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Rhys Williams is only five games into his senior Liverpool career, but the 19-year-old – who has been charged with the task of covering for the injured Virgil van Dijk – is already planning on becoming “irreplaceable”.

Jurgen Klopp has shown considerable faith in a product of the Reds’ famed academy system.

He had been slotted in alongside commanding centre-half Van Dijk for early-season Carabao Cup outings.

Williams is now stepping into the Dutchman’s shoes after an unfortunate knee ligament injury robbed the reigning Premier League champions of one of their most prized assets.

The talented teenager was handed a Champions League start for the Reds against Atalanta and offered enough in a 5-0 win to suggest that he could become as important as Van Dijk in the future.

“Well, I was hoping for an opportunity but I wasn’t hoping for it as good as this!” Williams told Liverpool’s official website when reflecting on his European bow.

“It doesn’t get much better than a 5-0 away win to Atalanta, so I’m over the moon really.

“I’m happy the boss trusts me and I’m going to keep repaying his faith with performances and nights like this, so hopefully I keep getting an opportunity and keep doing everyone proud.

“I want to become an irreplaceable piece of this side. It's a great team with great players.

“I know it’s going to be hard but I’m willing to put the effort in, keep working and hopefully keep putting in performances when I get the chance.”

While Williams can relax slightly after helping Klopp’s side to three points and a clean sheet against Atalanta, he admits to having had trouble sleeping in the build-up to the biggest occasion of his fledgling career.

He added: “I’d say (Tuesday) I found out, that certified it.

“So I was just trying to get myself into the zone all day and thankfully I’ve done that and it’s paid off.

“I tried to go to leep when we had a few hours before the game and it just wasn’t happening for me, so I just tried to chill out and watch a few films.

“I was always going to be a bit nervous but I thought I dealt with it quite well.”

Williams will be hoping to retain his starting berth for Liverpool’s next outing, which is set to see them face fellow title hopefuls Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden has been included in the senior England squad for upcoming fixtures against the Republic of Ireland, Belgium and Iceland, but Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood misses out again.

Two stars of the future for the Three Lions were handed maiden call-ups back in September.

They were both given debuts by Gareth Southgate in a UEFA Nations League clash away in Iceland, but were subsequently removed from the fold after breaching coronavirus protocol.

There was to be no reprieve for either during the October international break, with England favouring other options.

Foden has, however, done enough to force his way back into contention after apologising for his earlier actions.

He will be one of several exciting playmakers at Southgate’s disposal for the latest round of friendly and Nations League dates.

Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish, Chelsea forward Mason Mount and Southampton star James Ward-Prowse have also been given the nod.

Ben Chilwell of Chelsea, his club colleague Tammy Abraham and Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho are selected once again after making further coronavirus breaches during the last break.

The rest of Southgate’s squad is looking fairly settled as the countdown continues to a rescheduled European Championship in 2021.

Promising youngsters Reece James, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Bukayo Saka are all included once again.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s fine form at club level with Everton means that he gets another chance to show what he is capable of on an international stage.

Tottenham striker Harry Kane, who now has 32 England goals to his name, will take the armband whenever he takes to the field, with Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson, Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling and Blues defender Kyle Walker among the others to provide a wealth of experience.

The Three Lions are due to face Ireland on November 12, Belgium in the Nations League three days later and Iceland on November 18.

England squad in full

Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Manchester United), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Burnley)

Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Conor Coady (Wolves), Eric Dier (Tottenham), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Reece James (Chelsea), Michael Keane (Everton), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal), Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid), Kyle Walker (Manchester City)

Midfielders: Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Declan Rice (West Ham), James Ward-Prowse (Southampton), Harry Winks (Tottenham)

Forwards: Tammy Abraham (Chelsea), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Jack Grealish (Aston Villa), Harry Kane (Tottenham), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)

Kodjo Laba says he wants to follow in the footsteps of Togo’s most notable luminaries Emmanuel Adebayor and Mohamed Coubadja by playing and scoring at the Fifa World Cup.

The 28-year-old striker who plays for Al Ain made his international debut for the Hawks in 2016 and has gone ahead to score 12 goals in 24 appearances for the West African nation.

His country’s only outing was at Germany 2006 – where they failed to get past the group stage – with Coubadja scoring their only goal against South Korea.

Inspired by the duo, Laba is keen to get his international career to another level by leading Togo to the 2022 global football showpiece in Qatar as well as finding the net in that competition.

“I was inspired by many players when I was young, but if I were to choose one, it’d be Adebayor. He’s a source of inspiration for all Togolese because he was lucky to play with major clubs in Europe,” he told Fifa website.

“There’s also Coubadja, who scored many goals with the team, particularly the wonderful strike at the World Cup. He’s a big name in Togolese football. And because he was an attacker like me, I always try to emulate him. I’m lucky to have met him a few times as he offered me a lot of advice.”

