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Diego Forlan played down the significance of Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi staying in La Liga, insisting the league would survive without the six-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Messi's future remains an important topic at Barca after he handed in a transfer request following a tumultuous 2019-20 season.

The Barca captain was tipped to join Premier League powerhouse Manchester City before opting to remain in Spain, though he has since been linked to Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain and Inter.

"I wouldn't say it is a gift [Messi finally staying]," former Atletico Madrid forward Forlan, who won the Europa League and UEFA Super Cup during his time in the Spanish capital between 2007 and 2011, told Marca Sport Weekend.

"Obviously, La Liga has grown up thanks to the great players who played in different club. But La Liga is La Liga, and the clubs are very important, and are in the history.

"It is very good he stayed, but they are growing...Leo Messi, Luis [Suarez]...great players, they are changing and La Liga will be still there...It is more than 90 years history of La Liga and big stars have been here, and will be also.

"But at the end, what remains in La Liga, the teams, and that is the important thing."

Messi, who is due to become a free agent at the end of the campaign, has endured an underwhelming start to the 2020-21 season.

The 33-year-old had failed to assist a goal or score from open play in six La Liga matches before last weekend's 5-2 win over Real Betis, when he also netted from the penalty spot.

Messi started that game on the bench – the first time that has happened in the league since September 2019 – but Barca head coach Ronald Koeman revealed he was carrying a knock.

This season, Messi has scored three goals in La Liga and six across all competitions for Barca. Koeman's side have struggled for consistency so far this season and currently sit eighth in Spain's top-flight but with games in hand. 

Barca's next outing after the international break will see them take tackle Atletico Madrid, who are the only side yet to lose in La Liga this season.

The seventh edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) is set to kick off on November 20, with fixtures of the opening 11 rounds announced so far.

In the opener of this year's Indian top flight, defending champions ATK Mohun Bagan have been pitted against Kerala Blasters at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim, Goa.

The second match of the season will see NorthEast United play Mumbai City at the Tilak Maidan Stadium in Vasco on November 21 while last season's League Shield winners FC Goa will be up against Bengaluru FC at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (PJN) Stadium in Fatorda the following day.

On November 23, Odisha FC will take on Hyderabad FC in their season opener and November 24 will be special for Owen Coyle as his Jamshedpur FC will open their campaign against his former team Chennaiyin FC. 

Meanwhile, new entrants SC East Bengal have a tasty season opener against their arch-rivals ATK Mohun Bagan on November 27, as the Kolkata derby tradition continues.

The entire tournament will be held behind closed doors in Goa, thanks in no small part to the Covid-19 pandemic which means the teams will have to stay in a bio-bubble for the duration of the tournament.
 

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ISL 2020-21: Where to watch, live stream?

The Star Sports Network have the exclusive broadcasting rights of the ISL. The games will be telecast with the option of English and/or Hindi commentary besides other languages over their bouquet of channels.

Commentary will also be available in vernacular languages across India.

Matches may streamed online on Disney+ Hotstar VIP and JioTV, also allowing supporters to catch the replay of matches. The mobile applicatoions are available on Android, iOS, iPad, Android TV and Apple TV.

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Indian Super League fixtures

Matchday 1

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As FC Goa head coach Juan Ferrando gears up for the start of the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) season, there is bound the shadow cast by the achievements of former coach Sergio Lobera over his team. 

Ahmed Jahouh, Hugo Boumous, Mourtada Fall and Mandar Rao Dessai followed Lobera to Mumbai City FC besides the exits of regular starters such as Jackichand Singh (Jamshedpur FC) and record-breaking striker Ferran Corominas (Atletico Beleares). Meanwhile, Fall's defensive pairing in Carlos Pena decided to hang up his boots.

Add to it, the Gaurs have been handed a couple of tough fixtures right at the beginning, with their task cut out against a nemesis in Bengaluru FC (Goa have suffered five losses and a draw in the last six matches against the Blues) in the opener before an interesting reunion against Mumbai City next.

Although Ferrando wouldn't necessarily be perturbed about the games in store, getting the team in sync with his tactical elements given the number of new entrants including five new foreigners will be the Spaniard tactician's first major hurdle.

