Caf and the EFA released a joint statement to this effect two days ago.

Especially considering there was a real danger of cancelation at one point, this will certainly do just fine—better half a loaf than none at all. It might also, in all honesty, be for the best. In the current circumstances, the absolute last thing Caf would want to deal with is controversy and insecurity in its showpiece club final with the world watching, especially in a week that has seen its president indicted by Fifa’s Ethics Committee.

The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic also effectively threw the 2019/20 Champions League out of kilter, scuppering plans to transition to an August-May schedule and requiring the host city to be changed from Douala to Cairo (and that only determined by the outcomes of the semi-finals, which only took place in October).

As such, an empty stadium is perhaps not the worst compromise to make.

The focus now will be solely on the players, and it is they who must carry the occasion, interpreting their coaches’ tactical plans to create an engaging spectacle.

For Ahly, coach Pitso Mosimane faces a significant amount of pressure, having been brought in from Mamelodi Sundowns at great expense. His success has a lot riding on it, not least of all the prospects of coaches from sub-Saharan Africa, to whom the doors to the bigger clubs in North Africa have mostly been closed. Victory here would not only keep him in the job, but could completely reform the culture of African club football.

So far, the reviews of his work have been largely positive, and Ahly will enter as favourites. The Red Devils turned over Wydad Casablanca in impressive fashion in the semis, and can call upon the excellent Ali Maaloul, one of the finest left-backs on the continent, as well as Hussein El Shahat and Marwan Mohsen in attack.

Portuguese Jaime Pacheco leads Zamalek, back for a second stint after his first six years ago. In Achraf Bencharki and Mostafa Mohamed, he possesses an all-star front line; through the competition, Zamalek have not won a game without either of these two scoring.

Beyond Covid, beyond a rivalry that defines a city and rocks a nation, beyond the murky politics of Caf, this is ultimately what this comes down to. The two finest sides on the continent, brimming with attacking talent; one with a more collectivist ideal to its play, the other with a blockbuster front line.

Against all vicissitude, football will, hopefully, be the big winner.

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has confirmed Wilfried Zaha will miss their Premier League game against Newcastle United on Friday as he continues recovery from coronavirus.

Zaha is currently in isolation after testing positive for Covid-19 before the Eagles' league match against Burnley on Monday.

Following a 1-0 loss at Turf Moor earlier this week, Crystal Palace, who are aiming to return to winning ways against Newcastle United, will be without their leading scorer.

Zaha is expected to have another coronavirus test during the weekend which must return negative before he can rejoin his teammates.

“He’s still got to serve out the period of isolation,” Hodgson told the club website.

“That will take him I think to Saturday when he’ll be tested again and we're hoping that will come back negative. He’s been feeling okay, which is often the case when people test positive."

Zaha has scored five goals in eight league appearances this campaign and his absence was felt in their 1-0 defeat at Burnley.

Since his returned to Selhurst Park from Manchester United in 2014,  Crystal Palace have lost 20 of their 28 Premier League games without the Ivorian winger and Hodgson has described him as a "very important player".

He added: "He’s a very important player. It’s always the case whenever you have a player who's hit the headlines for his club in the way Wilf has done for us and lots of other players you could name for other clubs in the same category, it’s normal when the team plays without that player and don't get a result, everything focuses around the man who’s missing.

"Of course you miss those players but you miss them playing their best football and you can't guarantee they’d be playing their best football... We tend to endow the player who’s not playing with incredible quality. But we did miss him of course and always will miss him when he’s not playing because he’s such a good player."

The Tanzania government have confirmed they have opened investigations to ascertain whether Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) president Wallace Karia mishandled funds from Caf meant for football development in the country.

On Monday, Caf president Ahmad Ahmad was banned for five years by Fifa after being found guilty of breaching ethics codes and it later emerged in Tanzania that the TFF boss had allegedly pocketed $20,000 from Caf to help him run footballing activities.

Despite the TFF defending their boss in a statement, the Tanzania government through the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) Director John Mbungo has confirmed they will investigate the claims from Caf in order to know the truth of the issue.

“We have already started investigating on the development even though the Tanzania Football Federation [TFF] has written a letter denying any involvement in the saga,” Mbungo is quoted by Daily News.

“As you know, the misuse of funds, maladministration, and corruption is the responsibility of PCCB to investigate and we cannot just remain quiet without taking any measures whenever we have such information on our table, whether it concerns a public or private entity.