Coubadja’s influence on Laba is such that the latter reproduces the dance the former national team player performed after scoring against Korea Republic in Frankfurt.

“It’s called the Agbadja dance and it’s well known where I’m from. It allows me to celebrate in the style of Coubadja, like after I scored in the [2019] CAF Confederation Cup final against Egypt’s Zamalek,” he continued.

“First, I’m dreaming of qualifying for the World Cup for the second time in the history of our country. As an attacker, I’ll do everything I can to make my mark on this tournament. If I get the chance to play at the World Cup and to score, I’ll dance the way Coubadja did."

Claude Le Roy's men are zone in Group H alongside Congo, Namibia and Senegal with the group winner adancing to the third round of qualifiers.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta added his voice to those disappointed by the Premier League's decision not to allow five substitutions this season, suggesting it will lead to "really bad news".

Top-flight clubs in England allowed coaches to make a quintet of changes in each match when the 2019-20 season resumed amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The alteration was intended to protect players as a long spell without matches was followed by a frantic schedule.

But while other competitions – including the Champions League – have maintained the same rules for the new campaign, with games still coming thick and fast, Premier League sides voted against continuing the measure.

A host of leading managers – such as Jurgen Klopp and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – have announced their displeasure, although teams further down the division are thought to believe the additional changes unfairly favour the stronger squads.

Arteta is able to make five subs in Europa League matches, but he worries a Premier League injury crisis is looming.

"I would strongly support [five changes in England]," he said. "We are here to give the best possible show. We need the players.

"They are the most important part of that. We have to protect them. It goes on and on and on.

"We're going to have some really bad news with players that we are not respecting."

There is little sign of the calendar easing, too, with three matches in the November international break as national teams build towards the European Championship at the end of the season.

"It's not a coincidence, the percentage rate of muscular injuries," Arteta added. "Intensity is not going to go down, the level of demands, the quality.

"Every match will be so competitive. Players will get injured."

As with most managers at present, Arteta admitted that he will be rotating his squad for Thursday evening's European tie with Molde.

“We'll see some changes tomorrow again,” the Spaniard said. “I believe we have to manage the minutes and exposure we get with the players with the amount of games they have. 

“Now now but in the international week they play three games and at the moment they play every three or four days. We have to think what we need at the present but it's going to get really, really condensed.”

The South African Football Association (Safa) and the Sao Tomean Football Federation (FSF) have officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreeing that the former will host the two Cameroon 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on 13 and 16 November 2020.

The two countries mutually agreed that due to the ongoing covid-19 pandemic, it was in the best interest of the two that they do everything in their power to safeguard the interest of players and officials. Therefore, both parties agreed that the first and return leg matches will all be played in South Africa.

The two nations agreed that this historic arrangement that has since been relayed to Caf, was precipitated by flights restriction within the African continent and health dangers posed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Part of the MOU reads that the two Parties agreed to cooperate with each other to assure the good continuity of the qualification phase of the 2021 Afcon and have therefore reached an agreement to play both matches in South Africa.

‘’The Sao Tomean Football Federation undertakes to play its home game in the territory of Second Party and Safa undertakes to host both home and away matches in its territory,’’ read part of the MOU.

In this respect, Safa undertakes to bear the costs of the travel (round trip flight) of the National Team of Sao Tome and its officials.

SAFA also undertakes to bear the costs of the accommodation of the National Team of Sao Tome and its officials during the period deemed necessary.

The MOU also reads that the Sao Tomean Football Federation undertakes to follow any and all of the health protocol rules applicable within the territory of the Second Party (South Africa).

In conclusion, the parties agreed that this MOU shall be ruled and governed by the laws of South Africa.

‘’All disputes in connection with this MOU, including disputes relating to its conclusion, binding effect, amendment, breach or termination, urgent injunctive or similar interim relief, or conservatory measure shall be promptly  settled between the Parties by negotiation,’’ concluded the MOU.

Mauricio Pochettino would take Manchester United to “another dimension” if handed the reins at Old Trafford, says Jamie O’Hara, with the Argentine considered to have worked wonders at Tottenham.

Despite making Spurs top-four regulars in the Premier League and guiding them to the Champions League final, a highly-rated South American was forced out of north London in November 2019.

He has remained without a club since then, but continues to be heavily linked with any prominent posts that open up.

It could be that one is soon available in the North West, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seeing his position come under threat from ongoing inconsistency from an expensively-assembled Red Devils outfit.

Pochettino has seen a role in Manchester mooted for some time, with many of the opinion that he is the perfect candidate to wake a sleeping giant from its slumber.