The new foreign signings come in the form of defenders Ivan Gonzalez and James Donachie, midfielders Alberto Noguera and Jorge Ortiz, and forward Igor Angulo - all of whom have impressive curricula vitae (CV).

One glance of the statistics from last season shows how Goa dominated the leagues stages and that they were heavily dependent on the players who made an exit in the summer. In the attacking department, out of the 51 goals, 35 of them were scored by Corominas (14), Boumous (11), Jackichand (5) and Fall (5).

Of course, the team's style plays a role behind those strikes. But there are significant contributors who are no longer a part of the team - former players Jahouh (1,636), Pena (1,295) and Fall (1,202) were among the top seven in the league when it comes to minutes. The same goes for passes, with the club recording the best numbers among all teams and where again you see the names of Jahouh (1,279), Pena (1,053) and Fall (836) pop up in the top 10 players in that respect.

"We are working a lot on the tactical part followed by physical conditioning. We have to try to find the best system. Tactically, it is important to know how to respond to what happens during the course of a game. Of course, set -pieces are very important. Our focus is to find out what happens with the ball and without the ball and in other situations as well," Ferrando recently stated. 

Boumous, in particular, will be a huge loss for Goa. The Frenchman was also involved in 10 assists - a record highest in a single ISL season - and was awarded the ISL Winning Pass of the League and Hero of the League for his impeccable performances last season.

Another huge loss will be the silent mainstay over the past three terms - Jahouh. He has made a record number of tackles, passes and touches in the league's history.

Other than foreigners, Ferrando also has a lot of youngsters infused in the first-team squad after the likes of Saviour Gama and Princeton Rebello announced themselves on the big stage last season. The pre-season friendlies have already seen new signings such as Sanson Pereira, Makan Chothe and Phrangki Buam already featuring during the pre-season friendlies.

"I'm not thinking about the new or inexperienced played. I am trying to find the best first XI. If a player understands the tactical part, he is good to play. It is very important to prepare a plan B with the medical staff because I don't know if all the players will be ready for every game," the 39-year-old coach said about the fixtures coming thick and fast.

Indian players such as Ishan Pandita, Redeem Tlang and Alexander Romario Jesuraj returning from his loan stint from Mohun Bagan also provide depth to the squad. 

However, the most important factor may always remain that fluidity the side showcased under Lobera. Given that only one foreigner - Edu Bedia - has been retained from the regular season winning combination, it will be interesting to see whether the club will be able to retain that fluidity. It must be noted that the likes of Jahouh, Boumous and Coro took control of the side's game play last season. 

Relying on the experience of campaigners such as Brandon Fernandes, Seriton Fernandes and Lenny Rodrigues will also prove pivotal for the Goans, also looking for continuity in the good form of the likes of Mohammad Nawaz in goal besides requiring someone like Mohamed Ali to step up his game.

Jack Grealish has done his chances of becoming a regular starter for England no harm after a strong individual performance in a 2-0 defeat to Belgium in the Nations League on Sunday. 

The 25-year-old started on the left wing for Gareth Southgate's side and was one of the Three Lions' sharper players when on the ball. 

Grealish completed the second most take-ons (4), while he was also fouled a game-high seven times as Belgium did anything they could to try and contain him. 

The bright performance provided some silver-lining for England, who now won't be able to make the Nations League finals, with Southgate quick to single out Grealish for filling an attacking void.

"I thought we were excellent. I couldn't have enough praise for the players," Southgate told Sky Sports post-match. 

"We had a different profile of players but in those positions I thought Jack Grealish had an absolutely outstanding game. Losing Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford, we lose a lot of speed. But I can't fault the attacking play until the last chance.

"We created far more opportunities than we did at Wembley. I saw what I knew I would see from Jack, someone with the bravery to play. He took the ball in tight areas, his technique was good, we knew he would buy a lot of free-kicks. I thought he was outstanding, he should be delighted. I explained to him what we wanted to see when we brought him in in September.

"Today was a great game for us to see him in. I couldn't speak highly enough of his performance." 

Grealish's strong showing also caught the eye of Premier League legend Cesc Fabregas, whose one observation of the match on social media centred around the Villa captain. 

The attacker will now be hoping to back up his performance on Wednesday when England host Iceland at Wembley. 