“Immediately after we heard about this development, our team has started to investigate so as to ensure that we get all the required information and let justice prevail.”

On how far they have reached with the investigations about the misuse of funds which were meant for the preparations of the U17 Africa Cup of Nations which Tanzania hosted last year, Mbungo explained: “When the issue is under investigation consists of many people.

“You should definitely expect the entire process to take some time because our job is to let justice emerge and not to implicate innocent people into the concerned issue.

 “The Afcon money touched many people and ministries as such, you cannot complete the whole process within a short period of time or else, you can take into account those people who were never involved.

“The misuse of Afcon preparation money is very broad hence we are keenly going into available details in order to allow the rule of law takes its course without favouring anyone.”

On defending Karia over the Caf issue, the TFF said in a statement obtained by Goal: “TFF would like to shed light on the continuing association of its president Wallace Karia to the fund's misappropriation that has led to the banning of Caf president Ahmad Ahmad.

“The Caf Committee unanimously agreed in May 2017 to give all member associations, including TFF, $100,000 whereby $80,000 dollars was meant for footballing activities with the remaining $20,000 set aside for the presidents to help them run their activities effectively.

“After getting the monies from Caf via TFF account, president Karia opted to use the money for several Federation activities considering the financial challenges TFF was facing," the statement added.

“There is no money that was deposited in Karia's personal account.

“Furthermore, the statement from Fifa, to announce the banning of Ahmed, did not mention anything regarding the $20,000 dollars meant for the Caf member association's presidents.

“Therefore, TFF will not hesitate to take action against any individual who will continue to share false information [against Karia].”

On top of his five-year ban from all football-related activity, the Caf administrator was fined CHF 200,000 (£160,000/$220,000).

Florent Ibingei, the coach of DR Congo side AS Vita Club, has given his backing to Ah Ahly and former Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane.

Mosimane is South Africa's most successful club coach with five Premier Soccer League titles to his name. He also won the Caf Champions League with Mamelodi Sundowns in 2016.

And now, following his move to Egyptian giants Al Ahly two months ago, Mosimane will be leading the Red Devils into the final of the 2020 Champions League on Friday night against fierce Cairo rivals Zamalek.

Should the former Bafana Bafana coach emerge victorious tonight, he will become only the third coach to win the illustrious competition with two different clubs.

The others are Argentina-born Oscar Fullone (also a former Sundowns coach, who won it with ASEC Mimosas and Raja Casablanca) and Egyptian Mahmoud El-Gohary, who triumphed with Zamalek and Al Ahly.

Ibingei has revealed how Mosimane is proving an inspiration for African coaches to become more ambitious in working outside of their own countries.

“Pitso Mosimane is my friend, and we have attended training sessions together before," Ibingei said, as quoted by Alkhaleej Today.

"We were talking about the fact that African coaches only have the opportunity to train in their country.

“Mosimane made the difference and climbed the wall that we all strive to climb and succeeded in training outside South Africa,” Ibingei continued. “We hope to see a trainer from the Congo train in other countries in the footsteps of Mosimane.”

Portugal-born coach Manuel Jose holds the record with four titles, all at Al Ahly, who have won it on eight occasions (three more than the next most successful teams, Zamalek and TP Mazembe).

Zambian Ronald Mkhandawire, who had a brief spell with Orlando Pirates and was in charge when they won the 1995 Champions League, is the only other southern African-born coach to claim the title.

AS Vita won the tournament in 1973 while fellow DR Congo team TP Mazembe were champions in 1967, 1968, 2009, 2010 and 2015.

Mbwana Samatta will miss Fenerbahce’s Turkish Super Lig match against Besiktas on Sunday due to a knee injury and a strain on his joint capsule.

Samatta played for 60 minutes in a Turkish Cup fixture against second-tier club Sivas Belediyespor on Tuesday, which ended in a 4-0 win for the Yellow Canaries.

He then underwent an MRI scan at the Acibadem Altunizade Hospital which indicated a strain on his joint and a flexion in the left medial ligament of his knee.

“Samatta, who was injured in his foot during yesterday's match, revealed a flexion in the left medial ligament of the knee and a strain on the joint capsule in the MRI taken at Acıbadem Altunizade Hospital. The treatment of our player has been started,” a club statement read.

Ahead of the Istanbul derby at the Ulker Stadium on Sunday, manager Erol Bulut disclosed that the Tanzania captain will be on the sidelines for three to four weeks.

