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Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos admits that he was “amused” by the angry reaction he received for criticising the celebration of Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Speaking last week, the Germany international commented that he felt the Gabon star’s decision to mark goals by pulling on a superhero mask was a step too far.

Aubameyang fired back with a post on his social networks telling Kroos to lighten up, while Mesut Ozil, an Arsenal player and a former Germany international, chipped in against his compatriot.

Speaking to Bild, Kroos said of Ozil: “I’m not surprised by anyone anymore. I found it very amusing, but in the meantime I’ve put it behind me.”

The controversy started when Kroos was speaking on podcast ‘Einfach mal Luppen’, which he runs with his brother Felix.

During one episode, he commented: “I find it (choreographed celebrations) very silly. Even worse is if there are any objects hidden in their socks. Aubameyang once celebrated and took out a mask. That's where it ends with me. I don't think that's a good role model, either. What nonsense.”

Aubameyang’s response was quick to arrive once the story broke.

“By the way - does this Toni Kroos have kids? Just remember, I did it for my son a few times and I will do it again. I wish you have kids one day and make them happy like this junior school pupil. And don’t forget #maskon #staysafe,” he posted on his Twitter feed.

Ozil joined in the debate and made clear his loyalty to his club-mate as he posted a video of Aubameyang in a Black Panther mask with the comment: “The best goal celebration.”

Kroos has been playing a leading role for Real Madrid this season and has played in nine of the club’s 11 matches so far this term, lending one assist to the cause.

Madrid have made an inconsistent start to the season but he has offered his backing to head coach Zinedine Zidane to turn things around.

Prior to the international break, Los Blancos suffered a 4-1 defeat to Valencia, which saw them fall to fourth in the Primera Division standings.

South Africa resume their rivalry against Sao Tome e Principe when they meet the islanders at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in a return leg of the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on Monday.

Following a 2-0 victory in Durban on Friday, Bafana Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki would want to make a follow-up on that win with another set of maximum points to attain a strong standing in Group C.

However, even if South Africa win and Group C leaders Ghana lose in Sudan, Bafana will not go top due to their head-to-head record against the Black Stars, who beat them in November 2019.

But still, Ntseki and his men are keen for victory against their lowly-ranked opponents who have lost their last three games.

For Bafana to stitch three consecutive wins in this campaign, it would be the right tonic going into their next match when they host Ghana in March 2021.

TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch

The game will be shown live on SuperSport TV and SABC. 

Squads & Team News

After going into Friday's match in Durban with a depleted strikeforce, there has been good news for Ntseki who welcomes back Kermit Erasmus from injury.

The Mamelodi Sundowns forward was a last-minute withdrawal from the starting line-up in the reverse fixture, leaving Ntseki to start Kaizer Chiefs' Lebogang Manyama who has attracted a lot of criticism at both club and national team level.

Erasmus' return is a major boost for Bafana Bafana who have managed three goals from as many matches in this campaign so far.

A combination between Themba Zwane, Percy Tau and Erasmus could prove too strong for Sao Tome. Not much changes are expected from the Bafana team which started on Friday.

Sao Tome coach Tino might not make too many changes on his squad that started in Durban.

A valiant first-half display frustrated Bafana who were struggling to score.

Maintaining that starting line-up and repeating the ability to hold Bafana in that opening half could be what Sao Tome need to do on Monday.

Iniesta and Ronaldo who came on as substitutes in the reverse leg could start, while it is not yet clear if first-choice goalkeeper Aldair D'Almeida will play after he was replaced by Nilson Taty.

Match Preview

Despite winning 2-0 last Friday, South Africa put up an unconvincing showing which is regarded as risky if they adopt the same approach on Monday.

That kind of performance could inspire hope on Sao Tome to collect their first points in this campaign.

Struggling to breach the Sao Tome defence especially in the first half saw impatient Bafana fans venting their anger on social media.

It took a penalty converted by Percy Tau to break the deadlock as the team continued to struggle to score from open play.

Substitute Bongani Zungu rose from the bench for his 90th-minute strike to double Bafana's advantage but glaring shortcomings, especially in terms of creativity upfront, remained major talking points.

