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Andy Robertson and Alphonso Davies are the best left-backs in the world, claims Renan Lodi, with the Atletico Madrid defender a big fan of star turns on the books at Liverpool and Bayern Munich.

Leading sides across Europe have started to find considerable value in a position that can often be overlooked.

Liverpool spent just £8 million ($11m) in luring Robertson away from Hull City in 2017, while Bayern invested €13.5m (£10m) in prising Davies from the Vancouver Whitecaps’ clutches in 2018.

Both have gone on to become title winners in England and Germany respectively, while also capturing much-coveted Champions League crowns.

There is the promise of more to come from them, with Robertson 26 years of age while Davies is just 20.

Lodi, who is forging an impressive reputation of his own in Spain, believes key men on Merseyside and in Bavaria have risen to the top in their chosen position.

He told FIFA’s official website: “Robertson of Liverpool and Alphonso Davies of Bayern Munich are outstanding players. Davies is even younger than me, and Robertson is still young. They’re great players and have so much potential.”

Lodi added on those he modelled his own game on growing up, allowing him to become a regular for Atletico and Brazil: “Roberto Carlos was a great player, but I didn’t see too much of him because I’m young.

“I really like Filipe Luis, Alex Sandro, who I watch a lot – the way he defends, the way he reads the game. Marcelo too.”

Lodi is learning from some of the best within the Brazil national team set-up, and is also surrounded by superstars at Wanda Metropolitano.

Luis Suarez now forms part of that group, with the prolific Uruguayan having completed a shock move from Barcelona over the summer.

“He’s a real joker, a lot of fun,” Lodi said of a fellow South American.

“He also does his utmost to help everybody day-by-day. I try to learn the maximum possible from the time I spend with him, because there are no words to describe him. He’s strong, very talented, finishes with both feet. He’s a magnificent player and a huge asset for our club.”

Lodi is also enjoying working alongside Joao Felix in Madrid, with the Portuguese youngster seemingly destined to become a modern-day great.

He added on the talented 21-year-old forward: “He’s my brother at the club. We’re almost the same age. We get along really well.

“He’s an incredibly talented player, but he’s always trying to learn and improve. I have no doubt that he will become one of the best players in the world.”

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has confirmed the kick-off date for the 2020-21 FKF Premier League campaign has been changed from November 20, Friday, to November 28.

FKF President Nick Mwendwa has confirmed to Goal owing to logistical problems, they have pushed the kick-off date to November 28.

“The new season will now kick-off on November 28 and not this Friday [November 20] as earlier planned,” Mwendwa told Goal on Tuesday. “We have a number of logistical issues which need to be done, including testing of players and officials [for Covid-19] and all those who will be involved during matches.

“It is the reason we have shifted the date but we are confident the league will now start on November 28.”

In a previous interview, Mwendwa confirmed to Goal they will have a trophy made of pure gold for the 2020-21 FKF Premier League season.

“We will have a 24-carat gold trophy, very heavy and enticing,” Mwendwa told Goal. “We have already purchased the trophy, it will be round in shape, very good for everyone’s eyes, these are some of the changes we promised after taking over the league.

“There are no more jokes, we want to have the league managed professionally, we want to have many changes done to the league so that local players can also enjoy the game, we already have two sponsors on board and we are working at increasing the number.”

Asked where the trophy will be kept under lock and key for security reasons, Mwendwa said: “We have already talked to KCB bank and they will keep the trophy for us, the trophy will arrive in town soon and we will parade it for everyone to see it.”

Gor Mahia, who were declared the champions of the 2019-20 season after the FKF moved to end the league prematurely owing to the Covid-19 outbreak, are yet to receive their trophy for winning the league.

The KPL were yet to purchase a trophy after title sponsors SportPesa walked away, leaving the league in turmoil.

However, the FKF has already unveiled Nigerian betting-firm BetKing and Chinese Pay TV StarTimes as part of their partners for the new campaign.

The new season will be under the leadership of the FKF after the federation refused to renew the contract of the Kenya Premier League (KPL), who had managed the division for over 17 years.