Ex-Spurs midfielder O’Hara believes United would be making a wise decision in replacing Solskjaer with a proven coach at the very highest level, with there every reason to believe that he can breathe new life into a faltering side.

“I think you have to give Pochettino massive respect for what he did at Spurs,” O’Hara told talkSPORT.

“He didn’t win anything, and that’s probably the biggest regret that he has got, but where he took that football club with no budget, not signing any players, producing young players, playing an exciting style of football, made him world-class.

“He made Tottenham a guaranteed top-four side every season, and he got them to a Champions League final. On the night they were poor, but as a manager he is unbelievable.

“For me he’s the fourth best manager in England right now, and he hasn’t got a job. The other three? [Jurgen] Klopp, [Pep] Guardiola and [Jose] Mourinho.

“I would have Pochettino in most football clubs – apart from Klopp and Guardiola.

“How can you not say he’s unbelievable? Look what he did at Southampton and look what he did at Spurs.

“Give him Man Utd’s squad and they would go to another dimension.”

A 2-1 defeat to Istanbul Basaksehir has seen Solskjaer fall under ever-increasing pressure at United, with that European reversal coming on the back of Premier League struggles that have left the Red Devils without a home win in the English top-flight season and languishing 15th in the table.

RB Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann expects Dayot Upamecano will eventually learn from his mistake against Paris Saint-Germain but acknowledges these errors are occurring too often.

Highly-rated defender Upamecano gifted PSG the opener in Wednesday's Champions League clash, although Leipzig recovered to claim a potentially vital 2-1 win.

The defender attempted to bring the ball out of defence in the sixth minute before turning back and looking for goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi, only to pass the ball straight to Moise Kean, who fed Angel Di Maria to score.

Upamecano - linked with Manchester United - later conceded a penalty, too, before Leipzig started their fightback, but it was the early error that most concerned Nagelsmann as a pattern appears to be emerging.

"The mistakes he's making are all starting the same way," Nagelsmann said. "He wants to pass the ball to the attackers right away once he's won it. That simply does not work all the time.

"I can see a learning curve. Against Hertha, we've had similar situations, the same at the start of the second half against Gladbach, where we end up defending one against two players.

"He has to recognise when he can play the ball forward and when not. He is used to playing the ball forward fast to create a counter-attack.

"He grew up like this during his first year at Leipzig, when this was the main tactic. Now the next step has to come."

Nagelsmann added: "In general, Upamecano is on his way to world-class, but he has to stop these things, obviously. He knows it himself, he is very critical of himself.

"It's a learning curve, he only has good intentions and wants to create attacks for us. He simply needs to recognise the right moment to switch from defence to attack.

"Today he should have played the ball to Peter Gulacsi.

"It's the same when attacking. There are moments where you simply have to get the ball back, and then there are moments that are about scoring a goal.

"Recognising this situation is a learning curve which he will succeed in, simply because he is that talented. I hope he will succeed soon, because then we have less distance to go."

Manchester City’s home date with Liverpool on Sunday “almost decides the season”, says former Blues captain Richard Dunne, with the last two champions of England expected to lead a title charge once again.

Liverpool, who brought their 30-year wait for top-flight glory to a close in 2019-20, have made their way back to the loftiest of perches.

Jurgen Klopp’s side, who have not been at their free-flowing best this season, are once again looking down on the rest of their domestic rivals.

City, who have also struggled for consistency out of the blocks, sit five points off the pace in 10th – although they do have a game in hand.

Many have suggested that the battle for supremacy will be much tighter in 2020-21 than it has been of late, but Dunne still believes that Reds and Blues are the teams to catch and could determine the destination of major silverware when they lock horns.

He told Sky Sports ahead of an eagerly-anticipated encounter at the Etihad Stadium: “It's huge. This game almost decides the season.

“The two teams haven't lost a lot of games over the last few years so they know that the importance of the three points in this one is massive.

“City go into it after beating Liverpool 4-0 last year but they'll know that wasn't the real Liverpool side, they'd already wrapped up the league by then.

“It's going to be very competitive. I think for City, and for Liverpool as well, they'll understand how big it is. They'll understand that everything up to now has sort of been a warm-up for this game.

“It's not just the result of one game this weekend, this could turn the championship and this could give you the belief to go on a run and try to a build a lead, or for City to catch up with Liverpool.

“The players are going to be really up for it and looking forward to it. It's got the makings of a great game.”

Pressed on whether Pep Guardiola’s hosts can take all three points, Dunne added: “City need to win. They're a few points behind Liverpool and I fancy them at the weekend.

“I think they're in good form, Liverpool have a couple of problems defensively and I fancy City to take advantage of that.”

Both sides face some important selection decisions heading into a crunch clash, with untimely injuries working against them, and Dunne feels that Ferran Torres – who impressed as a makeshift striker in City’s Champions League win over Olympiakos – may be asked to lead the line for the Blues.

