Looking for Soccer News?

Manchester United risk "embarrassment" this season if they fail to rediscover their consistency, according to Dimitar Berbatov, who says the Red Devils cannot blame their struggles on fixture congestion.

United sit 14th in the Premier League table after their first seven fixtures of the 2020-21 campaign, with only three wins recorded alongside three defeats and a draw.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side have yet to win at Old Trafford, and will be aiming to buck that trend when West Brom arrive in Manchester on November 21.

A 3-1 win over Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday served as a timely reminder of what the Red Devils are capable of when firing on all cylinders, but Solskjaer hit out at schedulers post-match for failing to grant his team adequate recovery time after their Champions League defeat against Istanbul Basaksehir.

“The authorities set us up to fail, who is responsible? We've had enough of that," he said. “Players this season, in these times, a pandemic, mentally and physically, it's draining.

"Let us play on a Sunday, there's an international break after this, it's a joke.”

Berbatov doesn't think that United can use such an excuse for any negative results, though, and has warned that his old club are in danger of plunging to new depths unless they can start delivering the goods week in, week out.

"This season is different, there are a lot of games in a short space of time. Matches in the Premier League, in Europe and then all of a sudden international breaks, but this cannot be used as an excuse," the ex-Red Devils striker told Betfair.

"United have faced fixture congestion for many years, during my time and even before my time. United are used to playing in the Premier League, Europe and in the cups - we used to win them all as well.

"There can be no excuses, the situation is the same for everyone else, the performances are just not consistent enough. They need to improve sooner rather than later because other teams will get ahead of them and they could become a real embarrassment.

"It's like United need to be under pressure to produce a winning performance. But there's only so long you can operate like that - they won't produce the win every time the pressure is piled on.

"In the end, it isn't going to finish well if they continue being so inconsistent. The team needs to find consistency and produce good football game after game."

Berbatov still believes Solskjaer is the right man to lead United despite their recent troubles, but he has urged the 47-year-old to address a lack of urgency when possession is turned over in order to avoid any further dips in form.

He added: "I still think the players believe in Solskjaer and they like him. I think he has their trust and they have his. There's something that just isn't working right in games when they are losing.

"The problem for me is, sometimes when they don't have the ball they have a lack of mobility to chase and get the ball back.

"Overall, though, I believe they're still playing for the manager and they all like each other. But sometimes that's not enough and to be 14th in the table isn't good for United.

"I hope in their next game - against West Brom in the Premier League - we won't see another dip in form. If that happens then we'll be talking about the same thing again."

Mamelodi Sundowns defender Motjeka Madisha has dismissed talk of a chaotic dressing room led by three mentors, saying players “understand what the coaches want from us.”

Downs have co-coaches Manqoba Mngqithi and Rhulani Mokwena, while Steve Komphela comes in as a senior coach.

Mngqithi has the final say in the event of a decision-making impasse in a set-up prompted by the departure of former head coach Pitso Mosimane who is now at Al Ahly.

Taking instructions from three coaches, Madisha insists that the players understand what is expected from them by the technical team.

“It is not confusing, we understand what they want from us, and we’ve been working well with them,” said Madisha as per Sowetan Live.

“Steve Komphela is one of the great coaches. We are happy that he is part of the Mamelodi Sundowns family. He is more open to anything.

“Whenever you have a problem, you can go to him and whenever you need to improve on certain things you can go to him. He can add value to your football career. He does that, so I will say three coaches are more like what coach Pitso was to us.”

Madisha has featured in every minute of all Downs' matches this season after making 28 Premier Soccer League appearances last season under Mosimane.

“Pitso helped me to be a better player today. When I started, he would call me and tell me where I need to improve,” Madisha said.

“So just because he is not here, it doesn’t mean we don’t communicate. He still helps me even now while he is away. It was a bit emotional when he left. I didn’t believe it, but as a coach, he needs to take his career to the next level, and I’m happy for him that he went to Egypt to do what he has been doing with us.”

Madisha is currently with the Bafana Bafana squad preparing for back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sao Tome e Principe.

Due to the defender’s consistency at club level, South Africa coach Molefi Ntseki has expressed faith in Madisha who could stay in the tactician’s plans throughout the qualifying campaign if he does not drop in form.

Irvin Khoza has been re-elected National Soccer League chairman for another four-year term.

The 72-year-old was elected unopposed during Wednesday’s quadrennial general meeting held in Johannesburg.

Khoza will be heading the league’s executive committee which has seven other members who were elected by 32 clubs from the Premier Soccer League and the GaldAfrica Championship.

The seven members are Kaizer Motaung Snr (Kaizer Chiefs), Mato Madlala (Golden Arrows), John Comitis (Cape Town City), Stan Matthews (SuperSport United), David Thidiela (Black Leopards), Dr Rejoice Simelane (Mamelodi Sundowns) and Robert Benadie (Stellenbosch FC).

Banadie is a new member on the executive committee, replacing former Bidvest Wits chief executive officer Jose Ferreira in the league’s highest decision-making body.