Uganda head coach Johnathan McKinstry has conceded his charges were not good enough in the 1-0 loss to South Sudan in the Group B Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier played at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi Kenya.

Gor Mahia striker Tito Okello scored the lone goal from the penalty spot in the first half to hand Bright Stars their maiden win in the group. The tactician has taken full responsibility for the shocking loss.

"Ultimately we were not good enough and as a coach, I take full responsibility," McKinstry told Goal.

"We planned for the game, we trained, players did their best and the coaching staff did their best to come up with the game plan.

"But I am sad for them [that we lost the game] and we have to go back and see what we have to do to give players what they need to perform [in the next game]."

The 35-year-old has also explained the reason for Cranes' struggles especially in the first half and how the Khalid Aucho red card impacted the team.

"It is hard to talk about tactics because when you go down to 10 men too early on, it makes it tough," McKinstry continued.

"Even before the red card we did not move the ball fast enough and that was the key point.  

"After the red card, we had to change things around and you noticed in the second half we went three at the back which is something Uganda have not really played [before], but I think the boys did everything they could.

"We hit the crossbar, had another two chances but we did not score. I am responsible for what the players do, I know they work hard to put on the show that people want but [on Monday] we fell short."

The Northern Irish coach has now stated they will have to go and analyse the game well in preparation for their next assignment.

"So I have to go back and look at ourselves and see if there is something positive; the [1-0 loss] humbles all of us. 

"We took this match seriously, we prepared well, nobody can say we were casual in our approach but for whatever reasons we did not get it right, and congratulations to South Sudan for the win."

Arsenal-linked midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai is edging "closer" to the Red Bull Salzburg exits, according to his agent.

Szoboszlai has emerged as one of the most exciting young players in Europe since joining Salzburg from Liefering in January 2018.

The 20-year-old has since scored 22 goals in 74 games for the Austrian club, while also laying on an impressive 33 assists.

He has taken his game to a new level this season, with his best performances coming in the Champions League, and a number of top clubs are starting to take notice.

Arsenal are reportedly among those weighing up a move for Szoboszlai, who has just entered the final 18 months of his current contract.

The Salzburg star's main legal representative, Esterhazy Matyas, has now admitted that his client will likely be looking to move onto a new challenge next year, but they are taking a thoughtful approach when it comes to deciding his next destination.

"We're seeing that every time he has a good game, which fortunately is happening quite often, the rumours are getting stronger," Matyas told Digisport of the speculation surrounding Szoboszlai's future. "However, our strategy isn't going to change because of one or two games,

"We have belief in our own plans and the vision we had originally is only getting stronger because all of the comments we are reading only prove that we are on the right path.

"Whether it's in January or next summer, the most important thing is that he goes to a club where he will have a good chance of playing regularly and continuing the learning curve he started in Salzburg - that's the most important thing for us.

"Obviously, it's no secret that Dominik is closer now to leaving the Austrian league."

Bayern Munich have also been credited with an interest in Szoboszlai, and their former player Lothar Matthaus is certain that his old club will be keeping a close eye on the Hungarian playmaker.

The former Bayern and German captain recently said: “He could move to RB Leipzig in January, but I'm convinced that every top club in Europe has him on their list, including FC Bayern."

Bernd Leno has jumped to the defence of Mesut Ozil, insisting the Arsenal outcast is "absolutely loyal" and "still a part of the team".

Ozil's seven-year stay at Arsenal appears to be drawing to a close, with there little sign of the playmaker being offered the chance to extend his stay at Emirates Stadium beyond June 2021.

The former Germany international hasn't played for the Gunners since March, and was left out of Mikel Arteta's latest Premier League and Europa League squads, despite being in peak physical condition.

A man once revered as one of the finest players in Europe has seemingly been reduced to little more than a social media cheerleader  at Arsenal, but he has pledged to continue fighting for a place in the team while insisting that London "still feels like home" .