Grealish's promising displays for the Three Lions come on the back of a strong start to the season with Villa, where has scored four goals and provided five assists across just seven Premier League appearances. 

Gareth Southgate became the first England manager to lose 10 matches since Sven-Goran Eriksson after the 2-0 defeat to Belgium saw his team dumped out of Nations League contention.

First-half goals to Youri Tielemans and Dries Mertens did the damage for the Belgians at Den Dreef on Sunday evening, with the Three Lions dominating much of play but unable to get back in the match.

It was Southgate's 10th defeat in his 48 matches in charge of England, as he equalled the amount of losses suffered by former Three Lions boss Eriksson, who lost 10 of his 67 games in the hot seat.

Following the 1-0 loss Denmark in October, England has now lost back-to-back competitive matches for the first time since 2018 - where they were defeated three consecutive times in a stretch from July to September.

Southgate's side can now no longer qualify for the Nations League finals, with Belgium and Denmark competing in a straight shootout on Wednesday to decide Group 2's representative in the final four.

England are however safe from relegation in the Nations League with Iceland failing to secure a point in their five matches to date.

Southgate was pleased with England's endeavour despite the defeat, insisting they will win matches if they continue to put in that level of performance.

"We don't like losing, but enormous credit to the team, all the way through they created problems and defended resiliently," Southgate told Sky Sports.

"I thought we were excellent. I couldn't have enough praise for the players. If you play at the level we did tonight, I think we will win more games than we lose."

Both of Belgium's first-half goals came from outside the area with Tielemans' 10th minute strike deflecting off Tyrone Mings before going in off the post, and Mertens scoring a wonderful free-kick after a controversial foul was awarded against Declan Rice.

The Three Lions had 55 per cent of the ball and doubled Belgium's shot tally with 16 to eight throughout the match, but couldn't find the cutting edge to breach Thibaut Courtois' net.

England will host Iceland in a Nations League dead rubber on Wednesday, with Southgate sure to swing the changes and give opportunities to the squad's fringe players.

Jack Grealish was delighted to make his first competitive start for England despite the 2-0 defeat to Belgium on Sunday.

The Aston Villa captain made his fourth appearance for the Three Lions as they faced Roberto Martinez's men in the Nations League.

Youri Tielemans and Dries Mertens struck in the first half to seal the three points for the Rode Duivels.

Grealish, 25, admitted to watching videos of Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne and Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho to get him fired up for the game.

He said to  Sky Sports: "I absolutely loved it. This is what I have been waiting for, these are the games I have dreamed of. I have grew up all life wanting to play for England.

"We wanted to win tonight though so I am devastated we didn't get the win. I knew this was my chance to impress. These are the things I love, the pressure of wanting to do well.

"The last 24 hours I have been watching clips of my favourite players. I do that every game. I have been buzzing. I watch clips of Kevin De Bruyne, Philippe Coutinho - loads of players in my positions. I did it as a little kid and still do it today, that's what gets me going."

Grealish is still getting used to playing alongside his England team-mates, but he has been impressed by the "world class" figures around him as well as manager Gareth Southgate.

"The most difficult thing is trying to get the chemistry with the team-mates," he said.

"When you come here you only have 10 days to build that. It just clicks with some players though. The manager has been brilliant with me. There are world class players in my position."

England are in action again on Wednesday when they host Iceland in the final match of the Nations League group stage. 

Southgate's side are third in League A Group 2, three points behind Denmark and five adrift of leaders Belgium, while Iceland are still pointless after five games.

Grealish's performance earned the praise of both Southgate and Cesc Fabregas after the match.

Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has confirmed he is in talks with Manchester City over a contract extension and is representing himself in the absence of former agent Patrick De Koster. 

The 28-year-old is currently contracted at the Etihad until 2023 after signing a new contract in January 2018 following his initial move from Wolfsburg in 2015. 

A key part of Pep Guardiola's side, City are understandably keen to lock De Bruyne down longer with the Belgium international likely to secure a pay rise after winning the PFA Player of the Year last season. 

De Bruyne himself seems content to stay where he is and is handling initial talks by himself - stressing the situation should be easy enough to sort out. 

"I am happy in Manchester. I am at a good club. Good owners. Good club. We are chatting a bit, but we are not very far in the negotiations," De Bruyne told Het Laatste Nieuws.