Having previously served in the committee during his days at Ajax Cape Town, Cape Town City chairman Comitis returns to replace Bloemfontein Celtic’s Khumbulani Konco.

Falling by the wayside after being initially nominated for the vote were Chippa United owner Siviwe Mpengesi, Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila president Lawrence Mulaudzi, Konco, University of Pretoria’s Dr Rendani Mulaudzi and Free State Stars’ Rantsi Mokoena.

The majority of PSL clubs suggested Madlala continues in her role as the league’s acting chief executive officer, a position he has held since 2015, although the proposal is yet to be confirmed by Khoza.

Khoza together with his executive committee will have their term run until 2024 and the Pirates chairman hailed the league as a " reliable partner" especially after staging a smooth bio-bubble last season.

“As a business that organizes the largest and most gatherings in South Africa, the PSL value chain is vulnerable to the new normal where the movement and gathering of people can, as we have experienced with Covid-19, carry a deadly virus not detectable by any of the human’s five sense," said Khoza as per the PSL website.

“The NSL operates a business whose critical asset is its fixture. It is from the fixture that every activity is energized. It is the fixture that creates conversations which are a major business all in themselves.

“Traditionally, our value proposition is funded out of a part of our sponsors’ businesses that is most vulnerable to budget cuts – marketing. Marketing budgets are the first to be cut in recessions. We have experienced this through the difficulty we experience in sponsorship renewals and our broadcast partners experience in broadcast sponsorship and advertising sales.

“It has become urgent for the PSL to consolidate and let the market receive tangible and ready to use formats, intelligence about the NSL audience.

“The manner in which we created the bio-bubble, albeit very expensive, proved that we are reliable partners prepared to go to the end of the world to protect our partners and their value proposition.”

The PSL has a new title sponsor DSTV which took over from Absa.

Mamelodi Sundowns boss Patrice Motsepe will need to step down at the Chloorkop-based giants if he is elected new Confederation of African Football (Caf) president. 

This is according to the South African Football Association (Safa) president Danny Jordaan, who has recently announced that his organisation endorses Motsepe as their Caf presidential candidate.

Jordaan explained that Safa has strict rulings against club owners serving as an association president at the same time. 

However, Caf’s constitution does not have such a provision and as such a club owner could serve as president of African football's ruling body. 

“In the Safa constitution‚ section 36.7‚ no club owner can be a Safa president for obvious conflict of interest reasons," Jordaan said on Times Live. 

"Caf doesn’t have that provision‚ but from governance and not a constitutional point of view.

"You have to step down from a governance stand-point because you can’t sit there and talk of all African federations and club competitions when you have an interest. I think he understands‚”

Motsepe's nomination has been submitted to the continental mother body before the November 12 deadline as he looks to replace Ahmad Ahmad as the Caf president. 

Malagasy football administrator Ahmad has been at the helm of Caf since 2017 after succeeding Cameroon's Issa Hayatou, who served for 29 years.

“Gianni Infantino [Fifa president] wasn’t an association president‚ nor was Sepp Blatter‚ nor was Issa Hayatou and Joao Havelange," Jordaan continued. 

"It’s not a requirement that you be a national association president in order to be a continental and global president. We also don’t want any compromise or breach of ethics on governance in football.”

Motsepe bought a 51% share in Sundowns in 2004 and later took total control of the Tshwane giants by buying the remaining share and became the sole owner and shareholder of the club. 

The mining magnate has transformed Masandawana into one of the best football clubs on the continent as they are perennial Caf Champions League title contenders.

The Brazilians have won 15 major trophies including the Champions League and Caf Super Cup since Motsepe took over the club 16 years ago.

Motsepe will become the second person from Southern Africa to head Caf since its creation in 1957 after Ahmad if he wins the presidential elections which are pencilled for March 2021 in Morocco. 

Diogo Jota takes pressure off Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, according to Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher, who says Roberto Firmino "should just sit on the bench for three or four games".

Jota has made a hugely impressive start to his Liverpool career since moving to Anfield from Wolves for £41 million ($54m) in September.

The 23-year-old has hit seven goals in his first 11 outings for the Reds and is now pushing for a regular starting spot ahead of Firmino, who has only scored once in 12 appearances this season.

Jurgen Klopp took the bold decision to start both men alongside Salah and Mane against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Liverpool dominated the first 20 minutes of the match and took a deserved lead through a Salah penalty, but Gabriel Jesus hit an equaliser for the hosts on the half-hour mark and the game ended up finishing 1-1.

Carragher thinks the time has come for Firmino to be dropped for Jota completely, with it his belief that the Brazilian is failing to live up to his usual high standards in and out of possession.

Asked who makes up Klopp's strongest front three at this moment in time, the ex-Reds defender told talkSPORT: “Mane, Jota, Salah.

“Firmino isn’t in great form right now but that could change if Liverpool get to a final, but I don’t think he was in great form last season either.

“Even though Liverpool won the league, certain things got masked. Firmino didn’t score a goal at home in the Premier League until the last game against Chelsea.