Although it has been suggested that Ozil's perceived unenthusiastic attitude and sub-par work rate have been the main reasons behind his recent omission, Leno is adamant that he has always been fully committed to the collective cause at the Emirates.

The German goalkeeper has been impressed with how the experienced schemer has dealt with his situation, and still sees him as a valuable member of the squad regardless of whether or not he ever plays for the club again.

"Mesut is still a part of the team and trains with us," Leno told BILD .

"He is absolutely professional, both on the pitch and in the dressing room.

"Obviously it's a disappointing situation for him, but Mesut handles it well and is absolutely loyal."

Ozil will be absent once again when Arsenal resume their latest Premier League campaign away at Leeds United on Sunday afternoon.

Arteta's men will be looking to get back to winning ways at Elland Road after suffering a surprise 3-0 defeat at home to Aston Villa before the international break.

That result left the Gunners down in 11th in the early top-flight standings, with six points separating the north Londoners and leaders Leicester after eight fixtures.

Arsenal's focus will shift back to the Europa League following their latest domestic outing, with a Group B clash away at Molde scheduled to take place on November 26.

Mason Mount has spoken about his humbling experiences working with UK charity 'Together for Short Lives', and he has begun taking a hands-on role through meetings and donations in recent weeks.

The 21-year-old midfielder is involved in the Christmas Appeal, which is supporting seriously ill children. A video message featuring Mount launched on Monday showing him meeting six-year-old Alfie on Zoom after his diagnosis for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which is an incurable illness.

Mount is a regular starter for both Chelsea and England now,  but he wants to be more than just a footballer.

"It makes me want to be a better person having learned about experiences like that but it also just meant a lot to me to speak to Alfie and his family," Mount told Goal in an exclusive interview. 

"It has helped me as a person to learn about these individuals who go through these difficult moments. It is unbelievable to see how they had to deal with hearing about Alfie’s life-limiting illness on the phone and it was such a tough time for them to go through that.

"For someone to say your son has a life-threatening illness only on the phone is hard to believe."

It took careful consideration for Mount to put his name to a cause this Christmas, but Together for Short Lives means a lot to him due to his own tight family unit.

Tony Mount, his father, has been very influential in his career - driving him the long distances between his home near Portsmouth to west London to train with Chelsea .

To this day, Tony still guides his son with well-placed advice having coached at non-league level.

He is also close to his brother and sister as well as his mother Debbie, who has put in great efforts in supporting her son's football career. Those memories came into Mount's mind particularly ahead of the holiday season.

"Christmas means a lot to me as me and my family have always been together celebrating, it is a big thing for my family," he added. "Especially at this time where families have even more problems due to the UK lockdown.

"I know people might not be able to visit their families when they normally would be together when they deserve to be together. The support is everything; I want everyone to look out for each other, I want us all to support each other so no families feel alone."

Mount is the latest of a host of young England stars to find off-field causes to support during the UK coronavirus pandemic, which is causing health and economic problems across the world.

Marcus Rashford has taken time to campaign for free school meals and has recently been involved with Macmillan Kids UK to improve literacy for children.

Mount's team-mate Reece James, meanwhile, has been involved with the Felix Project's food poverty appeal this Christmas.

Together for Short Lives estimates that 99,000 children are seriously ill in the UK. It aims to support families through the right end-of-life care and is pushing for donations this Christmas through its website.

"Everything they do means a lot to me and I have spoken to the people involved in the charity about what I can do. I wanted to be involved helping out however I can," Mount concluded.

Mohamed Salah has been slammed for contracting Covid-19 at his brother’s wedding, with Mido accusing the so-called “cowards” in the Egypt national team camp of allowing fear of the Liverpool star’s status to influence their actions.

The 28-year-old forward is having to sit out important games for his country after testing positive for coronavirus, with it possible that he could also miss crunch clashes for his club in the Premier League.

Mido is bemused as to how such a situation has come to pass, with Salah mixing with hundreds of well-wishers during a ceremony in Cairo despite social distancing measures being in place throughout the world.