When asked if lawyers were involved, the midfielder replied: “Now I do it myself. I would like to stay with Man City, so it is not a difficult situation. If I didn’t want to stay, it would take someone to mediate."

De Bruyne has made 10 appearances for City in all competitions this season with seven assists and one goal to his name. Overall, the Belgian has made 232 appearances for the Premier League side, contributing 96 assists and 58 goals.

Former Barcelona star Xavi recently singled out De Bruyne as the best midfielder in the world, noting that he's likely been helped by the presence of Guardiola. 

"Kevin de Bruyne, from Manchester City, seems to me of another level, brutal, he is able to make a difference. He is the best midfielder in the world and relatively young," Xavi told Qatar Airways. 

"Pep is the best manager in the world. He has given a twist to our sport. He is very good for what he transmits and his leadership ability. In addition, the way he convinced us, he is very good."

De Bruyne played the full 90 minutes on Sunday as Belgium claimed a 2-0 win over England in the Nations League. The result leaves Roberto Martinez's side needing just a draw against Denmark on Wednesday to claim top spot in their group. 

Javier Mascherano has announced his retirement from football after a glittering 17-year career across South America and Europe.

The defensive midfielder started his professional career with Argentine giants River Plate in 2003 and spent a year in Brazil with Corinthians before making the move to the Premier League.

Mascherano had a brief spell at West Ham and then three years at Liverpool before he was snapped up by Barcelona, where he enjoyed the most successful spell of his career.

After winning five La Liga titles and two Champions League crowns among a host of other trophies in his eight years at Camp Nou, he was lured to Hebei China Fortune.

The 36-year-old returned to Argentina in January this year, reuniting with former national team-mate Jaun Sebastian Veron, who is the club's chairman.

Mascherano has been a regular for the Superliga outfit and was contracted to the club until June 2021, but he has decided to hang up his boots now.

He said at a press conference: "It is time to finish my career because of things that happened to me in recent months, that on a personal level and after having thought about it for all this time, the most correct thing is to finish today.

"I have lived my profession 100 per cent, I gave the best I could and today I find that it has been difficult for me for a while and I do not want to disrespect Estudiantes, who trusted me to return to Argentina, or my colleagues, or this profession.

"It does not have to do with the club or with a result, but with feelings that one is feeling over recent times, which make the illusion that one had of being a footballer fade.

"Post pandemic, I thought that I was going to feel the spark again, but the truth is that I could not. Out of respect for everyone, it is time to step aside and end this race. I didn't want to let time go by.

"I am infinitely grateful to the clubs I played for, the team-mates I had throughout my career and to Estudiantes who gave me the opportunity to come and play in recent times. It was less than I expected, things happened this way and sometimes you don't choose the end.

"I thank [coach Leandro] Desabato, the institution and my colleagues for having put up with me this last time."

England boss Gareth Southgate has revealed Jordan Henderson was substituted during the Nations League clash against Belgium because of 'tightness' as Liverpool's horror run of injuries worsened.

The Reds skipper was withdrawn at half-time and replaced by Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks as the Three Lions were dumped out of Nations League contention in a 2-0 loss to Belgium at Den Dreef on Sunday.

In his post-match press conference, Southgate confirmed Henderson failed to play the second half because of a fitness issue - but he was not sure of its severity.

"Jordan had a bit of tightness at half time and felt he couldn't carry on," Southgate said.

"We'll have to assess him when we get back."

Losing Henderson would be a big blow to injury-hit Liverpool, who were already reeling from news earlier in the day that Andy Robertson had picked up a hamstring injury in Scotland's win against Serbia on Thursday.

With Henderson missing a significant chunk of Liverpool's pre-season, Jurgen Klopp had carefully managed his captain's game time, even withdrawing him at half-time during last month's Champions League match against Ajax to limit his workload.

The Reds are already missing central defensive pairing Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez to knee injuries, and with Trent Alexander-Arnold already sidelined and doubts over Robertson, Liverpool are facing the prospect of taking on Leicester City after the international break without any of their first-choice back line.