“Liverpool fans are educated enough to know that Firmino’s role is not to be scoring the goals. Liverpool’s goalscorers play wide and they know he can create, win the ball back and start the press. But even when I looked at his pressing stats last weekend, they aren’t the numbers they usually are.

“It doesn’t mean if he goes out and Jota goes in that that’s the end of his career. He should just sit on the bench for three or four games.”

Carragher went on to express his belief that Liverpool have been lacking a player with Jota's predatory instincts in recent years, with Salah and Mane forced to share the main goalscoring burden for the Premier League champions.

“When you’re not playing well and you come on as a substitute, it’s hard to have a bad game as a sub,” he said.

“The reason why I’d play Jota is because Liverpool don’t have many goalscorers.

“Virgil van Dijk is a goalscorer from set pieces, the midfield three don’t really score, there’s no Gerrard or Lampard figure in there. The centre forward’s not scoring.

“If you put Jota in there then it takes the pressure of Mane and Salah.”

The former Liverpool centre-back added on Klopp's experimentation with a new formation against City: “I didn’t think it went horribly wrong. I’ll be honest, when I saw the team I felt Liverpool are going to have big problems and [Kevin] De Bruyne would run the show.

“Liverpool nullified his threat very well and that’s credit to Mane and Jota.

“For me, De Bruyne is the best player in the Premier League and he hardly got any space in the game.

“The three or four times that he did, he set the goal up and he set Raheem Sterling up for the best chance in the first-half and he had a couple shots outside the box.

“That is the best Liverpool have ever played against City at the Etihad. They’ve lost 4-0 and 5-0 under Klopp and 2-1 in that pivotal game for the title.

“Even though Liverpool played four attackers, it was the best they’ve ever been defensively.”

Bukayo Saka says he is grateful to have Jack Grealish as a team-mate rather than an opponent this week, saying the Aston Villa star is the England player who impressed him the most on his maiden senior international call-up last month.

Arsenal winger Saka and playmaker Grealish both made their senior international debuts last month in the friendly win over Wales, and they have been called up again for upcoming games against Republic of Ireland, then Belgium and Iceland in the UEFA Nations League.

Saka was up against Grealish last weekend, scoring an own goal as Villa romped to a 3-0 win away to the Gunners. The Arsenal youngster is grateful to have Grealish on his side for the trio of international fixtures, and said he was blown away by the forward's skill and attitude on the training pitch.

"He's a top player. When I came here the first time he was the player who impressed me the most in training," Saka told the pre-match England press conference.

"Before we played against Villa at the weekend we analysed him and picked him out as one of their main threats and he showed it in the game.

"He was amazing from start to finish, so it's going to be good to play with him and not against him this week."

Saka has been tipped for a place in Gareth Southgate's squad for the European Championship, rearranged for next summer after the coronavirus pandemic caused Euro 2020 to be postponed.

He is grateful to Southgate for taking a chance on him at international level, and is keen to test himself against the best in the world, including the Belgians, against who England picked up an impressive 2-1 victory at Wembley in October.

"It's been amazing to have the faith of the manager and for him to recall me to this camp," Saka said. "When I got the text, I was so happy again and I just want to do my best here.

"In the games and opportunities he gives me, I want to give my all on the pitch and I hope I can repay the faith he has shown in me.

"Games against Belgium are the type of games you want to play in as a player - the big games, the games that mean the most. It's not just that game, though, every time I get an opportunity to show how good I am, hopefully I can do my best and hopefully get picked for the Euros."

Following Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee’s appointment as Harambee Stars head coach there were many questions about whether he still had the magic to handle the national outfit.

Part of the suspicion came given that his predecessor – Francis Kimanzi, who oversaw the last two African Cup of Nations qualifiers without losing – had established a strong team.

The distrust that some Kenyans had towards the Football Kenya Federation and Mulee’s decade-long absence from the touchline only creates further doubt.

The faith that the FKF has so far shown in the new coach, and Mulee’s insistence that he is still capable of handling the top job, will be tested on Wednesday when they meet the Comoros in Afcon qualifying.

Will Mulee engineer a second win against the Pacific Ocean nation, or will his reign begin with a loss that would be the second at the hands of the Comoros? 

Certainly, the stakes are high, with both sides looking to take control of a qualifying group that has been opened up by Egypt's slow start to the campaign.

Whereas Comoros visit with a win over Togo already in the bag, Kenya are yet to pick up maximum points from their last matches and that may end up giving the Islanders a great source of motivation.

Mulee will field a starting XI without Michael Olunga – who has hit the ground running in Japan’s top league with 23 goals – due to the coronavirus positives tests that have been confirmed at his club, Kashiwa Reysol.

Olunga’s absence is a headache that no coach would have wanted to have just days before handling such important qualifiers.

Mulee has already called up John Makwatta, who has not started in the new season yet for Zesco United, but all in all, the former KPL top scorer is a proven goal-getter, albeit at club level.

Oscar Wamalwa, Masoud Juma, John Avire and Benson Wamalwa are the other strikers currently in camp, and Mulee will have to pick wisely as he looks to replace the immense presence of Olunga.

