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Mesut Ozil reaffirmed his support for Arsenal with a message on Twitter ahead of their Europa League clash with Rapid Vienna on Thursday.

Ozil did not travel with the squad to the Austrian capital after Mikel Arteta left him out of his squad for the competition. Soon after, Ozil was also dropped from the Gunners’ 25-man Premier League squad.

The former Germany international went public with his disappointment after being left out, commenting that “loyalty is hard to come by” in football. Ozil has played more than 250 times for Arsenal since joining in 2013, but hasn’t featured at all since English football returned from coronavirus lockdown.

Nevertheless, Ozil was keen to point out he would still be supporting his team-mates from home.

He posted on Twitter: “When I can't support on the pitch tonight, I will support in front of the TV in London. What are your predictions for the match? I go for a 4-1 away victory.” Ozil tagged Sead Kolasinac, Mohamed Elneny and Alexandre Lacazette in the tweet, saying they and Nicolas Pepe would score Arsenal’s goals in Vienna.

Ozil now appears to be staring down the barrel of an anticlimactic exit from north London, though it remains to be seen which clubs would be willing to take on his expected huge wage demands.

Arteta said he did not feel he had done anything wrong in his treatment of Ozil since taking over as manager.

“Everybody is free to express his feelings,” Arteta said. “What I can say from my side is it’s just a football decision, that my conscience is very calm because I’ve been really fair with him.

“My level of communication with him has been really high and we know what to expect with each other.

“He has had the opportunities like everybody else. I am sad that I had to leave three players out of this list, which is never pleasant, but I just have to say that I tried to look everybody in the eye and be comfortable with it.

“With Mesut, I have this feeling because I have been very straightforward since I arrived at this club."

Thomas Partey has become the first Ghanaian player to start a competitive match for Arsenal since Emmanuel Frimpong in October 2012.

The 27-year-old was handed his full debut as Mikel Arteta's side began their Uefa Europa League campaign against Rapid Vienna at Allianz Stadion on Thursday.

Partey partners Egypt's Mohamed Elneny in the middle of the park while Ivory Coast's Nicolas Pepe and Bukayo Saka are positioned on the flanks.

Frimpong was the last Ghanaian player to start a match for the Gunners eight years ago in their thrilling 7-5 victory over Reading in a League Cup fixture.

Partey joined Arsenal on a four-year deal with the option of an additional season on October 5, bringing an end to his nine-year stint at Atletico Madrid.

He made his Europa League bow in 2018 when Atletico thrashed Copenhagen 4-1 on the road.

On Saturday, the Ghana international made his Premier League debut as an 83rd-minute substitute for Granit Xhaka in their 1-0 loss to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

Ghana international midfielder Mohammed Kudus is set for a long time in the treatment room after suffering an injury while in Champions League action for Ajax Amsterdam against Liverpool on Wednesday, the Dutch giants have announced.

On his debut in the elite European inter-club competition, the 20-year-old sustained an early injury after challenging Liverpool's Fabinho for the ball.

He tried to run off the injury but was visibly limping, unsurprisingly going down on the pitch moments later for treatment from the medics.

After a brief assessment, the Ajax bench received a signal to replace the Nima-born who walked off the pitch clearly dejected in just the sixth minute, much to the disappointment of Ajax and Ghana fans around the world.

"Mohammed Kudus had to be subbed off after only six minutes vs Liverpool on Wednesday. Further examinations show that the 20-year-old has a meniscus injury that will keep him out for several months," Ajax announced on their official website on Thursday.

"Kudus came to Ajax this summer and played four official matches so far."

His Champions League debut came four days after he netted his first goal for new club Ajax in a Dutch Eredivisie clash with Heerenveen, also assisting two goals in the same game.

He joined Erik ten Hag's team in a five-year deal from Danish club Nordsjaelland in July.

In all, the attacking midfielder has scored once and provided three assists in four competitive outings in all competitions for Ajax so far.