Star attacker Mohamed Salah's coronavirus diagnosis will also rule him out of Sunday's clash against Brendan Rodgers' side - with the Egyptian required to quarantine despite not suffering any symptoms from the illness.

Thiago Alcantara and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are still likely to be absent from Liverpool's midfield, but their engine room is likely to be boosted by the return of Fabinho after the international break.

The Reds are currently sitting third on the Premier League table - one point behind leaders Leicester ahead of this weekend's top-of-the-table clash at Anfield.

Despite sitting in touching distance of first position, Liverpool's 16 conceded goals is the second-most in the division - behind only Leeds and West Brom (17) - with the 7-2 loss to Aston Villa doing significant early damage to their goal difference.

Antonio Habas has an interesting selection headache as he gears up for ATK Mohun Bagan's Indian Super League (ISL) opener against Kerala Blasters. He faces a 'problem of plenty'. On paper, ATK Mohun Bagan have arguably got the best squad with several quality players vying for a starting berth in each position.  

If Habas chooses to stick to his preferred three-man backline he will most probably go with Pritam Kotal, Sandesh Jhingan and Tiri. That means the likes of Sumit Rathi, who was phenomenal in the previous campaign, will have to be content with a spot on the bench. The winner of the 'ISL Emerging Player of the Season' award in 2019-20 has committed his future to the club after signing a five-year deal this summer. But that recognition might not be enough to guarantee a starting spot. 

The fact that a veteran defender like John Johnson has not yet been registered for the competition is another testimony to the squad depth.

In the right-wing-back position, Prabir Das should be the undisputed starter after his heroics last season with Boris Singh and Ankit Mukherjee set to be his understudies. Singh showed potential during his stint with Indian Arrows and has the calibre to fill in the boots of Das if need be. 

Soosairaj was used in the opposite flank by Habas, but with the addition of a natural left-back in Subhasish Bose, the former Chennai City might have to settle for a different position this time. His ball control and dribbling qualities are well known and he would be hoping that he gets to slot in a more advanced role. 

But it will be difficult for Soosairaj to find a slot in midfield as there are other players making a stronger case for themselves. Edu Garcia was in fine form in the previous season and so was Javi Hernandez. Brad Inman has been added to the roster. Whereas, Carl McHugh, who was plagued with injuries in the last season, is fit and gunning on all cylinders in training. Habas prefers to have him in his setup for the stability he brings to the table and therefore is another serious contender for a place in midfield. 

Moreover, players like Pronay Halder and Jayesh Rane adds further strength to the squad and offers Habas many more combinations to try out. Each of these players has proven their mettle and is an asset to any team. They also have the likes Sk Sahil who also had a good season last time around in the I-League with Mohun Bagan. 

In the attacking third, there is little doubt that Roy Krishna will be leading the lines. David Williams will probably join him upfront. Moreover, Manvir Singh is another option upfront, if Habas wants to pack the midfield with his foreign options.  

The sheer quality in the squad means Bagan will have a capable bench. There are players in the team who can come in as a substitute and can change the complexion of any match. 

Moreover, it will instill a spirit of healthy competition in the squad which will mean that all players cannot afford to relax or afford a dip in form. 

The Covid-19 situation also makes matters more complicated for a coach. Although, the league organisers have kept no stone unturned to prevent the virus from playing spoilsport. However, in case the virus makes a presence and any player is indisposed as a result, Bagan can always rely on their squad depth. 

Spanish coach Carles Cuadrat has made a name for himself in just two years of managing Bengaluru FC. Cuadrat who had come as an assistant to Albert Roca in 2016, was appointed the manager of the Blues after Roca parted ways with the club in 2018.

Cuadrat until 2018 had never served a club as their head coach in his whole career but he tasted success on his managerial debut as he guided the South Indian outfit to their maiden Indian Super League (ISL) title in the 2018-19 season.

The Spaniard’s football philosophy is a bit different from his former boss Roca whose teams were more attack-minded. Compared to Roca, Cuadrat is way more pragmatic in his approach to the game.

While Cuadrat’s style might not please the eyes but is extremely effective and more importantly has yielded results for the club. Bengaluru FC, under Roca, had failed to win the I-League and the ISL title in back to back seasons and found success only in the knock-out competitions. Cuadrat won the ISL title in the first year and guided the team to a top-four finish in the second season.