As Mulee sweats over Olunga’s absence, his Comoros counterpart Amir Abdou will have his main star El Fardou Ben Mohamed of Red Star Belgrade available.

The 31-year-old forward scored the goal in the first-ever win for Comoros in a competitive international tie - in 2016 against Botswana  - and that further suggests how lethal he could be against the Harambee Stars.

Mulee can take encouragement that he already has dependable centre-backs Joseph Okumu, Joash Onyango and assistant captain Brian Mandela all available for selection, while Victor Wanyama, Johanna Omollo and Ayub Timbe will also be key for the Stars.

Omollo scored the winner for Kenya – then under Bobby Williamson – in a May 2014 encounter at Nyayo Stadium against Comoros, as the hosts won the Afcon qualifier 1-0. In the return leg in the same month in Moroni, Timbe scored to ensure the tie ended in a 1-1 draw.

Montreal Impact’s Wanyama also netted in a 2-2 draw against the islanders in a March 2018 meeting between the pair.

Another confidence booster for Kenya are the latest Fifa rankings, where, after picking up a victory over Zambia in an October friendly – they rose by three places and are now 103rd. Comoros – who were not active during the last Fifa break – also rose, but only by a position, and are still down in 132nd.

Mulee certainly appears to be relishing the prospect of locking horns with the minnows.

“I cannot promise the fans anything but one thing I know we are going for the three points,” ‘Ghost’ told Goal on Tuesday. “It is just another day in the office, you anticipate many things but definitely I am looking forward to the match.

“I have been in coaching for many years, and it is a driver, even if you don’t drive a car for more than a decade. If you get a car you will still drive it, and that is the same as coaching, so I don’t feel any pressure, I am ready to start well.”

Assessing Kenya’s overall chances of qualification, AFC Leopards' 2008 Premier League promotion legend Francis Xavier believes the national side have a 60-percent chance of success.

“The Zambia friendly came at a time we needed it most and it helped us a great deal in our preparations because it told us where we are fitness-wise from the last time we played a match," Xavier told Goal. “We have a 60 percent chance of qualifying again from what I can see and what we have done before."

Certainly, Kenya's chances would improve dramatically if they can defeat Comoros in Kasarani on Wednesday to take control of the group.

Ronald Koeman is backing Antoine Griezmann to find consistent form for Barcelona but will not rule out a bid to sign Memphis Depay.

France star Griezmann, a €120 million (£106m/$142m) signing from Atletico Madrid last year, has struggled to impress on a regular basis alongside Lionel Messi at Camp Nou.

The forward, who missed a penalty against Real Betis last week before scoring in Barca's 5-2 victory, has just two goals, one assist and four chances created to his name in seven La Liga appearances this season.

Koeman thinks the 29-year-old is bound to hit top gear, though, as long as he maintains his strong work ethic.

"He needs a bit more confidence and scoring goals always gives you that confidence," Koeman told Mundo Deportivo.  "You can't say he doesn't work, he works a lot, but maybe he feels a little more free when he's with the national team, having been with them a long time and always playing in the same position.

"There's are many more things besides, but a player who is working and trying so much to change things, I think in the end he'll get to where he wants to be.

"His best position is maybe more central, as a No 9, a No 10 behind a nine, with a lot of freedom on the right wing cutting in, with [Ousmane] Dembele playing more outside. They're positions in which he can give a lot to this team."

With Griezmann out of sorts and Ansu Fati sidelined for four months after meniscus surgery, Barca have been tipped to make a new move for Lyon forward Depay.

The Catalans agreed terms with Depay during the previous transfer window but a deal could not be struck between the clubs, and the Ligue 1 side's president Jean-Michel Aulas insists they will not sell the player in January even though his contract expires at the end of the season.

However, Koeman will not discount the prospect of signing the Netherlands international, with who he worked while in charge of the national side and who has been directly involved in eight goals in Ligue 1 this season, a tally bettered only by Kylian Mbappe.

"Now is not the moment to talk about players who aren't here. For me, it's not good," Koeman said. "It's true his name has come out and he's played every game with our national team as a No 9.

"Everyone can have their opinion, but not here, and we'll see what happens in the future."

Koeman also suggested a deal could yet be struck to sign Eric Garcia from Manchester City, adding: "Well, I don't know. It depends on Manchester City."

Speaking to Sport , Koeman admitted captain Lionel Messi had been "unhappy" when he first arrived at the club, the forward having tried unsuccessfully to leave in the wake of the 8-2 Champions League destruction by Bayern Munich, a club-record defeat in the competition. 

Messi's form has been questioned in 2020-21, the Argentina star having failed to score from open play or register an assist in his first six Liga matches.

He produced a star turn off the bench against Real Betis, however, scoring twice, assisting another and playing a key role in Griezmann's goal as Barca claimed a 5-2 victory.

"I spoke to him on the first day, totally frankly, and I've never doubted him," Koeman said of the six-time Ballon d'Or winner. "I see him training every day and enjoying playing. I said on the first day that he's the best player in the world and of course I prefer to have the best in the world in my team.