Improving on such a performance could see Bafana knit a third straight win in their bid to qualify for Cameroon 2022.

Sao Tome would, however, not want to lose as they still hunt for their first ever points in a group they anchor.

A defeat for the Atlantic Ocean islanders will throw them out of contention for the 2022 Afcon finals.

Six out of 11 Indian Super League (ISL) clubs have managed to procure the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the All India Football Federation (AIFF) club licensing for the 2020-21 season.

Clubs who have passed the licensing criteria are ATK Mohun Bagan FC, Jamshedpur FC, Chennaiyin FC, Mumbai City FC, Bengaluru FC and FC Goa.

On the other hand, SC East Bengal, Kerala Blasters FC, Hyderabad FC, NorthEast United FC and Odisha FC have not cleared the licensing procedure. 

The clubs will now have to either appeal against the decision of the Club Licensing Committee or can apply for an exemption. If they choose to appeal, it will be heard by the Club Licensing Appeals Body of AIFF. The clubs will have to do so within a stipulated time to participate in any national club competition in the 2020-21 season.

Sources close to Goal have confirmed that SC East Bengal who were the last team to enter the ISL this season have decided to apply for an exemption. 

Earlier the clubs had to comply with five mandatory licensing criteria but this season, the AFC has been lenient owing to the ongoing COVID-19 situation. The criteria which were exempted by the AFC are youth development program, medical support services, grassroots program, club youth academy, security officer, youth physiotherapist, head of youth development, youth coaches, security and safety organisations and a club development program.

It has to be noted that Jamshedpur FC, Chennaiyin FC, Bengaluru FC and FC Goa have cleared the licensing process for the third consecutive year.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) had opened up the club licensing system for the 2020-21 season on July 14. The Club Licensing Application Pack (CLAP) was sent to all eligible clubs and they were asked to submit a signed copy of the Club Licensing agreement which is a declaration that they are ready to undertake the initiative of procuring a license. 

Later in October, the AFC had extended the deadline for submitting the necessary documents for the Club Licensing to November 13. 

Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford has been praised for his free school meals campaign by former Old Trafford club-mate Romelu Lukaku.

Rashford has spent much of the year fighting reticence from the UK government to give children in poverty support over the course of their holidays, raising a huge sum of money to support the disadvantaged in the process.

Lukaku, who scored 42 goals in 96 games for United, says that he has “massive respect” for the work that his ex-colleague has done.

"What he did is a beautiful thing - it's something he deserves massive respect from the whole population, throughout England because what he did was challenge the government to help them with free school meals in the holidays because he comes from that environment and when you come from that environment you are marked for life," Lukaku told ESPN.

"I speak from my own experiences and it's stuff you don't want to see other kids to go through that stuff, what he did was a beautiful thing and he deserves massive respect wherever he goes. I expected nothing less from him because he has that awareness of trying to do the right thing for everybody - both on the football side and in general life. He deserves massive respect."

Rashford’s campaign has proven to be a roaring success. After the government initially turned down a bill in October to extend the free school meals scheme in the holidays until Easter 2021, Prime Minister Boris Johnson was forced to back down and has since confirmed that an extra £170 million ($223m) of extra funding has been made available for the campaign.

The Man Utd ace had previously fought successfully for free school means to be offered during the summer.

Lukaku moved away from the Red Devils in the summer of 2019 to Inter, where he has enjoyed a strong start to life in Milan. He scored 34 goals in 51 matches last term and has seven more from eight appearances so far this time around.

The two attackers would have been set to meet on international duty on Sunday, with Belgium playing host to England in a Nations League clash, however Rashford had to withdraw from the Three Lions squad due to injury.

League A Group 2 is set for a thrilling finish, with Belgium two points clear of England and second-placed Denmark, who play pointless Iceland on Sunday.

Belgium go to Denmark on Wednesday to conclude their campaign, while England host Iceland.

Mamelodi Sundowns defender Anele Ngcongca is reportedly close to signing for AmaZulu.

Four months after a move to the now-defunct Belgian side KSV Roeselare fell through, Ngcongca is still on his way out of Chloorkop.