The ex-Republic of Ireland international defender said: “I've been very impressed with Torres playing centre-forward.

“They signed him to play on the wing but through circumstances he's ended up in a central position. The way he's been playing has been really positive for the team.

“He's been stretching defences in behind and giving them different options. I wouldn't be surprised if it was Torres who started.

“To have [Sergio] Aguero back would be brilliant and [Gabriel] Jesus came back with that goal. Even if you have them two in reserve to come on at some stage in the game, it's a real threat for Liverpool.

“I just think the fitness and the rhythm of Torres points to him starting this weekend.”

Former Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Sam Nyamweya has termed Kisumu All-Stars relegation as ‘death of football in Nyanza’ and has also blamed Nick Mwendwa’s leadership.

The region is known as the major source of talent for both the FKF Premier League clubs and the national team but it is now clear they would not have an original team participating in the top-tier.

Western Stima, that have made Moi Stadium in Kisumu their base, shifted from Kakamega a few years ago.

“Vihiga United promotion to the now renamed FKF Premier League has dealt a major blow to football in Nyanza region,” Nyamweya said in a statement obtained by Goal.

“It is now official that the larger Nyanza region has no team participating in the top tier league in Kenya after the exit of Kisumu All-Stars, and the withdrawal of sponsorship from Western Stima by the sponsors Kenya Power and Lighting Company, the relegation of Sony Sugar, and the disbandment of Chemelil Sugar.

“Once considered as the granary of Kenyan football, the region is now a pale shadow of the former self.”

The former FKF official went ahead and explained the genesis of the problems that teams from the region have faced.

“Poor leadership, sycophancy, misplaced priorities, and hero-worshipping of one Nick Mwendwa has characterised football leadership in Nyanza and its effects have started to manifest and reverberate across the region.

“The buck stops at the doorsteps of the self-imposed football leaders in Nyanza and impostors at Kandanda house whose roots are in Nyanza.

Nyamweya compared the state of soccer during his reign to what has been witnessed under the current football leadership.

“During my tenure as president of FKF the Nyanza region had four teams in the top tier league namely Sony Sugar, Muhuroni FC, Chemelil Sugar and Western Stima.

“In about four years these clubs are out of the top flight football and the future in the region looks gloomy and bleak.

“It is instructive to note that one of my first infrastructure projects as the president of FKF was the laying of the state of art artificial turf at the Moi Stadium, which served to boost football standards in the region

“To regain the lost glory of the region I call on all progressive football stakeholders in Nyanza region to reject the self-imposed, unregistered and unrecognised FKF leadership and join forces with other like-minded progressive football leaders in the counties in advancing the cause for transformation of the football ecosystem.”

Kisumu All-Stars – promoted a season ago – returned to the National Super League after a second leg playoffs defeat to Vihiga United.

Mwendwa was re-elected for a four-year term in an election that Nyamweya declared interest but ended up not contesting for the presidency.

Geoffrey Kondogbia is ready to get started with Atletico Madrid, with the African saying he takes “great pride” in becoming the latest player to wear the shirt.

The Central African Republic midfielder completed a €10 million move to the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium as a replacement for Thomas Partey who joined Arsenal.

He will wear the No 4 shirt, and the former Inter Milan and Monaco man revealed he feels proud of his new team as he gets ready to begin his Los Rojiblancos career under manager Diego Simeone.

“I’m excited to be here with you, with this club. It really a source of great pride to be able to wear this shirt. I can’t wait to put it on for the first time,” Kondogbia told club media.

“It’s always hard to talk about yourself. I think I can bring hard work and commitment to the club, teammates and fans.

“That’s the main thing. Maybe I’ll be able to bring other things too. I haven’t been able to work with [Diego Simeone] until now.

“From the outside, you can see someone who has been competing at the highest level for many years.

“He shares his values with his players, such as commitment and hard work. These things are very important if you want to reach your goals. Those are the words I think of when I see the coach.”

The 27-year-old is also delighted to reunite with Belgium international Yannick Carrasco in Atletico Madrid as both players were teammates at Ligue 1 side AS Monaco. He also expressed his readiness to play a role in the club’s success.

“Yannick and I have enjoyed great times in the past. Now its time to live the present and future,” he continued.

“I’m happy to have him again as a teammate, because he’s a great boy – personally and professionally.

“The club and its fans have a family feel to it. I also spoke to the president. The first thing that comes to mind is that this is a family-oriented club.

“Its all about hard work and commitment as I said before and humbleness. Those things are very important in football and especially in life. To me, being able to wear this shirt is very special.”

 Orlando Pirates defender Ntsikelelo Nyauza says it was important to secure a victory over Bloemfontein Celtic ahead of Sunday's Soweto Derby clash.