Egypt and Liverpool are now counting the cost of those decisions, with a talismanic figure at Anfield and those charged with the task of managing his career criticised for their handling of the situation.

Former Ajax and Tottenham striker Mido told Al-Nahar TV: “I know I may be under attack after my next comments, but it has to be that way.

“Mohamed Salah made a big mistake by attending his brother's wedding a few days before the Egyptian national team match, he showed great negligence with the steps taken to prevent the coronavirus and the result was that he was infected.

“The neglect of Mohamed Salah caused the Egyptian team to lose an important player in a very important match and time, and he also risked the health of his team-mates.

"He should not have been present at his brother's wedding, especially at that time. The wedding included more than 800 people, and half of them accepted to embrace and kiss Salah.

“The other point here is the silence of all those responsible for the player's negligence, which confirms the fact that the player is still bigger than the national team and this will lead to a great failure.

“When I missed the 2006 African Nations Cup, I was punished by missing the final and being excluded from the national team for six months. The final we lost, I was young and I think I am older than the team, but I confirm now that no one is bigger than the team, and if someone thinks this, this will be a great failure.

“Officials in Egypt did not direct any word of blame or reproach to Mohamed Salah and the harm caused by his negligence to the Egyptian team, and I name each of the Minister of Sports Ashraf Sobhi, Chairman of the EFA Amr Al-Ganayni, the coach of the national team Hossam Al-Badri, and the national team director Mohamed Barakat, all are cowards and fear Mohamed Salah fans who love the Liverpool star, but here I am speaking without calculations or fear of anyone, and what is being said should be said to me.

“No one can say that Salah did not make a mistake by going to his brother's wedding at that difficult time and in light of the corona crisis, all the English newspapers speak against us negatively.

"Salah should have been blamed for what he did, but everyone feels fear.”

Bayern Munich could easily afford to trigger a €50 million (£45m/$59m) release clause in Dayot Upamecano’s contract and should be looking to land the RB Leipzig centre-half as a replacement for Jerome Boateng, claims Lothar Matthaus.

The Bundesliga champions are expected to enter the market for defensive reinforcements at some stage in the near future.

World Cup winner Boateng has entered the final year of his contract, while David Alaba has done likewise and seen talks regarding a possible extension break down.

If Bayern find themselves in need of cover at centre-half, Matthaus believes they should be looking to raid a domestic rival for quality reinforcements.

“Jerome is prone to injury and has reached a certain age at 32,” Bayern legend Matthaus told AZ.

“In the past few years he has often had to take criticism, including from me, and that was justified. But he always behaved professionally and enjoyed a great comeback under Hansi Flick.

“One thing is clear, if David Alaba should go alongside Boateng, Bayern will need a replacement.

“There are, of course, some internal solutions: Lucas Hernandez, Niklas Sule, Benjamin Pavard and the young Tanguy Nianzou. From what I hear, Nianzou must be a giant, a really great talent. 

“Nevertheless, reinforcement from outside would be needed. Leipzig's Dayot Upamecano would certainly be a player that would fit very well in terms of quality.”

Part of the problem for Bayern could be that Upamecano is attracting admiring glances from across Europe, with a number of sides in the Premier League said to be keen on the 22-year-old Frenchman.

Matthaus, though, believes that rival interest from the likes of Liverpool can be fended off.

The ex-Germany international added: “He has a release clause that allows him to move for €50m. That would be easy for Bayern. 

“I already have the impression that the Bundesliga made up ground on the Premier League during the pandemic.

“You can see from the results of the German teams in the Champions League that they can keep up.

“Bayern, Dortmund, Leipzig and Gladbach all play attractive, attacking football. The Bundesliga shines, and is therefore also attractive for many top players.”

Paul Robinson says "any top club in Europe" would take Jack Grealish right now, and has admitted that he "would love" to see the Aston Villa star in a Tottenham shirt.

Grealish has been in red hot form for club and country at the start of the 2020-21 campaign.

The 25-year-old has contributed four goals and five assists to Villa's cause in seven Premier League appearances, earning a place in Gareth Southgate's England squad in the process.