"As I said after the game against Betis, if he's well, he'll always start."

Paulo Dybala is the new Lionel Messi and he should join Real Madrid, according to former Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini, who says the Juventus star should seek a January move.

Dybala's future at Juve has been the subject of much speculation in recent months, with his current contract at the Allianz Stadium set to expire in 2022.

Bianconeri sporting director Fabio Paratici has insisted that the Argentine is in line for a new deal, but he continues to be linked with a transfer away from Turin amid reported interest from the likes of Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain.

The 26-year-old's position has not been helped by a lack of regular minutes at the start of the season, with Andrea Pirlo only handing the midfielder three Serie A appearances to date.

Zamparini cannot understand why a man he considers to have all the tools to follow in the footsteps of Barcelona and Argentina legend Messi is not starting every week at Juve, and has urged him to move onto pastures new in order to unlock his full potential.

The former Palermo chief told Tuttosport: "I am still convinced that he is the new Messi. Dybala, as well as a champion, is a very good guy. And I can't understand why many insiders tend to forget him. 

"That Dybala is not a starter in Serie A is a blasphemy. Paulo should have followed my advice three years ago, to move away from Turin.

"I told him clearly: 'Paulo, for your own sake, you must leave Juventus'. His football is fantasy [and is best suited to] Spain, at either Barcelona or Real Madrid.

"But he has always told me he feels good at Juventus."

Zamparini went on to suggest Madrid as the ideal next destination for Dybala, who joined Juve from Palermo in 2015, with it his belief that the talented playmaker needs to step out of Cristiano Ronaldo's shadow as soon as possible.

"The advice I give him today is the same: 'Paulo, leave Juventus and go to Real Madrid'. Maybe as early as January. It would be a deal [that is good] for everyone," he said.

"For him and also for Juventus, who already tried to sell him two summers ago. Paulo is a champion and not a deputy. At Juventus, there is Cristiano Ronaldo, a real phenomenon, and Dybala has to go and play [against] Ronaldo in another big team."

Georginio Wijnaldum is refusing to speculate on his own future amid continued rumours surrounding a new Liverpool contract.

The 30-year-old only has a deal at Anfield until the end of the season and has been regularly linked with his former Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman at Barcelona. Unless he signs a new contract, he will be free to speak to the La Liga side or any other foreign club in January.

Wijnaldum, however, is refusing to give anything away, saying only his current club can answer queries about his future.

He told Dutch outlet Het Parool: "I can’t say anything about that. Just ask Liverpool those questions. Don’t they answer?

“I cannot say anything about it, including whether or not there is talk of a new contract between me and Liverpool. Sorry.”

Wijnaldum has been a key figure in Liverpool's successes of recent seasons, winning the Champions League in 2019 before helping the club to their first English top-flight title in 30 years last season as they won the Premier League.

The Reds have started this season well too, sitting third in the Premier League following a 1-1 draw at main title rivals Manchester City last Sunday, and Wijnaldum says he and his team-mates remain as hungry and passionate as ever.

He said: “We knew we might not be at the top after this weekend - going to Manchester City is just a tough game - but take it from me: we are just as eager at Liverpool, you know. The group wants more, and the manager is still pushing us.”

Wijnaldum is currently with the Netherlands national team, ahead of a friendly against Spain on Wednesday before UEFA Nations' League clashes with Bosnia-Herzegovina and Poland.

He is not joined by Liverpool and Netherlands team-mate Virgil van Dijk, however, as the centre-back has been ruled out for most of this season with a serious knee injury.

“It’s a pity that Virgil van Dijk isn’t here because of that knee injury. I talk to him often, but never about soccer," said Wijnaldum.

“He just has to rehabilitate and be there for his family, and God willing, he will be there next summer. Yes, he is still involved with the team, even though he is not physically here.”

Crystal Palace’s 4-1 win over Leeds United finally saw Roy Hodgson’s side live up to their potential in attack after a few dreary showings since the start of the season.

Having had a summer where the talented Eberechi Eze arrive from Queens Park Rangers, the Eagles were tipped to be more watchable in 2020/21. In truth, that was going to be a deviation from what had transpired in previous seasons under the English manager, with the South London side prioritising a largely counter-attacking approach that wasn't always easy on the eye.

Eze’s acquisition opened up new possibilities for the London outfit and, after a mixed start to the new campaign, something looked to click against Marcelo Bielsa’s troops at Selhurst Park on Saturday.

The 22-year-old set up Scott Dann for the capital club’s opener before scoring an awesome free-kick to double the hosts’ advantage, thus registering his first goal contributions for the side. He put in a defensive shift against the effervescent visitors, too, making four interceptions and attempting five tackles to show he’s already buying into Hodgson’s approach.

However, it’s what he did going the other way that impressed. Eze created two chances, played the joint-second passes into the final third, and his forward-thinking nature in possession meant he was mostly progressive with his passing.

While the youngster’s apparent goal contributions came from set-pieces, Wilfried Zaha’s involvement came largely from open play. The Ivory Coast superstar fashioned out one of Palace’s three big chances — the assist for Jordan Ayew’s strike — was involved in more shot-creating actions (five) than any other teammate and ranked top for goal-creating actions (three) as well.