“Samatta played 60 minutes in the match (Sivas Belediye Spor). We took him from the game thinking about the weekend game.” Bulut said.

“I've already spoken to him. We took him from the game without knowing his injury. Unfortunately, the results were not good. He will go through a 3-4 week process regarding his injury.”

Samatta, who is on a season-long loan with the Yellow Canaries, has scored two goals in seven league appearances since he arrived from Aston Villa in September.

Bulut described the 27-year-old striker as an asset despite his struggles in front of goal, with his last effort dating back to October 3 when he scored a brace against Fatih Karagumruk.

“I also talked to him about his situation,” the manager added.

"He is a very important football player for us. It does not mean that Samatta did not play a match, which means he lost his place in the top 11.

"He is very valuable to us. He will be very valuable from now on. What we need is a football player, just as we need other footballers. I hope he will return to the team as soon as possible and benefit us more.”

Kenya Caf Champions League representatives Gor Mahia will be in action against APR of Rwanda on November 28 in another attempt to progress to the group stage for the first time.

Gor Mahia have been in the competition in the last four season but have always found it hard to advance further and their last attempt, in 2019, was ended by Algeria’s USM Alger. The Algerian outfit picked up two wins against K’Ogalo and the two loses came at a time Gor Mahia were strained financially as they operated without a sponsor.

The Kenyan champions conceded six goals and scored just once against USM Alger given hey were defeated 4-1 away before they fell with a 2-0 margin at Moi Sports International Complex in September 2019.

K’Ogalo made a comeback to the continental stage on February 2017 and were handed Leones Vegetarianos of Equatorial Guinea in the first preliminary round. The Kenyan ambassadors drew 1-1 in their away fixture after they had eased to a 2-0 win at home.

The Green Army were then paired against Tunisian giants Esperance on March 2018, and were defeated by a slim margin; 1-0 away from home after a 0-0 draw at Kasarani.

That meant the Green Army dropped to the continent's second-tier and were handed Premier Soccer League side SuperSport United in the play-offs. They moved to the group stage as their qualification was based on the away goal rule after 2-2 aggregate draw. The Kenyan giants had won at home with a 1-0 scoreline before they suffered a 2-1 away loss at Lucas Moripe Stadium.

K'Ogalo then found themselves in Group D with Yanga SC, USM Alger and Rayon Sports. They drew 1-1 with Rayon Sports, lost 2-1 to USM Alger but did manage to get a 3-2 win over Yanga SC as their away record let them down.

However, it was the 2-1 loss at home to Rayon Sports, then under their current beleaguered head coach Roberto Oliveira, which complicated their chances of progressing to the quarter-finals as the Rwandan side managed to pick up a point away to USM Alger, meaning the two sides progressed from Group D.

Gor Mahia's Champions League journey in 2018 started with a match and a win against Malawian giants Nyasa Big Bullets.

In the first leg, the Kenyan champions needed stoppage time to pick up a 1-0 home win at Kasarani. The second leg ended with a 1-0 win for Big Bullets, and ultimately forced the match to extra time.

The Green Army withstood the pressure and pulled off a 4-3 win, with goalkeeper Boniface Oluoch turning hero after saving two penalties; one in the 86th minute, when he denied Chiukepo Msowoya and also when he stopped Marakesh Kubeya's third spot-kick.

Gor Mahia's Champions League charge hit a dead end in December 2018, when they were eliminated by Nigerians Lobi Stars in the second qualifying round after a 2-0 away loss.

Austin Ogunye and Alimi Sikiru scored to break the hearts of the Green Army after the Kenyans had won 3-1 at home.

Again, the Green Army, then under a new manager Hassan Oktay, dropped to Confederation Cup and were given New Star de Doula of Cameroon in the play-offs.

After a 2-1 home victory, they took a goalless draw in Doula, which meant they booked a place in the group stage. In Group D, the Kenyan outfit lost 2-1 away to Petro Atletico, 1-0 to NA Hussein Dey of Algeria and 4-0 to SC Zamalek of Egypt.

They managed to progress through to the quarter-finals after a 4-2 win over Zamalek, a 2-0 win over Hussein Dey and a 1-0 win over Petro Atletico in Nairobi, but here their poor away record cost them, as they were defeated 5-1 by Renaissance Sportive de Berkane of Morocco.

Oktay, who later resigned after winning the league title, failed to help them win at home too as they were defeated 2-0.