The Buccaneers edged out Bloemfontein Celtic 1-0 to record their maiden win of the season in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) on Wednesday night.

Pirates had started their league campaign with two consecutive 1-1 draws against AmaZulu FC and Stellenbosch FC.

Nyauza explained that they were keen to collect maximum points against Phunya Sele Sele in order to move up on the league standings. 

“It was very important for us to get the result, so, that we can at least get the three points and climb up the table," Nyauza told the club's social media platforms on Thursday. 

"It will also give us confidence going forward to the next game."

Pirates will take on their arch-rivals Chiefs in the 2020 MTN8 semi-final second-leg clash with the Buccaneers leading 3-0 on aggregate. 

Nyauza, who produced a Man of the Match performance in the clash against Celtic, indicated that Phunya Sele Sele made it difficult for them at Dr Molemela Stadium in Bloemfontein. 

“When you are playing an away game against Celtic it’s very difficult. They are an organised team, the same thing applies to us. We are tactical. They are also tactical," he added. 

"So, we had to be organised and focused. We had to play three at the back [and] it was a tactical change so that we can be more offensive and at least get a result.

"That’s what we did, we played [Siphesihle] Ndlovu and he got us [the goal] and we got the three points.”

The victory took the Buccaneers to the sixth spot on the league standings with seven points from three matches their next game in the competition is against SuperSport United on November 21.

However, Pirates have now turned their attention to their eagerly anticipated encounter against Chiefs as they look to reach the MTN8 final for the first time since 2014.

Chiefs will be the hosts at the 2010 Fifa World Cup final venue, FNB Stadium on Sunday. 

With Thomas Partey and Hakim Ziyech both starring in the Premier League this weekend, African Football HQ is putting the continent’s big summer movers under the spotlight in Episode 20.

Certainly, Partey and Ziyech are among the success stories of the window, but which of them is having the bigger impact at their new employers?

Ziyech was influential in Chelsea’s 3-0 dissection against Burnley this weekend, bringing his Ajax form to bear in the Premier League with a performance bubbling over with creativity.

He scored one and assisted another on the day, following up on the goal he scored on his first start for the Blues against Krasnodar.

In scoring in both games, he becomes the first player since Diego Costa to score on his first two appearances for the West Londoners—six years ago—and Frank Lampard must be delighted that the Moroccan is now fit.

His innovation and imagination kept the Burnley defence on the back foot throughout, and with Ziyech in the side, Tammy Abraham and Timo Werner can be confident they’ll have ample goalscoring opportunities this term.

The question for Ziyech now is whether he can maintain the output he demonstrated in the Eredivisie over in England; he’s had a hand in 30 goals in his last 40 appearances in all competitions at club level, and Chelsea are certainly lucky to have him!

At Arsenal, Partey may also stake a claim to be the most successful African mover of the summer, having settled quickly at the Emirates Stadium after leaving Atletico Madrid on transfer deadline day.

The powerhouse eclipsed Paul Pogba as the Londoners defeated Manchester United on Sunday, and the comparison between the two midfielders couldn’t have been starker.

Partey delivered a complete display, showcasing both his offensive and defensive qualities, but credit must also go to his midfield partner Mohamed Elneny, who was flawless alongside the new boy.

On this week’s episode, the pod also examine the performances so far of other new signings such as Victor Osimhen, John Obi Mikel, Edouard Mendy, Ademola Lookman, Achraf Hakimi and Ola Aina. Which of them are proving to be the deal of the year so far?

Finally, the pod also assess the homecoming of Asamoah Gyan, who returns to Legon Cities and the Ghana Premier League 17 years after leaving Liberty Professionals to begin his European career with Udinese.

It’s clearly a romantic move, but which of the parties involved will truly benefit from Gyan’s return to West Africa?

Kaizer Chiefs coach Gavin Hunt does not believe that Orlando Pirates played better than them in the first leg of the MTN8 semi-finals, but profited from Amakhosi’s “bad errors” which they will correct in Sunday’s return fixture at FNB Stadium.

Hunt says had they scored first in last Saturday’s 3-0 defeat, “it would have been a different game,” something he is now pushing his charges to do in the second leg to overturn the huge deficit.

Believing that they did not succumb to Pirates’ brilliance but due to their own attacking and defensive frailties, Hunt can see a turnaround in fortunes if they rectify their shortcomings.

“We certainly need to try and take opportunities when we get them and obviously defensively we weren’t good in the first leg, so we have to defend better. It’s pretty basic, you have to take your chances against a team like Orlando Pirates,” Hunt told the media.

“I don’t think we were very good on the day, I don’t think they [Pirates] were very good as well because certainly if you look at the goals conceded.