With seven direct involvements leading to goals already, the former Manchester United winger has now equalled last year’s tally which came in a season that was below his usual level of performance.

His choice to ignore several easier passing options to play in Patrick van Aanholt in the build-up to Palace’s third — an own goal from Helder Costa — was an advertisement for positive, progressive play...something that isn’t seen often during the Eagles’ games.

As for Ayew, the Ghana striker finally opened his account for the season that was derailed for a few weeks owing to a positive coronavirus test. Having shown last season he’s capable of leading the line, a slower start this year has suggested the Ivorian remains the Eagles’ go-to star.

Be that as it may, what the 29-year-old brings to the side can’t be dismissed altogether; Ayew’s tenacity to press the opponent in possession gives a fairly reactive Palace side some impetus given their laissez-faire tendency.

The ex-Swansea attacker harried the Leeds man in possession more times than any other teammate, a statistic that wasn’t a one-off. He leads the way for pressures per 90 for Hodgson’s side with 27.6 pressures per game, with Andros Townsend way behind with 21.7.

Still, scoring regularly, something he achieved in 2019/20, remains a great need for the Eagles. As such, finding the back of the net against Leeds was the icing on the cake for the home team after a testing encounter on their turf.

The striker’s goal was his first of the season and his first since hitting the back of the net vs Tottenham Hotspur on the final day of last season. Hitting nine goals again this term seems unlikely, but with Zaha now back at his best, Hodgson needs players like Eze and Ayew to chip in from time to time for the rest of the campaign as they look to wean themselves off an over-reliance on the wide attacker.

In spite of a dominant final score vs Leeds, there’s a danger in jumping on the Palace train too early, given how quickly these things could easily take a turn for the worse.

The South London side can have a tendency to retreat into their shell despite the obvious threat they carry going forward. While they rarely dominate possession, the harm they could inflict on any side in transition doesn’t come to the fore nearly enough.

Having defeated Manchester United 3-1 at Old Trafford — a game they racked up 14 attempts despite having 25 percent possession — they disappointed with a poor showing in their very next away game at Chelsea, losing 4-0 after shooting only four times without hitting the target.

Then there was that game at home to Brighton & Hove Albion which was even more discouraging and, some might say, depressing. On their Selhurst Park turf, the Eagles’ only attempt all game was a 19th-minute penalty scored by Zaha.

They strangely allowed the Seagulls to come at them for the remaining 70 minutes, leading to strong criticism of Hodgson’s approach in a game they conceded a staggering 20 shots. In a sense, observers felt the late Brighton equalizer was deserved, not really because of what Graham Potter’s team did but due to Palace’s negative style after they went in front.

Success over Leeds was encouraging, as the home team delivered an improved showing after that disconcerting display vs Brighton, even though the game could so easily have gone differently had Patrick Bamford’s strike to equalize for 1-1 stood.

Regardless, Eze, Zaha and Ayew did brilliantly to take the game away from Bielsa’s team to banish the memory of their ignominious performance against the Seagulls.

For the second time this season, it feels like Hodgson has something to build on but the jury remains out on whether the experienced manager takes advantage of another potentially significant victory or instead plays it safe at the detriment of his capable African triumvirate.

Simba SC have asked the Tanzania Premier League Board (TPLB) to introduce Video Assistant Referee (VAR) during the Mainland Premier League derby.

This is after Yanga were awarded a penalty in the Kariakoo derby played last Saturday, a decision Simba feels was not deserved.

According to Simba official Hans Poppe, the only way to solve such situations and cool the tempers of fans and players is to introduce the video system, especially during the matches involving the two Tanzania giants.

Despite the TPLB employing two extra referees during the hotly contested derby played at Benjamin Mkapa stadium, Simba still claim the penalty awarded to Yanga, which Michael Sarpong converted to make it 1-0, was not genuine.

“You can see despite having six officials for the match we still could not solve the penalty issue, I think next time TPLB and TFF should work closely to introduce VAR,” Poppe is quoted by Sokaletu.

“The game ended in a draw, yes but the referees missed many talking points including a penalty which should have been awarded to Simba, it is the reason I insist we need the video system to help cool down tempers after the match.”

After the derby, Simba coach Sven Vandenbroeck insisted they deserved to be awarded a penalty.

“During the derby, I think we deserved to get a penalty because my players were fouled on several occasions when they reached the Yanga box [not once or twice, but on many occasions], I don’t know why the referee could not see that,” Vandenbroeck is quoted by Sokaletu.

“But since the referees did not see that, I don’t want to complain now, and already the jury is out, we drew 1-1, we must now shift our focus to the net match and strive to do better than we played in the derby.

“The league is a marathon, every team wants the piece of the cake and are all fighting hard to win the title, so we ask for the support of our fans to help push us to another league title, the job is not done yet but we will continue to push, we still have a tough job ahead of us.”