In the 2019/20 season, where Gor sailed past Burundian champions Aigle Noir with a 5-1 home win after failing to score away from home, as the match ended 0-0 in Bujumbura.

After a season that has been heavily affected by the coronavirus outbreak and under the leadership of Sammy Omollo, another opportunity for Gor Mahia to stake their claim as a big force in the competition has presented itself.

Former AFC Leopards midfielder Francis Xavier has stated they have a chance given their experience in the competition.

“Remember they have been there and have learnt key lessons which they hope to implement and advance even further,” Xavier told Goal in a previous interview.

“With Omollo, they have a good coach who understands the terrain of such high profile competitions and will offer what is required.”

Gor Mahia will first visit APR before they play at home in the preliminary stage.

Gor Mahia's problems are far from over as they finally boarded the plane to Rwanda in tracksuits belonging to the Harambee Stars.

While the team’s trip to Kigali for their Caf Champions League first leg meeting against Rwanda’s APR aborted on Wednesday due to a lack of air tickets, the team finally left on Friday but surprisingly they were donned in tracksuits donated by the Football Kenya Federation (FKF).

A source, who did not want to be named, confirmed to Goal one player from the club called the federation seeking help after it emerged club officials had asked them to travel in jeans.

“A player called the federation asking for help, the officials wanted them to travel in jeans but as a federation, we agreed to assist them [Gor Mahia], we have given them the green tracksuit of the senior national team Harambee Stars, and that is what they will wear going to Rwanda,” the source, who did not want to be named, told Goal .

“It is a big shame that a big club like Gor Mahia cannot afford a tracksuit for a playing unit and technical bench of 30 people, I don’t know what is happening at the club, but they have received help they wanted.”

The Kenyan champions named a travelling squad of 18 players with stand-in coach Sammy Omollo making the trip alongside Roberto Oliveira who was banned due to a controversy regarding his coaching qualifications.

The last meeting between the two sides was in 2008 when Gor Mahia won the FKF Shield Cup to qualify for the Caf Confederation Cup.

They were paired against the Army who had also won the Rwandan Cup and in the first leg played in Kenya, the Rwandan outfit managed to get a 1-0 win and going back to Kigali, they multiplied their efforts in front of the home fans and won the game 5-0 to advance 6-0 on aggregate.

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.

Dries Mertens said it was "tough to pull that shirt on" after Napoli wore the famous number 10 shirt in honour of Diego Maradona prior to their Europa League win over Rijeka.

Argentina and Napoli great Maradona – arguably football's greatest ever player – died of natural causes at the age of 60 on Wednesday.

Napoli's first match since the passing of their most iconic star this week was played out to the noise of songs and fireworks despite the empty stands at the Stadio San Paolo, where Maradona guided the Italian team to unprecedented Scudetto success in 1987 and 1990.

Captain Lorenzo Insigne laid a wreath before kick-off on Thursday, while the Napoli team lined up in 'Maradona 10' shirts – a jersey that was retired long before Maradona's death. The World Cup winner's name was displayed around the border of the pitch in Naples.

Reflecting on the emotional night, which saw Napoli defeat Croatian visitors Rijeka 2-0, Mertens told Sky Sport Italia: "It was an awful moment for me, so I can only imagine how those who lived through his time at Napoli must have felt.

"He made such a big impact on this city and for everyone in the south of Italy. I want to be positive, and focus on my memories of a smiling man who loved football.

"It was tough to pull that shirt on. In some ways, it was always a dream, but not like this."

Mertens is Napoli's all-time leading goalscorer with 128 across all competitions since joining the club in 2013.

The Belgium international moved clear of Marek Hamsik (121) atop the list in June, having surpassed Maradona (115) to move into second spot last year.

Mertens used social media to apologise to Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata head coach Maradona on Wednesday, writing via Instagram: "You were the first thing that came to my mind when I signed for Naples. Wearing the blue shirt will mean even more from now on.

"Napoli lost part of its soul today. You were, and will always be, an inspiration to all of us. If my name has ever been placed next to yours, I apologise, I will never be at your level. What you did for "our" city will go down in history forever. It was an honour to have met you. Forever my idol."

Asked about his apology, Mertens said: "I apologised to him, because my name was used in the same sentence as his and that's not right. He was and always will be unique."

The year 2020 has brought both joy and sadness for the Kolkata football fans.

While on one hand, the Kolkata giants entered the Indian Super League (ISL) this year, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic the football-crazy fans of the city will not be able to watch their clubs making their debuts in the top tier league in person as the league is being held in Goa this season.