"I spoke with Kudus around 12am. He actually called to console me because somebody told him I was sad about his injury," Kudus’ mother Mariama Suleman told Ghanaian radio outfit Happy FM on Thursday morning before Ajax’s big announcement later in the day.

"He assured me that the injury is not a serious one so I shouldn’t worry because he will be fine and will come back sooner and stronger.

"He told me he will go back to the hospital today for further check-ups. I am positive that things will be fine. Allah knows best."

Kudus missed Ghana's recent double-header of friendlies against Mali and Qatar due to an injury situation.

The latest situation rules him out of next month's 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifying double-header against Sudan. 

FIFA Ultimate Scream is set to return for another season in FIFA 21, but looks to have gotten a make-over from previous seasons.

It's one of the highlights of the FIFA calendar and gamers have been eagerly awaiting its release before Halloween.

What is FIFA Ultimate Scream?

FIFA Ultimate Scream has been a key part of FIFA Ultimate Team every year in October in the lead-up to Halloween.

In the past, the promotion usually featured players who get 'scary' upgrades, often receiving major boosts to pace or physical stats.

This year, EA Sports teased the promotion with a banner containing the letters "R----R-----S" with members of the FIFA community claiming that it wwould be called "Resurrections" before EA confirmed the official title: Rulebreakers.

With Rulebreakers being the theme this year, there has been some speculation that players could receive position changes or have their attributes swapped.

When will FIFA Ultimate Scream start?

The FIFA Ultimate Scream will start on Friday, October 23 at 6pm BST (1pm ET) and last for at least a week.

In FIFA 20, the promotion ran for two weeks, with a different Ultimate Scream squad being released each week.

New Squad Building Challenges (SBCs) and Objectives will also be announced at 6pm on October 23 to tie in with the launch of the event.

Who is in the FIFA Ultimate Scream squad?

It is expected there will be two separate squads for FIFA Ultimate Scream this season, with the first set of upgraded players launched on Friday, October 23.

EA Sports confirmed the promotion would be called 'Rulebreakers' and teased three cards on October 22.

The FIFA 21 Ones to Watch players were released in two separate squads and Ultimate Scream should mirror this approach.

Surprisingly, the complete set of Ones to Watch players was not released in a combined squad, which is a change from previous years.

It is unclear whether this will also be the case for FIFA Ultimate Scream, but EA Sports will reveal any announcements on their social media channels.

How do I get FIFA Ultimate Scream players?

The majority of FIFA Ultimate Scream players will be available in packs sold on the store and then traded on the transfer market.

The players chosen for the FIFA Ultimate Scream squads will be only available through packs.

However, additional upgraded players will be released through Squad Building Challenges and weekly Objectives throughout the Halloween period.

These SBC and Objective players are untradeable and cannot be bought or sold on the transfer market.

Germany coach Joachim Low has praised Borussia Dortmund teenage sensation Youssoufa Moukoko as an outstanding talent that is rare to witness.

The Cameroon-born forward has been prolific in front of goal for the Dortmund U19 side with 40 goals in 23 league matches since the start of last season.

Moukoko, 15, has been named in BVB's Uefa Champions League squad and their Bundesliga set-up this season, but he is not eligible to make his first-team debut until he turns 16 on November 20.

He has played for Germany U16 and U20 sides but Low is yet to see him in action, however, the World Cup-winning manager has predicted a bright future ahead of him.

"I haven't seen Moukoko live yet, but I got in touch with his coaches and spoke to [former Dortmund U19 head coach] Michael Skibbe, and I have also watched a couple of videos,” Low told the Bundesliga website.

“It's almost hard to believe that someone at that age can score so many goals in an U19 league against players two or three years older than him.

“He has a talent which you don't come across that often, especially since age always plays a role in the youth teams. It's difficult if you're two years younger and you always have to keep an eye on how players develop, but Moukoko has been outstanding in the youth teams so far."

Earlier this week, four-time African Footballer of the Year Samuel Eto’o tipped Moukoko as a long-term successor to Lionel Messi who has been at Barcelona since 2001.