He has been arguably the standout performer for the Three Lions during the current international break, with his latest eye-catching display coming during his first competitive start for his country against Belgium on Sunday.

Grealish was powerless to prevent England from slumping to a 2-0 defeat in the Nations League, but received widespread praise for his work across the middle of the pitch alongside Chelsea's Mason Mount.

The Villa talisman is now being linked with a whole host of high-profile potential suitors, including Manchester City and Manchester United, but Robinson has suggested Spurs as an alternative next destination for the midfielder.

The former Tottenham goalkeeper believes Grealish is capable of playing at the very highest level, and insists the playmaker will have to seek a move if he wants to start collecting some major silverware as he heads into the prime years of his career.

“Top teams in Europe will be looking at Grealish and no disrespect to Aston Villa but they are not on the same level as Manchester City, Liverpool, Barcelona, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich," Robinson told Football Insider.

“He loves the club but if he wants to win things at some point he will have to leave Aston Villa. It depends on his ambition.

“I would absolutely love to see him in a Tottenham shirt.

“Any top club in Europe will take Jack Grealish right now if they could but he signed a new contract so Aston Villa will demand a huge price tag for him.

“If a club does have the money and Grealish wants to play Champions League football then a move is possible.

“I can see Jack Grealish at one of Europe’s top clubs.”

Ali Daei “sincerely hopes” that Cristiano Ronaldo will break his international goalscoring record, with the Portuguese superstar just seven efforts short of the Iranian’s mark of 109.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has been back on target for his country in the latest round of fixtures.

With Ronaldo hitting the back of the net in a 7-0 mauling of Andorra, he now has 102 goals for Portugal to his name and that return has him sat second on a notable chart and chasing down another entry in the history books.

The Juventus forward is now 35 years of age, but he is showing no sign of slowing down and is expected to pass Daei at some stage.

An iconic figure from the past, who managed his haul for Iran through just 149 games, claims he would be happy to see an all-time great overtake him and raise a remarkable bar a little higher.

Daei told Record: “I sincerely hope that Cristiano Ronaldo will reach my goal record for the national team.

“In no way [would I be hurt], it would be a real honour for me if a player of his class could do it.

“Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best players not only of his time, but of all time. He is an absolute phenomenon.

“I would congratulate him directly. But first he has to get there.

“Cristiano Ronaldo already has 102 goals for Portugal and will beat my record, I'm sure of that, but he still has seven goals to go.”

Ronaldo has one more outing to take in for Portugal before domestic action resumes in November.

He has been unable to guide the defending champions back into the Nations League Finals, but their 2020 campaign will come to a close with a trip to Croatia on Tuesday.

Ronaldo will be looking to edge ever closer to Daei in that contest, but Fernando Santos claims no-one in the Portugal camp is allowing record-chasing exploits to become a distraction.

He has said: “Nobody will be thinking about Cristiano.

“The [other players] will not be thinking about not scoring in order to give the chance to someone else.

“Even Cristiano wouldn't want that to happen. Cristiano will score when he has to score. The [other players] will not be thinking about that.”

William Troost-Ekong has urged the Nigeria national team to fully focus when they take on Sierra Leone in Tuesday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying game.

The Super Eagles squandered a 4-0 lead to play out a draw with the Leone Stars at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City on Friday.

On Monday, Gernot Rohr’s men arrived in Freetown for the reverse fixture of the encounter and had their first training session.

Troost-Ekong explained the three-time African champions are battle-ready for the game and urged his side to fully concentrate and secure all three points in the outing.

”We are ready, we just finished a good practice session and everyone’s ready for the game tomorrow,” Troost-Ekong told the media.  

“We prepare like any other game with this team (Sierra Leone). We don’t underestimate anyone and if we can just bring what we did in the first half of the last game and make sure we keep concentrated and see out the game, I think we have a good chance to do what we need to do.

“They (Nigerian fans) will see a team that is very hungry to get the win here. We want to qualify as soon as possible and it is up to us to do it tomorrow.”