Simba are now third on the 18-team league table with 20 points from 10 matches, while Azam FC are top on 25 and Yanga are second on 24 points.

Dani Carvajal has backed Zinedine Zidane amid talk of a "crisis" at Real Madrid, insisting the squad are with the current Blancos boss to the "death".

Madrid have endured a slow start to the 2020-21 campaign which has led to questions over Zidane's position in the Santiago Bernabeu hot seat.

The Frenchman has watched his side slip to fourth in La Liga after eight fixtures , and has only seen them pick up four points from a possible nine in their Champions League group.

The Blancos suffered their second domestic defeat of the season at the hands of Valencia on Sunday, with several players guilty of allowing their standards to drop during the 4-1 thrashing at Mestalla.

Zidane has taken the brunt of the criticism for the result, though, and it has been suggested that he is now on borrowed time in the dugout, with another club legend Raul and ex-Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino reportedly being lined up as potential replacements.

However, Carvajal says the dressing room remains 100 per cent behind the 48-year-old head coach, who has delivered two La Liga titles and three Champions League crowns during two separate spells in charge.

"We are with the coach to the death, with the club, with the team-mates that we have next to us, and the philosophy of the coach, is that we are all together, that we all go in the same direction and that's what he has done during all the years that he has been here," the Madrid defender told Marca .

Carvajal went on to highlight the fact that any negative performances or results are magnified at the Bernabeu, with expectations always sky high for the most successful club in European football.

"Whoever has been here for a few years gets used to it, in the end, you can beat Inter in a highly contested match and lose to Valencia, against a good rival, away from home," he said.

"We didn't have our day, but sometimes you can't win every game and it seems like we're in crisis. In the end, you have to get a little used to these ups and downs, these ups and downs of feelings, criticism and flattery."

The Spanish full-back added: "We are Real Madrid, we have a very good squad and do not doubt us because we will fight for everything and in the month of March you will be happy because we will be alive in all competitions."

Nigeria senior national team players will be tested for Covid-19 before taking on Sierra Leone in Friday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.

The three-time African champions face the Leone Stars, who are in dire need of a win in order to revive their Cameroon 2022 ambitions.

Before locking horns with the West Africans, however, players and coaches of the Super Eagles will be subjected to the assessment on Wednesday afternoon.

Few hours after that, Gernot Rohr’s side will have their second training session by 17:00 (West African Time) at newly renovated Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium.

Having faced reigning African champions Algeria and Tunisia in friendly games, Rohr’s men are in good shape to face the Leone Stars.

Their last appearance at Afcon was in Egypt 2019 where they finished third having recorded a 1-0 win over the Carthage Eagles in the bronze medal match.

John Keister’s men sit at the base of Group L with one point following a stuttering start to the qualifying campaign, having recorded a draw against Lesotho and defeat to Benin Republic.

Sierra Leone are hoping to make their third appearance in the biennial African football showpiece. They last featured at the 1996 edition staged in South Africa. There, they crashed out of the group stage after one win and two defeats.

The reverse fixture takes place at the National Stadium Freetown on Tuesday, November 17 with victory for Nigeria guaranteeing them a place in the 2022 Afcon.

The 33rd edition of the biennial tournament was due to begin in Cameroon on January 9, 2021, but has now been pushed to January 2022 due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic across the continent.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen is desperate for more trophies after committing his future to Barcelona by signing a new contract.

The Catalans announced last month that Ter Stegen, Gerard Pique, Frenkie de Jong and Clement Lenglet had all agreed to extensions.

The Germany goalkeeper's new deal runs until 2025 and contains a release clause of €500 million (£444m/$590m).

Ter Stegen, who returned to action this month after a knee injury, has been one of Barca's few major transfer success stories in recent seasons.

The 28-year-old, who signed from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2014, has won 12 trophies with Barca including four La Liga titles, the Copa del Rey four times and the 2014-15 Champions League.

Ter Stegen has felt at home in the city since his arrival and is now keen for more silverware – and to celebrate in front of fans again.

"Barcelona has become a home for my family and I," he said in a video published by the club.  "Both on and off the pitch, we are very happy.

"So, it was clear, the direction to take. The ambition from both myself and Barca has always been to reach a renewal agreement, to continue our story, which we started together in 2014.

"It's not just about playing for the biggest club in the world; it's more than that. The city and the fans have treated me like one of their own since the beginning, and this is important to me. A feeling I will never forget.

"I want to be a player at Camp Nou for many more years and keep winning trophies. There is no greater motivation. Hopefully, in the near future, with our fans once again."

Since his La Liga debut, Ter Stegen has kept 64 clean sheets in 152 games, a tally bettered only by Atletico Madrid keeper Jan Oblak, who has 110 clean sheets in 198 games.

He has maintained a save percentage of 74.4 per cent, which is the fourth-best in Spain's top flight among keepers to make at least 100 saves, and a passing accuracy of 83% – the highest in the division for his position.

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Gavin Hunt says he is facing a predicament during the current international break. 

Amakhosi bowed out of the 2020 MTN8 over the weekend after losing 2-0 to their arch-rivals Orlando Pirates in the semi-final second-leg match at FNB Stadium. 