“[There’s] a young player who plays for Dortmund called Youssoufa Moukoko,” Eto’o told Goal. “[He’s] 15 years of age, and he’s the next top player, for me, after Messi.

“As Messi gets older, we could prepare the future of Barcelona very well.

“With Antoine and Youssoufa [up front together], that team would go forward very well. [I’d like to see] Kylian Mbappe at Barcelona also.”

Uganda Revenue Authority (URA FC) have appointed former captain Simeon Masaba as an assistant coach.

The former defender has been brought on board in order to help the team push for another Ugandan Premier League title something he helped the club win in the 2010/11 season.

“East or West, home is best. The thirst and excitement from the URA technical team and administration to have the old guard in [Simeon] Masaba back at the club is unquenchable,” URA said.

“The 37-year-old club legend joins us in the technical area as part of the elusive team that plays an assistant role to the magnificent Sam Ssimbwa. He and the other assistant coaches will form the heartbeat of our technical team.”

Masaba has highlighted his own ambitions at the club as he hopes to see success in the new club position.

“I feel proud, I feel great and I am excited to be home again. But still, I have to prove my worth as a coach now which I did as a player. It’s a new challenge,” the retired star said.

“The target is to win everything with this beautiful club and I hope my experience will help in guiding the team and help the players with their discipline because representing URA is always a pleasure.

“When I was away practising my coaching in other clubs, I was always in talks with Ssimbwa and some administrators of the URA board and they had promised me that I will be back at the club any time and here I am.

“I have to show my ability as a coach and help the players deliver and play well. I achieved as a player but now I have to achieve in another way as a coach.”

Masaba joined the Tax Collectors in 2010, wore the armband for four years and his record is second best to Kazibwe Junior who served the club for seven years as a captain.

“As the leader of our defence during his playing days, Simeon led by inspiration and strong adrenaline. He helped his counterparts during the games with his leadership skills,” the club’s statement added.

Apart from winning the league and finishing second in the 2012/13 season, Masaba lifted the Uganda Cups in the 2011/12 and 2013/14 seasons.

“The core reason has to definitely be the winning mentality. He is a winner as earlier highlighted and that is something the current crop of players at the club requires,” URA concluded.

“For a person with his kind of exposure and experience has a lot to offer the club going forward and joining our technical team is a massive addition and an inspiration to all.”

The appointment is part of URA’s to strengthen and mount a successful challenge in the 2020/21 season which is expected to begin in November.

Ola Aina has expressed his delight to reunite with his former Chelsea teammate Ruben Loftus-Cheek at Fulham.

The Nigeria international spent 12 years at Stamford Bridge after joining the club as a schoolboy before leaving permanently to team up with Serie A side Torino after impressing during a loan spell.

The 24-year-old wing-back played along with Loftus-Cheek in the youth set up and featured prominently as the Blues won the Uefa Youth League in 2015.

Aina returned to England in September, joining the Cottagers on a season-long loan from Torino with an option of making the deal permanent.

Loftus-Cheek, meanwhile, signed for the Craven Cottage outfit earlier this month for the remainder of the 2020-21 campaign.

"When I saw it on Sky, I texted him and I didn't get a reply for a couple of hours so I just put two and two together - he's definitely here so that was good," Aina told the club website.

"Literally [I have spent] most of my life with Rueben and I know how Ruben likes to play, I know what type of passes he likes.

"It was kind of familiar and comfortable just having Reuben there on the right side a little bit, it was good as well, it was a good feeling."

Aina and the England international were handed their debuts in Fulham’s draw against Sheffield United on Sunday.

The defender admitted he was not at his best in the encounter as he is still adapting to the playing style of the Cottagers.

“The debut was a difficult one, it was my first game and I was just trying to find my feet on how the team plays,” he continued.

“In training, we are getting comfortable with each other and every player knows what we like and don’t like.”

Aina could make his second appearance for Fulham when they take on Crystal Palace in their next Premier League game on Saturday.