“But anybody would say that when you concede goals, they were poor goals. They were certainly from some real bad errors committed but in saying that we also had some good chances and if we could have scored first it would have been a different game.

“But we can’t talk about that now. We have to look forward to Sunday and try score the first goal of the game. If you score the first goal of the game I think the match will change complexion a little bit. That’s important, trying to score the first goal.”

In the five games Chiefs have played so far this season, their forwards have struggled to score.

With chief striker Samir Nurkovic out injured, Hunt has placed more hopes on Khama Billiat, and Leonardo Castro.

But none of the attackers is yet to find the back of the net and Hunt has singled out Billiat, pointing out what the Zimbabwean needs to do to finally break his goal duck.

“I think he just has to work a little bit more on the training ground. When you are not scoring you have to try work harder for the team and then goals will come,” said Hunt.

“The most important thing is that the team must come first. He has worked a little bit harder here and there but needs more consistency. What we can’t do at the moment is give him a little bit of a break because of our situation so we have to try and play him through this patch and try to get him to be in the right areas and do the right things.

“We have spoken on numerous occasions about trying to get him understand where he needs to be when the ball is in certain areas, a little bit of self-instinct as well, about wanting to do it. He just have to break the ice a little bit I think.

“In the five games I have been here, he has had some unbelievable chances and he should have taken one or two by now. As long as he keeps on getting in those areas that is the most important thing. He has all my support, I am right behind him and he has to get through this for sure.”

Billiat's task on Sunday is to help Chiefs beat Pirates by a four-goal margin for them to proceed to the final of the MTN8.

Zesco United head coach Numba Mumamba has called for self-introspection after the Wednesday Zambian Super League 1-0 loss to Forest Rangers.

The loss in the Ndola Derby meant Zesco United have dropped five points since the season started over the weekend as they had posted a 1-1 draw against Napsa Stars.

The start into the 2020/21 season is the worst for Timu ya Ziko since they were promoted to the top league 16 years ago. The only time they managed not to pick up a win in the first two matches was during the 2010 season when they drew against Power Dynamos 1-1 before a 0-0 scoreline against Konkola Blades.

“It is a great concern on our part because Zesco United are a big football club. Dropping five points from two games is not good enough for a team like us,” Mumamba told the club’s website.

“There is need for self-introspection and to improve in our next game against Lumwana Radiants.”

The former Zambian international also explained reasons he thinks worked against Zesco United at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium.

“We are disappointed with the result. We have lost this game out of our own making. We didn’t start the game on a positive note, we were a bit slow, casual and looked heavy and our opponents capitalised on that,” he added.

“We were much better in the second half and dominated proceedings. If we can replicate our second-half performance, I am sure we will do well in Lumwana.”

Meanwhile, former Zesco United tactician George Lwandamina is reportedly set to be appointed Nkana FC head coach.

Lwandamina is on the market since he parted ways with the eight-time Premier League winners and paved way for the appointment of Mumamba.

Nkana won the league in the 2019/20 season and are also set to play in the Caf Champions League. Should they confirm the Zambian head coach as the new man in charge, Lwandamina will bring winning credentials to the side given what he achieved at Zesco.

He is the last man to win the Tanzania Mainland Premier League title with Young Africans (Yanga SC) in 2018. Since then, Yanga are yet to wrestle the title back from archrivals Simba SC in three attempts.

The Malaysia Cup will finally begin this weekend with the Round of 16 matches that will be contested as a single match knockout rather than a usual group stage due to the truncated season that is the 2020 season.

As luck would have it when the draw concluded last Sunday, it looked clear that Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT)  are likely to take up one of the final spots with the other half of the draw sporting the teams that are seen as likely challengers for the trophy.

Among those pretenders are Terengganu FC (TFC) who will face off against Petaling Jaya City FC on Saturday at Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium, looking to reach their second Malaysia Cup final in three years. 

Ironically should they oust K. Devan’s side in the upcoming game, their potential opponent in the quarterfinal are Perak who are expected to get past Kelantan United, making it a repeat of the 2018 final where TFC endured a heartbreaking end.

Lee Tuck was part of that TFC side who did the unthinkable in sending JDT out of the competition in the semi-final only to come unstuck in miraculous fashion against Perak despite leading the contest deep into added time in both regulation and extra time.

In fact Lee was among two players sent off in that unforgettable final after receiving his second yellow card midway through the second period and had to watch in agony for the rest of the match, a memory that hasn’t quite gone away for the Englishman.

“The fairy story didn’t end the way we wanted it to end but the positives out of it was that the experience was like no other. The opportunity to play in front of 80,000 fans in a final is not something many players get to do even at the top level. The way we got to the final, the build-up, the experience - it was fantastic.