The defender announced on social media that he is on his way to Durban after a “medical [was] done [and] everything went well."

Far Post reported that the 33-year-old will be joining AmaZulu after swatting aside interest in him from Maritzburg United and Swallows FC.

He is said to be joining Usuthu on a season-long loan deal after he extended his Sundowns contract by another year in May.

Former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Siphiwe Tshabalala is believed to have convinced Ngcongca to join AmaZulu.

Usuthu have signed more than 10 players during the current transfer window, including former Orlando Pirates stars Luvuyo Memela‚ Augustine Mulenga and Thembela Sikhakhane, as well as Tshabalala who headlines the new arrivals.

They have also secured the signatures of forward Siphelele Mthembu, Malawi defender Limbikani Mzava from Highkands Park, Siphelele Nene, Makhehleni Makhaula, Sicelo Mkhize and defender Samkelo Mgwazela.

Now, Ngcongca is said to be close to joining the band of players at AmaZulu as Sundowns are rumoured to be offloading a number of senior players.

Veteran defender Wayne Arendse, Tiyani Mabunda and striker Anthony Laffor are reportedly on their way out of Chloorkop and could be loaned to other PSL clubs.

After prominently featuring for Downs in the Premier Soccer League bio-bubble, Ngcongca was expected to be one of the club’s key players this season.

Glowing praise from former Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane two months ago appeared to have cemented his status at the club amid overtures from KSV Roeselare.

“I think you know my heart and feelings about Anele. He is one of the most underrated right-backs in the country," Mosimane told the media at the time.

“It would be sad to lose him, to be honest, but I don’t know what is happening between the club and his agent because we are in the bubble."

His reported move to AmaZulu comes as he was yet to play a single match for Sundowns this season.

Adrien Rabiot has admitted that his France team had to “redeem” themselves in Saturday’s Nations League clash with Portugal after a shock reverse in their midweek friendly with Finland.

The world champions succumbed 2-0 at home to the Fins on Wednesday in Paris, turning in an anaemic display in which they carried little offensive threat.

Tasked with overcoming the European champions away from home, though, they showed a different face.

They dominated much of the game but only had a predatory strike from N’Golo Kante to their credit to defend as the hosts rallied towards the end.

Didier Deschamps’ men, though, held out, saving face after their embarrassing outing only days earlier.

“We had to redeem ourselves from the Finland game, in which were not good and not at our level,” Rabiot told L’Equipe TV. “Portugal, it was a serious match. It’s easier to motivate yourself, but you have to have the desire to do good things.

“We told ourselves that we had to start the game well and that’s what we did. We were compact defensively. Going forward, we could have scored but we created a lot of changes. In the end, we came under pressure a little, but in this type of match that’s normal.”

Utilised in a role on the left of the midfield, Rabiot, who won his eighth cap, was just happy to be back in the team.

“I was on the left in a 4-4-2, but my job was not that of a winger, I was a lot more central to the play,” the 25-year-old Juventus man said. “I tried to get the ball and play it forward. When we didn’t have the ball, it was a good position to block the opposing midfielders.

“It’s not a role I’m used to having, but I’m glad I got it and did it well. When you’re good, you can adapt to any position. I’m happy with my game and that of the team.”

Victory means France have sealed their place in the Nations League finals ahead of their last group clash with Sweden in midweek, while Portugal face Croatia.

Former Thika United coach James Nandwa has called on Kenya to be sharp upfront and tight at the back if they are to secure a win against Comoros in Moroni on Sunday.

The Harambee Stars will face the island nation in the qualification campaign for the Africa Cup of Nations finals for the second time in five days, with the first meeting on Wednesday ending 1-1 at Kasarani Stadium.

Nandwa, who was sitting on the technical bench when Kenya last played Comoros in Moroni in 2014, has now advised the team to improve in their striking department and also have a strong defence to achieve a good result.

“Comoros is a strong team, but we equally have a good team. We just need to be sharp upfront and defend solidly as a team. I believe we still have a chance to make it to Cameroon,” Nandwa is quoted by Standard Sports.