Troost-Ekong also commented about the Siaka Stevens Stadium in Freetown, where the Super Eagles will take on Sierra Leone.

“We are used to everything, we are Africans we’ve been to Asana, we’ve been to Benin and Uyo and this pitch is like any other pitch we will get in Africa so it’s no surprise for us, we will be ready to face them,” he added.

With the draw on Friday, Nigeria maintain their lead in Group L with seven points from three games and a victory against the Leone Stars in Freetown could seal their place in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

The Super Eagles finished with the bronze medal at the 2019 continental tournament, with Algeria clinching the gold and Senegal the silver medal.

Ghana coach CK Akonnor believes his team will have to find a way to deal with the absence of talismanic captain Andre Ayew in Tuesday's 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier against Sudan.

The Black Stars are set to play as guests to the North Africans in a matchweek four fixture at Al Hilal Stadium in Omdurman, five days after relying on two goals from the Swansea City forward to register a 2-0 triumph in a first leg fixture in Cape Coast.

Ayew, who similarly netted twice in Ghana's last game coming into the November Afcon qualifiers, has been forced to withdraw from the reverse fixture due to an injury picked up during Saturday's training session in Accra.

"First of all, he [Ayew] is the leader of the team and so if you don’t have your leader, it’s always a problem," Akonnor said, as reported by the Ghana Football Association's official website.

"But having said that, these are professionals, they have been in Europe for quite some time now, they are doing well so they know what to do, and of course, with a bit of guidance from the technical team, I think they will be able to do well.

"He [Andre] is not in and so it won’t be necessary for us to talk about it. Yes, we have lost him, he delivered, he gave us two goals the other day.

"But now he is no more there and so we have to deal with it and strategically we will find a way as to how we will play and get success.

"The likes of [Mubarak] Wakaso and [first-vice captain Richard] Ofori have always been positive within the team in terms of team spirit and how to move the boys to follow the rhythm and I think it’s been positive and we are hoping that they translate that into the game tomorrow."

Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Ofori, despite being within the team in Sudan, will be unavailable for Tuesday's encounter due to suspension resulting from the accumulation of yellow cards.

Like Ayew, he was also in full team action in Thursday's match.

"Well, we need a balance [to win the game]. The right balance in attack and defence," Akonnor added.

"In our first game, we found ourselves struggling when we lost possession and that is what we have worked on since the last match.

"And so, we are looking forward to improving in that area because we gave the opponent some counter-attacking situations.

"And of course, we expect them to come with two strikers, they are playing at home, they need to win etc and so we need to be better in that area and I think once we are good in that area, we will find a good situation."

A win on Tuesday will secure Ghana's qualification for the final tournament in Cameroon. Senegal and Algeria have been the first countries to join hosts Cameroon in the qualified pool.

Martin Braithwaite claims to be ignoring the exit talk he is generating at Barcelona, with the Denmark international determined to live the dream at Camp Nou for as long as possible.

The 29-year-old was taken to Catalunya back in February as part of a stunning transfer.

With Barca enduring injury struggles, the Liga giants were cleared to make an emergency signing in the final third of the field.

They had to shop in a domestic market, with Braithwaite the man they eventually settled on as an €18 million (£16m/$21m) release clause was triggered at Leganes.

Braithwaite has never been prolific throughout his career, but was handed the most unexpected of opportunities to prove his worth at the very highest level.

The lockdown of football during the coronavirus pandemic rather stunted that progress and the Danish forward has just one goal to his name through 16 appearances.

It is being suggested that he will be among those deemed surplus to requirements in January as Barca seek to free up funds and space in their ranks for new additions.

Braithwaite, though, is not listening to the speculation and will continue to give his all for club and country whenever called upon.

He told Bold.dk of the transfer gossip he is generating: “I don’t follow the news, because I live my life and I know how that goes, but of course I hear some things, but I don’t pay attention to rumours.

“Barca are an enormous club and the media write a lot of things, because newspapers know that anything publish about Barca generates a lot of attention.