“But yes, people make mistakes. In football nobody's perfect. Things happen in football that sometimes you just can’t control. Obviously I’d have liked to change the decision. But now I take it as a motivation because we can’t change what happened. I try to take that experience to motivate me to win a trophy now.

“I feel that there’s something there I need to do for the club, to bring a trophy home to the club. That motivates me now on a daily basis to try to right the wrong. Obviously this year the Malaysia Cup will be a knockout version, something I’ve never been a part of.

“It’s not that many games to get to the final and we’re playing all the games within a month. It’s all about preparing and getting focus for just this one month. The team who is ready and hits the ground running, that’s the team who is going to do well.

“We need to take advantage of that and be in the right mindset. This is not like anything else we’ve done in Malaysia so we’ve got to go out there and perform for just this one month and anything can happen,” Lee told Goal.

TFC finished in 7th spot in the shortened 2020 Super League season in Nafuzi Zain’s first full season as head coach with Lee playing a pivotal role not only as central midfield but also as the captain of the team.

Just like the other teams in the Malaysia Cup, Lee is acutely aware that reigning champions JDT remains the one to beat and the likelihood that the Southern Tigers will also have half an eye on the resumption of the AFC Champions League does offer challengers like TFC a higher than usual opportunity to wrest the cup away.

But taking nothing for granted, Lee also stressed that such is the strength of JDT’s squad, that even the potential of splitting their team up remains a difficult challenge for other teams and it will come down to who is better prepared in this second mini pre-season of 2020 prior to the start of the competition.

“Obviously JDT are contenders in any competitions they are in. Even if they split the team up, they still got a good team to compete to win the trophy. But it’s a massive advantage for everyone else. There’s a lot of teams struggling now with the lockdown and all the uncertainties.

“We need to take advantage of that and try to focus on what’s important where we need to play four of five matches to get to that final. There’s gonna be a lot of teams that are not prepared, and the ones who are prepared will get that opportunity to win something special,” he added.

Manchester United put in their worst performance for “three or four years” when suffering a 2-1 defeat at Istanbul Basaksehir, says Dion Dublin, with the Red Devils looking like “a very poor side”.

Despite struggling for consistency domestically in 2020-21, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side took in a trip to Turkey buoyed by their recent showings on a continental stage.

Impressive victories over Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig had seen United open their Champions League campaign in style.

They were, however, brought back down to earth with a bump in their latest outing, with another forgettable display put in on the back of a 1-0 Premier League reversal against Arsenal.

Pressure is now building on Solskjaer, with the Norwegian once again facing uncomfortable questions regarding his future.

He has refused to be drawn into that debate, with focus locked on delivering a reversal in fortune, but time may be running out.

Dublin admits that something needs to change at Old Trafford, with United regressing again after struggling to sustain any kind of forward momentum in the wake of Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013.

The former Red Devils striker told BBC Radio 5 Live: “That was a really poor performance from Man United.

“I'm hoping Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will stick the players in a room and make them watch that performance and then say ‘right, what did you think of that?’

“There's just too much walking about, the body language isn't great from the players. 

“I've seen individuals play very well and they look incredible but when they all perform to this standard, they look a very poor side.

“The first half was possibly the worst performance I've seen from a Man United team for three or four years.”

Those inside the Red Devils camp are aware that standards have been allowed to slip again, with Bruno Fernandes conceding that Solskjaer’s side did little right against Basaksehir.

He has told MUTV: “Everything goes wrong, we did everything wrong.

“The intensity was not good since the beginning of the game. They found a goal early and, after, the game was complicated for us. We tried until the end but the problem was [that] I think we came later into the game.

“We can do much better; everyone feels that.

“We know we can't concede goals like that, but now it's time to look [at] what we did wrong, to make it better in the next game.”

United, who sit 15th in the Premier League table at present, will be back in action on Saturday when they make the short trip to Goodison Park for a meeting with Everton.

Kelechi Iheanacho’s strike in Leicester City’s 3-0 victory over FC Zorya Luhansk has been shortlisted for the Foxes’ Goal of the Week.

In the Europa League Group G encounter against the Ukrainians in England, the Nigeria international scored his team’s third goal after James Maddison and Harvey Barnes had given Brendan Rodgers’ men a two-goal advantage.

Iheanacho received the ball 20 yards out, shifted it out of his feet before rattling a strike into the bottom corner away from goalkeeper Mykyta Shevchenko.

That strike has been nominated along with Barnes’ effort against Zorya, Jamie Vardy's late winner at Arsenal in the Premier League and Hamza Choudhury's first-half effort at AEK Athens.

Next up for Leicester is a fixture against Portuguese outfit Sporting Braga in Thursday’s Europa League clash where the Nigerian would be hoping to score his second goal in the championship.

After Braga’s game, Iheanacho will be gearing up to face Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League before heading to Nigeria for next week’s double-header Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sierra Leone.