ISL will witness its first-ever Kolkata derby on November 27 but due to the Covid-19 situation, the titanic clash will be held behind closed doors, a first time in the history of the iconic rivalry.

A Kolkata derby without fans is unthinkable but that is sadly the ‘new normal’ this year. But although the fans will not be present at the stadiums, they will certainly back their teams from Kolkata by either organising screenings or watching together. 

Goal caught up with an ardent Mohun Bagan fan who will miss cheering for his favourite club from the stands in the team’s debut season in the ISL.

“It is extremely difficult for us to come to terms that we will not be able to support our team at the stadium especially when Mohun Bagan are making their debut in the ISL. I remember how we used to enjoy every single home game in the I-League last season and also celebrated the title,” said Subham Mondal, a member of a Mohun Bagan fan’s club named 'Beleghata Mariners'.

While the ‘Beleghata Mariners’ will not be present at the stadium, some of their members including Subham will watch the derby along with fellow fans. 

“We are not planning to host any screening this time. Some of us will gather at a friend’s place to watch the game. Obviously, we cannot replicate the stadium atmosphere in someone’s home but we will be taking part in the fan wall organised by the ISL. We have registered ourselves there and will try to savour as much fun as possible,” said the die-hard Bagan fan.

An East Bengal fan club in Batanagar, Kolkata named ‘Batanagar Lal Holud Paribar’ will rent a house on Friday evening to organise a screening of the derby for its members.

Srotriya Ghosh, a member of the fan club told Goal how much the Red and Golds fans will miss cheering for their team from the stands of the Salt Lake Stadium on the derby day.

“We have missed the opportunity to watch our first ISL derby in Yuba Bharati Krirangan. It’s very upsetting but to enjoy the magic of derby, we are arranging a screening of the match in Batanagar. Let's hope to enjoy derby away from the team this season.”

East Bengal officials have organised a screening at the club’s maidan tent on Friday where fans will be allowed to come in and cheer for their favourite club. The screening, though, will be held following all state government protocols related to the pandemic.

Several other Mohun Bagan and East Bengal fan groups have plans of hosting screenings in their localities. The fans have come up with a new way in the 'new normal' to back their respective clubs.

East Bengal have suffered on multiple occasions in the last decade due to their goalkeepers, famously missing out on the I-League titles multiple times in the business end of seasons, thanks in no small part to goalkeeping errors. 

Goalkeeping blunders and lack of quality custodians in their roster was one of the hindrances in East Bengal's path of winning the much elusive I-League title.

This season as the Red and Golds embark on a new journey in the Indian Super League (ISL), once again a major area of concern is their goalkeeping department as none of their goalkeepers has enough ISL experience.

The Kolkata giants have registered four goalkeepers, Debjit Majumder, Sankar Roy, Mirshad Michu and Rafique Ali Sardar for the upcoming 2020-21 ISL season. While Majumder and Sardar have prior experience in ISL, Roy and Mirshad will make their debut in the top tier league this time. 

Out of all four keepers, Debjit Majumder has the maximum experience as he had earlier plied his trade with ATK for four seasons (2015, 2016, 2017-18 and 2018-19). Majumder has played a total of 29 ISL matches in four years where has conceded 32 goals, made 67 saves and managed to keep eight clean sheets.

His most memorable season in the ISL was in 2016 when he had appeared in 15 matches under Jose Francisco Molina and was instrumental in guiding the team to the ISL title. It must be noted that he played a key part in the penalty shootout against Kerala Blasters in the final, saving Cedric Hengbart's kick.

His performance in 2016 had earned him a three-year contract with the Kolkata club but the Bengali custodian failed to replicate his performance in the next two seasons. In fact, Majumder did not appear in a single game after the 2017-18 season and was sent on loan to Mohun Bagan in the I-League in the final year of his contract.

Last season too, he could only play in just two I-League matches. After leaking four goals against Churchill Brothers in the second match of the league, Majumder lost his place to Sankar Roy who played the remaining 14 matches.

Roy has changed colours this season and will be donning the Red and Gold jersey for the first time in his career. The 25-year-old custodian was a part of Mohun Bagan’s team in the last three seasons but could only make his name under Kibu Vicuna last year. In the 14 matches he played, Roy managed to keep seven clean sheets.