“Many things are happening but I only focus on those I can control. I play football and can’t do anything about other things. When I wake up in the morning I only think about playing football.

“I am where I always dreamed of and you can only improve if you are here.

“I’m happy because I’m in a fantastic moment in my life and I feel that everything goes well. I am calm and happy with this challenge.”

Braithwaite has taken in five appearances for Barca this season, but he is yet to make a La Liga start under Ronald Koeman and has been restricted to just 37 minutes of action in the Spanish top flight.

Harambee Stars coach Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee has categorically stated he will not resign even if the team fails to make it to the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cameroon.

The 52-year-old tactician took over the mantle to handle the national team after replacing Francis Kimanzi on a three-year deal and has already handled two matches – managing a 1-1 draw against Comoros in Kenya before losing 2-1 against the same nation in Moroni on Sunday.

The defeat against Comoros left the team with little chance to make it to the Afcon finals to be staged in Cameroon as they have managed three draws and lost one match and have two matches to end the campaign.

Asked whether he will resign if Kenya fails to make it to the Afcon finals, Mulee told Goal: “I have resigned before and it is not a problem but for now I have set myself targets, which I want to achieve with the team and so, for now, the days of resigning ended a long time ago and I will fight to achieve my targets unless FKF decides to sack me.”

On his promise to the fans after losing the away match, Mulee said: “I love soccer, like every Kenyan, but we are not good enough to play [because our league is suspended], we must have our league back, and then we can talk on Kenya’s performance.

“We don’t have a league being played in the country [because of the Covid-19 pandemic] and it is affecting our national team’s performance, unless we start playing then I will keep using the players I tend to think are fit to play.”

Mulee has also called on the Kenyan government and football chiefs to work out ways that will allow fans to attend future national team matches.

“I think we as Kenyans should also put in place plans and know, 'Yes we have Covid-19' but [we should] have the fans back to the stadium,” Mulee continued.

“All we need is to put tough measures in place and also plan on how to have fans back into the stadium [like other nations are doing], and you know Comoros did exactly that and they were granted permission by Caf.”

After the loss, Kenya are now on three points after four Group G games, five points behind the islanders, and will host the Pharaohs on March 22 before wrapping up their campaign with a trip to Lome against Togo on March 30.

The 2020 season is barely over after it was unceromoniously cut short by the Malaysian government following a rise in the Covid-19 cases after having just completed the opening round of the Malaysia Cup campaign.

Now the attention turns quickly towards the 2021 season that may yet be hampered by the on-going battle against the global pandemic but at least the respective teams now have a schedule to follow.

Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) and Kedah will play out the opening game on Feb 26 in the Charity Shield match that will also double up as a Super League encounter with the other five fixtures to be played the following day.

"MFL took into consideration the joint 2022 World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup qualifications, AFC Champions League and AFC Cup as well as the AFF Suzuki Cup (AFF Championship) and the AFC U19 Championship competitions when coming up with the dates.

"However this is subject to change whether in dates or format if there's any changes in the international competition dates and it will be up to the approval of the MFL board of directors," said Dato Ab Ghani Hassan the Malaysian Football League chief executive officer.

Compared to previous seasons, it would seem that the Super League has been extended a month beyond the usual end of July end date to end of August while the FA Cup is also prolonged for about two months, with the final usually falling in the month of July, now being played in early September instead.

As a direct result of both competitions finising later than usual, the season-ending competition that is the Malaysia Cup will also have a later start than usual with the first matches set for Sep 17 and the big final coming up on Nov 27.

It would seem that this planning will have the best interest of the Malaysia national team at heart with obvious priority given to the qualification matches. Yet it would also seemed to suggest that the AFF Championship may be given more acknowledgement than initially thought, giving rise to the possibility that Cheng Hoe may get better choice of players for the competition that will be played between Apr 11 and May 3.