Bengaluru have done exceedingly well when it comes to facing the top four teams in the past two seasons. The Blues have lost one match each in the past two seasons during the league stages, against Mumbai City at home in 2018-19 and against ATK away in the 2019-20 season. This clearly shows Cuadrat’s tactical astuteness against the top teams of the league.

Teams like FC Goa and Odisha FC who played free-flowing attacking football have found it difficult to break Cuadrat’s defensive organisation. Bengaluru FC had conceded just 13 goals last season and had undoubtedly the best defensive record among all the ISL teams.

Another area where Cuadrat specialises in is dead-ball situations. Since his early days as Roca’s assistant, the Spaniard had earned the goodwill of being a set-piece expert. Under Cuadrat,  Bengaluru FC's set-piece record has been impressive. Even after taking charge of the team as their head coach, Cuadrat has continued to focus on set-pieces as an important weapon in his team's arsenal.

No doubt, Cuadrat has played a huge role in Bengaluru FC turning into a balanced, organised and well-oiled unit in the last two seasons. 

This year, Bengaluru FC have made some quality additions to their squad which includes Brazilian forward Cleiton Silva and Norwegian forward Kristian Opseth who last plied his trade in the A-League with Adelaide United in addition to Mohun Bagan's I-League winning versatile footballer Fran Gonzalez.

Despite being a defender or a defensive midfielder, Gonzalez was among the top goal scorers in the I-League last season. He had netted 10 goals out of which majority came from headers from set-piece situations.

With the new additions to the squad this season who perfectly fits into Cuadrat’s style, the Spanish manager is once against expected to weave his magic and bring success to Bengaluru FC.

Paris Saint-Germain need N'Golo Kante and not Lionel Messi to win the Champions League, according to their former midfielder Eric Rabesandratana.

Kante scored the winner in France's recent 1-0 victory over Portugal in the Nations League and has impressed this season for Chelsea after a tough 2019-20 campaign. 

The 29-year-old was linked with a summer exit from Stamford Bridge but ended up staying put and remains a key part of Frank Lampard's side. 

PSG, meanwhile, are reportedly considering a possible move for Lionel Messi - though the player's own father has strongly shut down those suggestions. 

Rabesandratana, who played for PSG from 1997 to 2001, is adamant the French giants should be looking to sign Kante and not Messi if they want to take their squad to the next level. 

"I would like to say that if I were a leader at PSG I would break the bank to sign N'Golo Kante," he told radio station France Bleu.

"He was still huge yesterday. Kante is the player who would allow PSG to win the Champions League. We do not need Messi or anyone else." 

Kante is currently contracted to Chelsea until 2023 and was recently singled out for praise by Lampard after a 4-1 win over Sheffield United in the Premier League. 

"He played about 50 per cent of the games last year and that is a big loss for half the season, a player of his level," Lampard said.

"So I made a big, big step to try to manage his training and games and make sure that we attempt to have him fit and ready for as many games as we can.

"His attributes are incredible, he can play in many positions in the midfield. The energy and ability to win the ball back, but also his ability on the ball, which is sometimes underrated, is amazing. He can play in different roles.

"People always want to talk about that he’s the best defensive midfielder and should be in a deeper role. But he can play in lots of different roles to massive effect and I am pleased he is fit now. We will have to keep managing that to make sure he stays fit, because he is massively important." 

United States President Donald Trump brought a “lifelong Leeds United fan” into his latest attack on the media - which prompted a response from the Premier League club.

Still railing at his defeat to Joe Biden in the US presidential election, Trump has been lashing out at his critics on his favourite platform, Twitter.

On Sunday, Trump took issue with Fox News for inviting Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, onto their channel.

Buttigieg has been a vocal critic of Trump, and after seeing him on Fox News , the president tweeted : “This is why @FoxNews daytime and weekend daytime have lost their ratings. They are abysmal having @alfredenewman1 (Mayor Pete of Indiana’s most unsuccessful city, by far!) on more than Republicans. Many great alternatives are forming & exist. Try @OANN & @newsmax, among others!”

Trump has handed the moniker of Alfred E Neuman to Buttigieg due to his resemblance to the Mad Magazine cover star.