“I was with Harambee Stars when we played them in 2014. The pitch is small like City Stadium and we will only have a great advantage if there will be no fans, but it‘s my hope that [Ayub] Timbe will repeat what he did there in the previous return leg.”

On whether he was impressed with Kenya’s display from the first meeting, Nandwa said: “I think they didn’t play well in the first half because there was no coordination, but they improved in the second half and created many chances.

“But as we go to Moroni, we must be organised, defend well and make good use of our chances. Our main problem has been maintaining possession and scoring. I think if we do that, we can get some positive results there. We really need a positive result in order to keep our 2021 Afcon qualification hopes alive.”

With Egypt beating Togo 1-0 on Saturday, Kenya will stand a good chance to stay on course in the qualification campaign if they get the win away.

The Kenyan team have also been promised Sh5million from the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and their partners Odibet if they win the away match.

“We must always have plans to boost our players and it is the reason we have promised them Sh5million if they win in Moroni,” FKF President Nick Mwendwa told Goal before the team boarded a private jet to Comoros.

After the Comoros game, Kenya will have to wait until next year to host the Pharaohs on March 22 before wrapping up their campaign with a trip to Lome against Togo on March 30.

Retired Harambee Stars defender James Situma has explained how the Comoros red card disadvantaged Kenya during the African Cup Cup of Nations qualifier on Wednesday in Nairobi.

Youssouf M’changama was sent off in the first half as the two nations eventually fought to draw 1-1 at Kasarani, and Situma believes the red card affected Kenya more than it may have done the visiting Comoros side.

“We had a chance to win given we really played well but the red card changed the course of the game completely and playing against 10 men is never easy,” Situma told Goal.

“It is always much easier playing against 11 players than playing against 10 people. I have been a player and once you are a man down, every player tends to put in more effort.

“Every individual doubles up their effort and play like two people and that becomes quite difficult for the opponent.”

The two-time Premier League winner also stated why he thinks Kenya have a chance of winning the game in Moroni on Sunday.

“They [Comoros] got a point away and I know it is going to be an open game since they would want to win the three points and that will be our case too,” Situma added.

“I believe we are not going to sit behind and in that case, I know we have a chance of getting the points away given how open the game is going to be.”

On the goal that Arnold Origi conceded upon his return to the national fold, the former Mathare United, Sofapaka and Tusker defender said the goalkeeper should not be blamed at all.

“People have had so much talk on that goal but for me, I would say Origi had no chance at all. If you watched the game, it was some kind of a deflection,” he concluded.

“When the ball was travelling, Origi had his eyes firmly on it but in between, it was deflected off our player and surely no one should blame the goalkeeper.

“Even for a defender, when someone deflects the ball, it becomes very hard for you to make a clearance. You cannot blame the goalkeeper in such an instance too and that goal was meant to happen.”

Kenya will face the islanders at 19:00 Kenyan time in search of a maiden Group G win, where they are third after picking up identical 1-1 draws in each of their three games to date.

Uganda captain Denis Onyango believes natural grass at Nyayo Stadium will help them when they take on South Sudan in an African Cup of Nations qualifier on Monday.

Uganda picked up a 1-0 win over South Sudan on the artificial turf at St Mary’s Stadium on Thursday and the Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper believes they would not struggle in Nairobi as they did at home given the nature of the pitch.

“Hopefully, things become easier for us when we play them on normal grass and we also hope the game will be a bit more open because they also want to win,” Onyango said as was quoted by Football256.

“It was a difficult game played on an artificial turf which most of the players are not used to but those who are familiar with it came on and helped us,” the skipper had said in a separate interview.

South Sudan will host the Cecafa record champions away from home given the security concerns in Juba and the 35-year-old believes they stand a better chance of getting a win since no team will enjoy direct home advantage.

“Definitely both teams will be playing like they are away. There will not be any supporters for them as well, so for us, it’s all about executing our game plan well,” he added.

Uganda struggled against the Bright Stars and got an opener four minutes before the game ended and Onyango remains cautious ahead of the reverse fixture.

“We need to be very conscious and try to wrap up qualification in Kenya on Monday,” he concluded. “Because we have ever done it before and I hope we can do the same because we know the challenge that is lying ahead of us.