The veteran tactician explained that Amakhosi will be active during the break as they are set to play a friendly match, even though, they will be without several payers, who are on national duty.

“It’s exactly what happened to be in the first international break – people said we had three and a half weeks to work, but really I had one and a half. There were so many away,” Hunt told the media.

“We are going to have, and I stand to be correct, eight away. What really can you do in terms of team organisation? For me, it’s all about team shape and organisation, so there’s not much you can do the next two weeks.”

“You are going to get the players back three or four days before the next game.

"So, it’s a difficult situation. We’ve got a friendly organised and things like that, but that is mainly for guys who need game-time. You can’t do much in terms of working on team dynamics with eight players away."

Reeve Frosler, Itumeleng Khune and Lebogang Manyama were included in the Bafana Bafana squad ahead of the team's two back-to-back 2020 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sao Tome and Principe 

Zimbabwean forward Khama Billiat, Kenyan midfielder Anthony Akumu and Nigerian goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi have been called up their respective national teams.

While Njabulo Blom, Nkosingiphile Ngcobo and Siyabonga Ngezana are all part of the South Africa under-23 national team which will face their Saudi Arabian counterparts in two international friendly matches.

However, Frosler has recently been withdrawn from the Bafana squad after picking up an ankle injury in the Soweto Derby clash against Pirates on Sunday and he has ruled him out of action for eight weeks.

This has reduced the number of Chiefs players on national duty to eight with Amakhosi set to take on Lamontville Golden Arrows in a PSL match on November 21. 

Borussia Monchengladbach star Florian Neuhaus has addressed rumours of a potential switch to Bayern Munich.

Neuhaus began his professional career at 1860 Munich, where he spent one year in the senior squad before being snapped up by Monchengladbach in 2017.

The midfielder was immediately sent out on loan to Fortuna Dusseldorf, and played a key role in their successful promotion bid before returning to Borussia-Park with a view to forcing his way into the starting XI.

The 23-year-old has since racked up 82 appearances in all competitions for Monchengladbach, scoring 10 goals and laying on 14 assists, and was rewarded for his performances with a new long-term contract in November 2019.

Neuhaus is now one of the first names on Marco Rose's team-sheet, and has impressed in both the Bundesliga and the Champions League at the beginning of the 2020-21 campaign.

The Germany international's form has seen him linked with a move to Bayern, but he remained coy on speculation over his future when quizzed on the reported interest from officials at Allianz Arena.

"I don't want to commit myself to that. FC Bayern is a big club. I have also got to know a couple of guys from Bayern in the national team who only speak positively about the club," Neuhaus told Goal and SPOX .

"My dad is also a huge Bayern fan. But I'm a Borussia Monchengladbach player and I don't concentrate on anything else."

The German playmaker added on his career trajectory since leaving 1860 Munich: "The move to Monchengladbach was spot on. 

"At first, it wasn't easy to be so far away from home, but it actually went well right from the start. 

"The loan to Fortuna Dusseldorf also helped me because I played in a lot of matches. Now I'm happy to have such a big part to play at Borussia."

Neuhaus also opened up on his first taste of Champions League football, with Monchengladbach currently exceeding expectations by leading Group B ahead of Shakhtar Donetsk, Real Madrid and Inter after three fixtures. 

"You become a footballer for games like this. Just the feeling of competing against the best teams in Europe is special," he said.

"And when you realise that you can keep up with such teams and even win or almost win, that feels even better."

Tanzania will face Zambia in the final of this year's Cosafa U17 Women's Cup on Saturday after both garnered nine points.

The Copper Princesses advanced to the final following a 3-0 success over Comoros, while the young Twiga Stars whitewashed  Zimbabwe 10-1 in their matches on Tuesday.

Kaluba Kangwa's team started on a high as Comfort Selemani's header gave them the lead before Tisilile Lungu consolidated their lead from the penalty spot before the half-time break.

After the break, Bupe Banda struck moments after the hour-mark, with a brilliant shot from the edge of the box to the top corner to guarantee the third win of the tournament for the Zambians.

On their part, Tanzania cruised past Zimbabwe in style as they continued their high goalscoring form to the competition.

Protasia Mbunda opened the scoring for the Twiga Stars thanks to a goalkeeping error inside the first minute before Aisha Masaka assisted Koku Kipanga to double the lead.

Irene Kisisa, Shehat Mohamedi and Ester Gindulya scored to ensure the Tanzanians hit five past the Zimbabweans before the break.

On return from recess, the Twiga Stars continued from where they left off as Zawadi Athuman added the sixth before Mohamedi bagged her second of the match moments after the restart.

Neema Shibara grabbed a brace and top scorer Aisha Masaka bagged her ninth goal of the tournament to wrap up the big win.

The latest wins were the third in four for Tanzania, and in three for Zambia as both emerged runaway joint-leaders at the top of the log.

The development means hosts South Africa and Comoros will face off in their final matches of the competition on Thursday, while Zambia will face Zimbabwe in a dead rubber tie on the same day.