Charity Shield: 26 February 2021
Super League: 27 February 2021 - 21 August 2021
FA Cup: 2 March 2021 - 11 September 2021
Malaysia Cup: 17 September 2021 - 27 November 2021
1st Transfer Window: 21 November 2020 - 14 February 2021
2nd Transfer Window: 12 July 2021 - 8 August 2021

Jack Grealish has the same “natural ability” as England legend Paul Gascoigne, claims Bryan Robson, with the Three Lions considered to have found another playmaker that can excite supporters.

A 25-year-old on the books at Aston Villa has been tipped to reach the top for some time.

The odd question has been asked of his ability to compete at the very highest level, but those doubters have been silenced in style over the course of the last 18 months.

Grealish has become a Premier League star at Villa, with a series of talismanic displays keeping them in the top-flight and earning their skipper a lucrative new contract.

There has also been plenty of transfer talk and a breakthrough into the senior England squad.

An international opportunity has been grabbed with both hands, as his creative qualities are showcased on the grandest of stages, and Robson believes the efforts of an icon can be emulated.

The former England captain told The Sun ahead of the Three Lions’ final UEFA Nations League clash of 2020 against Iceland: “No English player in recent years has excited me as much as Grealish does.

“It’s the way he glides past people, his range of passing, he’s so pleasing on the eye.

“Grealish is always on the front foot, always looking to create. It’s what Gazza loved doing, using his ability to go past defenders on both sides, scoring great goals, pleasing the crowd. And some of Grealish’s goals have been outstanding.

“You can see that, just like Gazza, he loves what he’s doing in being able to manipulate the ball. Grealish has got that natural ability the same as Gazza. It’s what sets them apart from the rest.”

Manchester United great Robson added: “Gazza’s strength was to go past players on either side. He had this unbelievable knack of pushing you in the chest, then accelerating away from you — by actually fouling you first.

“Grealish does it differently but it’s the same result and can be devastating.

“He’s got massive leg muscles, calf muscles especially and that makes him very quick. That allows him to go either side and then like Gazza did, he’s away.

“It’s the little things, the minor things if you like, that are really important to be a top player. They are minor but they are magic because other people can’t do it.

“Gazza had that special magic about him in the way he could get away from people. Grealish has that too.”

Inter would win Serie A with Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante and Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly, according to Massimo Moratti.

Antonio Conte guided Inter to a second-place finish last season, with Juventus securing their ninth successive Scudetto by just a single point.

The Nerazzurri are aiming to build on that platform by dethroning their arch-rivals in 2020-21, but haven't made the flying start to the season supporters might have hoped for.

Inter are sitting seventh in the Italian top flight after seven fixtures, five points behind leaders AC Milan and one adrift of reigning champions Juve.

Conte has also seen his side struggle in the Champions League, with draws against Borussia Monchengladbach and Shakhtar Donetsk and a defeat to Real Madrid leaving them facing an uphill battle to qualify from Group B.

Inter are already being tipped to bolster their squad in January in order to boost their chances of competing for major silverware, with Kante reportedly near the top of their list of targets.

Koulibaly has also been linked with a move to San Siro, and Moratti thinks the addition of both men would help ensure that Conte brings the club's long wait for silverware to an end.

"The Nerazzurri are owned by a family that gives me hope," the former Inter president told GR Parlamento.

“Suning want to stay for a long time and invest to achieve important results. I think that with Kante and Koulibaly the team would win the Scudetto.”

Moratti added on Juve's dominance of Serie A over the past decade: "Juventus have deserved to win the last nine titles.

“They still seem the most complete team, from talent to financial possibilities. Much will depend on [Andrea] Pirlo and how he will fit in.

“It’s not good to think they are going to win 10 in a row, but the only thing one can do is try to make a stronger team that can fight against them. Inter could do it, I hope."

The former San Siro chief went on to discuss the ongoing speculation surrounding Christian Eriksen's future, with the Danish midfielder fuelling rumours of a winter transfer by admitting his Inter career hasn't worked out as he had hoped last week.

"Eriksen is a nice footballer, but we have to see if he is able to adapt to Italian football,” Moratti said.

“This is a patient world but, to a certain extent, and if he were to continue at this pace, I imagine that Inter could think of selling him."