“As you saw South Sudan are an improved side, all we need to do is to care about ourselves, put up a much better performance on Monday and highlight our chances of sealing qualification.”

Head coach Johnathan McKinstry had to make some changes in the squad that travelled to Nairobi for the Monday showdown.

He had to pick SC Villa’s David Owori in order to fill the place of TP Mazembe’s Joseph Ochaya, who remains suspended.

Vipers SC’s Halid Lwaliwa could also start ahead of Khalid Aucho, who sustained a knock in the reverse fixture as Ronald Mukiibi remains a doubt.

South Africa forward Kermit Erasmus is available for selection for Monday’s 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sao Tome e Principe at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium after recovering from a “minor injury”.

The 30-year-old was a last-minute withdrawal from the playing squad which beat Sao Tome 2-0 at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Friday.

After he was injured in training on Thursday, Bafana Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki was left with limited options upfront, where he started Percy Tau and Lebogang Manyama.

South Africa Football Association (Safa) spokesperson Dominic Chimhavi confirmed that Erasmus trained on Saturday and is in contention to start on Monday.

“Kermit Erasmus trained with the rest of the team upon arrival in Port Elizabeth on Saturday and seems to have shrugged off the minor injury he sustained,” Chimhavi told Goal.

“Every other player took part in Saturday’s regeneration exercise. All 24 players should be available for selection barring last-minute injuries.”

Erasmus’ return comes as good news for Ntseki, who endured a difficult time in training which saw five players pull out due to injuries, while two tested positive for coronavirus.

The withdrawals included SuperSport United forward Bradley Grobler, a development which further depleted Ntseki’s attacking options.

This saw South Africa struggle to break Sao Tome down, especially in the first half and needed a 55th-minute Tau penalty for their opening goal, while a last-minute headed effort by substitute Bongani Zungu doubled their advantage.

Ntseki is hoping to put behind the unconvincing display in Durban for a better showing on Monday.

The availability of Erasmus could see Manyama being sacrificed for the Port Elizabeth contest.

South Africa remain second in Group C with six points, behind leaders Ghana, who continued with their 100 percent record after dismissing third-placed Sudan at home on Thursday.

Ghana travel to Sudan for the reverse fixture on Tuesday as they seek to maintain top spot.

Sao Tome anchor the standings with zero points following three defeats and Ntseki’s men would not want the grim record of their opponents claiming their first points of the campaign from his side.

Crystal Palace midfielder Jeffrey Schlupp, Red Bull Salzburg midfielder Majeed Ashimeru and China-based Mubarak Wakaso have been named in Ghana's travelling squad for Tuesday's 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matchday four fixture against Sudan.

The trio was unavailable as the Black Stars beat the North Africans 2-0 in a matchday three tie in Cape Coast on Thursday.

The list of the travelling team was announced on the Ghana Football Association's official website on Sunday.

While Wakaso and Schlupp were named in coach CK Akonnor's original 23-man squad announced in October for the double-header, Ashimeru was among seven players handed late call-ups ahead of Thursday's fixture after the Ghana team was faced with player withdrawals and late arrivals.

Schlupp did not join Crystal Palace team-mate Jordan Ayew for a prompt trip to Accra after the club's 4-1 Premier League triumph over Leeds United last week, and only linked up for his first training session on Friday, a day after Ghana's 2-0 win.

Wakaso also missed Thursday's Afcon qualifier due to a club game in the Chinese Super League on the same day. He had still not touched down at the time the Black Stars trained on Saturday, but was expected to join camp before the team leaves Accra for Sudan on Sunday.

Ashimeru, having received a late call-up due to the withdrawal of Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey, joined training for the first time on Saturday.

A win for Ghana against Sudan at the Al Hilal Stadium in Omdurman will secure the Black Stars qualification for the tournament in Cameroon with two games to spare.