While the goalkeeper’s numbers from last season are enviable, he seemed shaky in crucial situations and conceded some silly goals in quite a few matches. With no ISL experience in his kitty, it will be interesting to see if Roy can maintain his form from last season.

Mirshad Michu will don the East Bengal shirt for the fourth season in a row. In the past three years, the custodian appeared in just 10 I-League matches where he has conceded 10 goals and has managed to keep only two clean sheets. He too will make his ISL debut this season.

Other than Debjit, the only other goalkeeper in East Bengal’s roster who has ISL experience is young Bengali custodian Rafique Ali Sardar. The 22-year-old goalkeeper had plied his trade with Jamshedpur FC in the last three seasons but due to the towering presence of Subrata Paul in their ranks, Sardar got hardly any game time.

In 2018-19 he played in just one match and appeared three games last season under Antonio Iriondo where he conceded nine goals. 

The statistics of none of the goalkeepers paint a bright picture in favour of East Bengal and much will depend on how well their experienced goalkeeping coach Robert Mimms prepares them.

However, while none of these names inspire confidence, this is also a chance for one of them to establish themselves and revive (or kick-start) their career. 

Travel from one end of Kerala to the other and you will spot multiple boards and signboard by Argentina football team fans declaring their love for their football legend Diego Maradona. 

The football-loving state, which declared two-day mourning following the Argentinian's passing on Wednesday, absolutely adored the Napoli forward who was a magician with the ball at his feet. 

There are only two places in India that has been visited by Maradona and Kerala is one of them. 

On October 24, 2012, the district of Kannur stood still. Over 50,000 people flocked to the place where Maradona set foot. It was a packed atmosphere and his first few words after getting on the dais were, "I love you Kerala!" which was received with a huge roar of appreciation and affection.

Maradona was brought to the state by Kerala businessman Boby Chemmannur who met the footballer during his time abroad and convinced him to become the brand ambassador of his jewellery chain. The occasion was the opening of a new showroom but it didn't matter - Kannur was all about football that day. 

Alongside him on stage was his fan and Indian football legend IM Vijayan. Vijayan had reached the hotel where Maradona stayed on the previous day hoping to see the Argentine. All Vijayan wanted was a photograph with the World Cup winner but it was late in the day and he couldn't get the photo he wanted. 

The next day, Vijayan went on stage and not only spoke to the football legend but also played keepy-uppy with him in front of thousands of football lovers.

Maradona sang songs, danced to his favourite tunes and even cut a 30 kg cake to celebrate his birthday (which was in November) in advance. He gave thousands of people some great memories and will always be remembered by the people in the state. 

Football returned to Naples on Thursday but normality did not as the city continued to mourn the death of legend Diego Maradona.

Napoli's first match since the passing of their most iconic star this week was played out to the noise of songs and fireworks despite the empty stands at the Stadio San Paolo.

Fans were kept away for the Europa League clash with Rijeka, but Neapolitans instead gathered outside the stadium, which could soon be named after Maradona.

Captain Lorenzo Insigne laid a wreath before kick-off, while the Napoli team lined up in 'Maradona 10' shirts - a jersey that was retired long before Maradona's death. His name was displayed around the border of the pitch.

After an emotional two days, Gennaro Gattuso's side turned in a laboured performance but still ran out 2-0 winners.

Former Napoli defender Armando Anastasio - a Neapolitan, of course - scored a scruffy own goal to break the deadlock in the first half, with Hirving Lozano's well-taken second from the bench making sure of victory.

But attention soon turned back to the man who used to grace the San Paolo, unsurprisingly the centre of Gattuso's post-match comments.

"Diego is the pride of this city," the coach told Sky Sport Italia. "They saw the best footballer in the world.

"He represented the number 10, a whole people, he made them dream. Many guys are called Diego. He is more important than San Gennaro."

Gattuso added: "I have many wonderful memories of Diego; I had the opportunity to dine with him a few times.

"He died but will never die, because he was an extraordinary person. He did so many extraordinary things. He also made some mistakes in life, but he will live forever.

"Even last night, driving through the city to the hotel, you could see that the city breathed a different air. It is a great loss. Diego came from another planet, a legend."

Napoli forward Dries Mertens also paid tribute to Maradona after the match and admitted it was hard to pull on the Argentine's iconic No.10 shirt. 

"He made such a big impact on this city and for everyone in the south of Italy. I want to be positive, and focus on my memories of a smiling man who loved football," Mertens said post-match. 

"It was tough to pull that shirt on. In some ways, it was always a dream, but not like this."