Yanga SC Communications Officer Antonio Nugaz has urged fans to turn out in large numbers and support the team in Saturday's Kariakoo Derby.

Timu ya Wananchi will be hosting their sworn rivals, on Saturday, November 7, aiming at avenging the 4-1 loss suffered in the last meeting between the sides which came during the FA Cup semi-finals last season.

The official is optimistic his team is in a good position to get maximum points since the players are prepared well.

"As you are all aware, Yanga do not joke when it comes to searching for maximum points," Nugaz told reporters ahead of the game.

"We have better players who also know how to entertain, and I urge the fans to come in large numbers at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium to watch the entertainment."

Initially, the match was scheduled to be played about three weeks ago but was postponed owing to international assignments. The official has now stated the players were psychologically prepared to play Wekundu wa Msimbazi and will prove it this weekend.

"We missed [Simba] on October 18 but nothing to worry about, the job will be done on November 7, I have no doubt about it," Nugaz said.

"The team has better players who know their role in the team; let us all meet at Mkapa Stadium."

Timu ya Wananchi will welcome Haruna Niyonzima who has been out for two weeks owing to an ankle injury. As a result, he missed the 2-1 win over KMC, 1-0 win over Biashara Mara United, and recently 0-0 draw away to Gwambina.

The 27-time champions will also welcome the services of Angola creative midfielder Carlos Carlinhos who was down with Malaria. While the Rwanda captain Niyonzima is expected to be given some play-time on Saturday, Carlinhos might not be involved owing to his low fitness levels.

Yanga, who are currently top of the Tanzania Mainland League table with 23 points after nine games, are the only unbeaten team in the top-tier while Simba have already lost two matches.

The Msimbazi-based side is in third position with 19 points after nine matches and are desperately in search of maximum points to continue surging upwards.

Borussia Dortmund starlet Giovanni Reyna has brought “a tonne of excitement” to the United States squad, says Kasey Keller, with the 17-year-old being backed to transfer his impressive club form onto an international stage.

Gregg Berhalter has named an exciting young squad for upcoming friendly dates with Wales and Panama.

Reyna, the son of former U.S. star Claudio, forms part of those plans and could be handed his senior debut during November’s round of fixtures.

Keller is looking forward to seeing obvious potential let off the leash, after several months of waiting, and believes a talented teenager will deliver on the expectation which continues to build around him.

“I love that we say ‘finally’ for a kid that’s about to turn 18,” former Leicester and Tottenham goalkeeper Keller, who won 102 caps for his country, told ESPN FC.

“That kind of tells you that he is obviously doing something right.

“There is no question that Gio has brought in a tonne of excitement from breaking into the Dortmund first team and being as successful as he has been.

“I know that Gregg Berhalter is excited to get him involved in the squad and see if he can replicate some of those performances with Dortmund for the men’s national team.

“There is obviously a bright future ahead for Gio, not only for club but for country.

“This is a young squad and there are a number of young players plying their trade at the highest level in Europe and other guys who are breaking into squads in second teams, at Bayern or Barcelona. It is exciting.”

The average age of Berhalter’s latest squad is a little over 21.

He has a number of hot prospects ready to make their mark, with Reyna one of several emerging talents that the U.S. are pinning future hopes on.

Yunus Musah is another 17-year-old with the world at his feet, with the Valencia youngster also being tipped to reach the very top of the game.

There are seven teenagers in total within Berhalter’s ranks to face Wales and Panama, with Chituru Odunze, Johnny Cardoso, Ulysses Llanez and Konrad de la Fuente also falling into that category.

Ajara Nchout was on target twice for Valerenga as they humiliated KI 7-0 in Wednesday's Women's Champions League qualifying round at Intility Arena.

Nchout was afforded a start for the Portuguese side on her return to the elite European competition since her last outing with Russian giants Rossiyanka in 2013.

The Cameroon international performed creditably well for Jack Majgaard's side and she contributed a brace to power her side to the Round of 32 on their maiden outing in the 2020-21 campaign.

Synne Jensen opened the scoring from the spot after just 23 minutes into the match before Nchout doubled the lead two minutes later.

The hosts continued with their ruthless scoring form as Janni Thomsen added a third in the encounter in the 27th minute. 

After the recess, Nchout bagged her second of the contest in the 70th minute before Andrine Tomter netted a fifth for the team nine minutes later.

Catherine Bott scored a sixth in the tie nine minutes from time before Rikke Nygard wrapped up the victory on the brink of time.

Cameroon's Nchout featured for the duration for Valerenga and has increased her season's goal tally to 11 in 17 games in all competitions. 

The massive win earned Valerenga a spot in the Round of 32 of the ongoing 2020-21 season of the Champions League and they will confirm their next round opponent in Friday's draw.