Travelling Team List

Goalkeepers: Richard Ofori (Orlando Pirates, South Africa), Lawrence Ati-Zigi (St. Gallen, Switzerland), Razak Abalora (Asante Kotoko)

Defenders: John Boye (FC Metz, France), Baba Abdul Rahman (Chelsea, England), Kwadwo Amoako (Ashanti Gold), Christopher Nettey (Asante Kotoko), Alexander Djiku (Strasbourg, France), Joseph Aidoo (Celta Vigo, Spain), Joseph Attamah (Kayserispor, Turkey), Nicholas Opoku (Amiens, France)

Midfielders: Emmanuel Lomotey (Amiens, France), Afriyie Acquah (Yeni Malatyaspor, Turkey), Clifford Aboagye (Tijuana, Mexico), Majeed Ashimeru (Red Bull Salzburg, Austria), Mubarak Wakaso (Jiangsu Suning, China)

Strikers/Forwards: Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace, England), Andre Ayew (Swansea City, England), Tariqe Fosu (Brentford, England), Samuel Owusu (Al Ahli, Saudi Arabia), Caleb Ekuban (Trabzonspor, Turkey), John Antwi (Pyramids, Egypt), Jeffrey Schlupp (Crystal Palace, England)

Kylian Mbappe could have been Neymar’s replacement at Barcelona, according to Javier Bordas, the former director of the Camp Nou club.

Neymar moved to Paris Saint-Germain in a blockbuster €222 million (£198m/$263m) deal in the summer of 2017, leaving a void at Camp Nou.

Bordas has explained that Barca investigated the potential of signing Mbappe but instead elected to go for Ousmane Dembele because technical secretary Robert Fernandez wanted to bring more width to their side.

“When we were to sign Dembele, agent Josep Maria Minguella called me to tell us Mbappe was within reach,” Bordas told Mundo Deportivo. “I spoke with Josep Maria Bartomeu and he told me to look at him.

“I called Mbappe’s father and he told me that we was not going to go to Real Madrid because Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale were there and that instead he could go to Barca because Neymar had left.

“The president of Monaco preferred that he signed for Barcelona so as not to reinforced PSG, a direct rival. And it could have been done for €100m (£90m/$118m).

“Robert preferred Dembele and Pep Segura supported him. The explanation was that Mbappe plays for himself and Dembele plays for the team, and since a winger like Ney had left, Robert preferred a winger more than a finisher.”

It is a move that Barcelona have lived to regret. While Dembele has shown flashes of the quality he displayed with Rennes and Dortmund, he has spent much of his time in Spain on the injury list and has featured only 82 times in three years, returning 22 goals and 17 assists.

The Catalans spent €105m (£94m/$125m) on the France international, who is now 23, while there are bonus payments of up to €40m (£35m/$47m) included in the deal.

Mbappe, meanwhile, has seen his star ascend since moving to PSG, and a year after his big move he netted in the World Cup final. The forward, though, could soon be on the market once again as his contract is up in 2022 and he has yet to agree a new deal with the Ligue 1 side.

Dog is a man's best friend, as the old saying goes, and Barcelona legend Lionel Messi certainly has a favourite four-legged companion.

Messi is not the only high profile footballer with a famous furry friend, withNeymar, Alexis Sanchez, Mario Balotelli and more all sharing snaps of their pets on social media.

However, the Argentine's dog might be the most famous of them all.

So, what type of dog does Messi have and what is its name? Goal brings you all you need to know about the Argentine's hound.

Contents

What breed is Lionel Messi's dog?

Lionel Messi's dog is a Dogue de Bordeaux. Also known as a Bordeaux Mastiff or French Mastiff, the breed is known for its size and strength.

Dogues de Bordeaux are short-haired dog breeds, with large heads and their coats are usually a distinctive red fawn colour.

Historically, Dogues de Bordeaux have been used as guard dogs, protecting homes and livestock, as well as being working dogs, pulling cargo.

The breed was notably used in the 1989 'buddy cop' movie Turner and Hooch, starring Tom Hanks alongside Dogue de Bordeaux 'Beasley'.

What is Lionel Messi's dog's name?

Lionel Messi's dog is called Hulk (sometimes Senor Hulk) and it is definitely a fitting name considering the sheer size of the animal.