However, on this occasion Trump tagged a Leeds United fan who has a name similar, though not identical to, the Mad mascot.

Unsurprisingly for a man with nearly 90 million followers on the platform, Trump’s tweet proved extremely popular - and caught the eye of the Premier League side.

Using a gif of Trump pointing and smiling, the club’s official Twitter account posted : “He thought the election was bad, then he went after an #LUFC fan.”

Although not garnering as much attention as Trump’s initial tweet, the response from the club proved extremely popular amongst their own fans.

While not all of the responses could be referenced due to the use of some coarse language, one of the better ones came from Notsocheekytaylor who said : "How does Trump stay relevant in the presidency?.... Mentions Leeds.”

Leeds fan Alfred E. Newman tweets are protected and can only be viewed by his approved followers.

While Trump’s attention will remain on the election and the lawsuits he is intending to launch to challenge the election result, Leeds will shift their focus away from politics and on to a Premier League clash with Arsenal next Sunday.

Comoros went top of Group G after beating Kenya 2-1 in an African Cup of Nations qualifiers at Le Stade Omnisports Malouzini, Moroni on Sunday.

Mohamed Ben El-Fardou and Mattoir Faiz scored the goals for Les Coelacantes and the Harambee Stars denied them a clean sheet courtesy of Cliff Nyakeya’s effort.

Masoud Juma almost scored his second goal in five days when he connected with a high ball sent to him by goalkeeper Arnold Origi, but he was put under pressure by two Comoros defenders and ended up losing the ball as the referee awarded a goal-kick in the third minute.

Kenya won a corner in the fifth minute which was delivered by Ayub Timbe but Joseph Okumu’s header flew wide as Comoros breathed a sigh of relief after they had been put under pressure by the visitors.

Comoros, enjoying considerable support from the fans in attendance, grew into the game but their attacks through the left and the right-wing were equally dealt with by both Eric Ouma and David Odhiambo.

Red Star Belgrade star El-Fardou scored the opener for Comoros with a header that Origi had little chance of stopping in the 21st minute. The goal was El-Fardou’s 10th for Comoros as he was making his 22nd appearance for the side.

Nyakeya, who had a good game and provided an assist in the reverse fixture, equalised for the Harambee Stars in the 35th minute. The former Mathare United winger made his way through the right flank and managed to beat Ben Boina in the Comoros goal from a tight angle.

Lawrence Juma was substituted in the 41st minute as his former teammate at Gor Mahia Kenneth Muguna was brought on in what appeared to be a tactical change for Kenya.

The Harambee Stars almost got a second goal in the 42nd minute but Timbe, after beating Faiz on the left-wing, saw his shot blocked as he attempted to find the bottom corner. Had he crossed the ball to Nyakeya who was unmarked on the other flank, Kenya would surely have gone ahead.

A lapse in concentration from the Kenyan defence gifted Comoros a great chance to retake the lead in the 50th minute and Faiz found the back of the net with a fierce shot that saw Origi concede a third goal in his second game since returning into the national fold.

Coach Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee made his second change in the 61st minute as he withdrew Timbe, who had wasted another clear chance a minute before he left the pitch, for Boniface Muchiri.

Eric Johanna saved Kenya more blushes after he stopped Yacine Bourhane, who was through on goal in the 89th minute, just outside the box. Johanna was yellow-carded for the rough challenge while Bourhane was booked for his protest in the face of the referee.

Kenya had picked up three consecutive 1-1 draws before the loss in Moroni while Comoros had a win and two draws.

Kenya Starting XI: Arnold Origi, David Odhiambo, Eric Ouma Joseph, Okumu Brian Onyango, Victor Wanyama, Ayub Timbe, Johanna Omollo, Masoud Juma, Lawrence Juma, Cliff Nyakeya.

Subs: Ian Otieno, Johnstone Omurwa, David Ambulu, Anthony Akumu, Samuel Olwande, John Makwatta, Kenneth Muguna, Boniface Muchiri, Hassan Abdallah, Erick Johanna, John Avire.

Comoros Starting XI: Ben Boina, Kassim M'Dahoma, Benjaloud Youssouf, Kassim M'Dahoma, Nadjim Abdou, Bakari Said, Benjaloud Youssouf, Ibroihim Djoudja. Rafidine Abdullah, Yacine Bourhane, Ahmed Mogni, Mattoir Faiz, Ben Mohamed El Fardou Ben.