A video shared on Instagram by Messi's wife Antonela Roccuzzo in 2018 gave fans an idea of how big Hulk was - and he was only around two years old at that point.

Messi himself provides the scale in the video as he playfully knocks a ball over the dog's head, confirming, in the process, that the Argentine's skills can embarrass more than just humans.

Before Hulk joined the equation at Casa Messi, the Barca star and Antonela's main pet dog was Toby, who looks to be a Bichon Frise or miniature Poodle.

Pictures of Lionel Messi's dog

Senor Hulk first arrived on the scene in January 2016 as Messi announced that a "new member of the family" had joined the Messi clan.

Hulk quickly grew big and it wasn't long before the hound started to make Messi look even smaller!

Check out more photos of Messi's dog Hulk below:

Former Tusker captain James Situma has opined on where Kenya coach Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee should play Victor Wanyama against Comoros on Sunday.

Kenya will face off with Comoros in a second straight African Cup of Nations qualifier in Moroni and Situma says he would want to see the Harambee Stars captain fill his usual deep-midfield position.

“He is an experienced player who has played for competitive sides in the world like Southampton and Tottenham,” Situma told Goal.

“In front of the back four, he does not only offer stability but also gives room to [Johanna] Omollo to make the box-to-box runs effectively. At that position, Wanyama always looks comfortable and offers his best.

“But again it would depend on how the coach wants to deploy the whole team. The good thing is that we have him in the squad and we are fine by that alone.”

Under Sebastien Migne, Wanyama was deployed further upfield as Dennis Odhiambo was preferred at the centre of the midfield.

The retired Kenyan Premier League winner also delved in on the debate about who between Omollo and Kenneth Muguna should start in Moroni.

“I have been a player and I know when the coach is drafting his starting XI, he does so bearing in mind what he would want to achieve,” explained the former Mathare United skipper.

“The good thing is that both Muguna and Omollo are in camp.

“Both are good and a good coach would always enjoy having a strong bench because it gives you an edge over the opponent.

“Having Muguna on the bench, I do not have issues over that. It is okay because Omollo is also a quality player who has value on the pitch and is always trying to give his best.

“Whenever Muguna also plays he gives his best and so Mulee is spoilt for choice and for a good reason.

“But as a coach, you have to make a choice and come up with a player who is good for that particular game. They are good and I am sure the coach knows what he wants from both.”

The Gor Mahia skipper was not involved when Kenya picked up a 1-1 draw at home on Wednesday.

Unofficial sources have touted German coach Karsten Neitzel as Selangor's new head coach earlier this week.

While Selangor secretary-general Johan Kamal Hamidon declined to confirm the rumour when contacted by Goal, he confirmed that the new boss has been involved in their 2021 roster.

"All the players' arrivals and departures are under Michael (technical director Michael Feichtenbeiner) and the new head coach. They have been in discussions on the matter and many other issues. 

"While the new coach was not around, Michael filled him in with information and feedbacks. All the decisions were made by both of them," explained Johan in a telephone conversation on Saturday.

And the Red Giants faithful will not need to wait long for the official club announcement on the new head coach appointment.

"We will announce it this coming Monday (November 16) through a video release. You will find out who he is then."

Nigeria travel to Sierra Leone for their reverse fixture in the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations billed for Cameroon.

The Super Eagles played out an unacceptable 4-4 draw in the first fixture, surrendering a four-goal lead as John Keister’s men left Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium with a point.

Victory for Gernot Rohr’s men against the Leone Stars will guarantee them a ticket to their 19th appearance at the biennial African football showpiece.

Having picked up an away point, Keister’s side would fancy their chances of stunning the Super Eagles as they are keen on qualifying for Afcon for the first time in 24 years.

WHEN IS THE GAME?

The Africa Cup of Nations qualifier has been scheduled for 17:00 (West African Time) on Tuesday, November 17.

WHAT CHANNELS CAN I WATCH THE GAME ON TV?

WHERE IS THE CLASH OF THE TITANS?

National Stadium Freetown

HOW CAN FANS GET INVOLVED?

Goal will be providing comprehensive coverage, news, interviews and features of the showdown.