Subs: Amir Abdou Manager, Ali Ahamada, Kassim Abdallah, Younn Zahary, Younn Zahary, Ahmed Soilihi, Faouz Faidine Attoumane, Nakibou Aboubakar, Ali M'Madi, Housseine Zakouani.

Yanga SC have defeated second-tier side African Lyon FC 3-1 in a friendly match played on Sunday.

Tuisila Kisinda, Yacouba Songne, and Michael Sarpong were on target for Young Africans SC with Msuhi Abdallah scoring a consolation for the minnows.

The 27-time champions were using the match to prepare for their next Tanzania Mainland League assignment with various fringe players getting a chance to impress the coach.

It took Wananchi just four minutes to open the scoring courtesy of Kisinda. The forward was there to finish a good move by the Jangwani Street-based side.

Barely three minutes later, Timu ya Wananchi doubled the advantage. This time around, it was Songne who managed to find the back of the net.

African Lyon conceded a penalty in the 28th minute, and Sarpong ensured the former champions got their third goal and piled more pressure on their opponents.

The second-tier side managed to get their consolation through Abdallah.

Yanga have been doing well in the league and are the only unbeaten team this season. They have managed to win seven games and drawn three to take their points tally to 24, one fewer than leaders Azam FC.

The Ice-cream Makers are leading the race with 25 points after eight wins, a draw, and a loss.

Simba SC, who are the defending champions, are in the third position after registering six wins, two draws, and as many losses.

Meanwhile, Wekundu wa Msimbazi have come out to state they are not interested in the services of Young Africans midfielder Mukoko Tonombe.

Social media has for the past week linked Tonombe, who signed for the Jangwani giants in the just concluded transfer window, with a move to rivals Simba, a few days after it emerged Yanga had also shown interest in signing midfielder Clatous Chama from the league champions.

Simba chairman Mohamed Dewji has now told reporters in Dar es Salaam they have not discussed Tonombe as a target, and rubbished the reports, terming them as propaganda.

"We don't need Tonombe, those are propaganda,” Dewji told reporters during a weekly press meeting.

"To tell the truth, we have not even talked about this issue on the board, this thing is propaganda...so the issue of this player we have not talked about and there is no official news to say that this player we are following him."

On Saturday, Yanga official Herdi Said dismissed the reports that Tonombe was headed to rivals Yanga SC by stating he is happy at the Jangwani giants.

South Africa national U23 coach David Notoane has highlighted several positives from Saturday's friendly defeat against Saudi Arabia.

The South Africans suffered a 3-2 loss at the King Abdulaziz Sport City Stadium, with two of the goals they conceded coming in the final eight minutes of the game in Jeddah.

Cape Town City striker Fagrie Lakay, back in the Mother City last season after spells with Bidvest Wits and SuperSport United, created the first goal against Saudi Arabia with an excellent cross for Orlando Pirates marksman Zakhele Lepasa to convert.

Lakay then netted himself to get the scores back on level terms, just a few minutes before the hosts scored their injury-time winner.

Notoane was impressed with what he saw from the 23-year-old, who was once Bafana Bafana's youngest ever international at 17 years and five months.

“We brought in a whole lot of new players, some of whom are graduates from our Under-20 national setup which went to the Fifa Under-20 World Cup in Poland last year,” Notoane was quoted saying by Safa.

“Players like Fagrie Lakay are some of the players which have been in the Under-23 database and I am happy that he is continuing with a fine form he has been showing from his mother club for us.

"He was involved in the first goal that we scored and also netted the second. I am happy with how he played in our first friendly tie."

The U23's will take on Saudi Arabia again on Tuesday and Notoane says he wants his men to be more mindful of losing focus at crucial junctures of the game.

“We conceded all of our goals in the critical moments of the game,” he explained. “Their first goal against us came late in the first half and they also scored two goals in the last 10 minutes of the match.

"This is something we can rectify leading up to our second friendly game, as we had only one training session coming from quarantine leading up to our first match.”

The matches are being used as preparation for the U23's participation in the Tokyo Olympic Games, to be held in July and August 2021.