The wing-back featured in 32 league games for Torino last season and will hope to continue his consistent performances, this time with Fulham.

Former Birmingham City defender and current England U21 assistant Michael Johnson has discussed the need to challenge systemic racism in football, while admitting he doesn't see "a diverse England manager happening in the near future".

The Black Lives Matter movement has had a far-reaching impact on societies across the globe, with mass protests and demonstrations undertaken in a bid to affect significant change.

Football has offered its support to the cause, with players taking a knee in a display of solidarity becoming a pre-match occurrence since the resumption of the sport post-coronavirus lockdown.

Black History Month has given the movement even greater traction in October, and clubs across the Premier League have celebrated with a whole host of different events and activities to raise awareness.

Johnson, who is with England's U21s after previously managing Guyana and Notts County, is excited by the progress being made in the ongoing fight against racism in football, but says there is still much to be done in terms of bringing through talented black coaches at the highest level.

The England U21 assistant coach opened up to DAZN on his experiences as a Black coach in the modern game, before highlighting a lack of opportunities for those from ethnic and minority backgrounds.

“I was coaching at a club, looking after a very successful youth team. One day I was called into the management’s office informing me they were going to make a change with my position," he said.

“It wasn’t about the results because the team were doing well, and they were enjoying their football, but I was told they were relieving me of my duties. My replacement had no footballing experience and had the minimum licence as a coach.

“In football, there’s 33 per cent of BAME [Black, Asian, and minority ethnic] players across the leagues. However, when you transition to coaching and management, the disparity drops off – with only four Black managers out of 92. 

"Once you go into senior leadership, it drops even lower to two per cent. You can see quite clearly that once you leave the game, the 33 per cent of players aren’t transitioning into coaching, management or leadership.

“The recruitment process needs to be open, fair and transparent. These jobs need to be advertised publicly so people who are qualified can apply, rather than via a network. The pipeline [of talent] is there. The pipeline is just frustrated because opportunities to be exposed to the top clubs and interviews are not forthcoming. 

“[As a result] the clubs have missed out on talent. There’s talented managers and coaches who could have added to that industry, but you’ll never know, because the network didn’t allow people like me to access those opportunities. We believe football has missed out on a generation of talented coaches.”  

Johnson went on to discuss common racial stereotypes in the modern game, using Inter striker Romelu Lukaku as an example of a player who doesn't get the recognition he deserves.

“When you look at someone like Lukaku, he’s often described as powerful and strong, but no-one mentions that he speaks six languages, or he’s got three Master’s degrees – he’s a very articulate man. But this is not associated with Black players because it’s always around their physicality," he said.

“When it comes to Black athletes, the terminology has not changed fast enough, which makes it difficult to translate into the boardroom. The language that we use to describe Black players in particular needs to be looked at and challenged.” 

Johnson doesn't think a black manager will be taking charge of England's senior squad any time soon, but he is optimistic that diversity will become more widespread in the coming years.

“For the first time in 30 years, I’m excited to see what the next six weeks will bring in terms of football embracing real change," he said.

“I don’t see a diverse England manager happening in the near future. But ultimately, I think it will happen. Based on whoever’s coaching in the Premier League – if the results are doing well, and the style of football is doing well, then it shouldn’t matter about being Black, white, or a certain gender.” 

Johnson added on the significance of his role with the Three Lions: "First of all I’m a coach and want to be known as a really great coach. Beyond those parameters, with such a diverse workforce in the England team, it’s great for the players to know that there is somebody like me in a prominent coaching position so they can aspire to be someone.” 

Victor Osimhen’s reaction 10 minutes before eventually scoring Napoli’s fourth in their 4-1 drubbing of Atalanta was striking. The effervescent frontman had just been denied by Marco Sportiello in the 33rd minute at the Stadio San Paolo, yet, his wide smile and double high-five with Dries Mertens reflected his overall mood.

For someone who hadn’t been following the game up to that point, you might have thought the Nigerian was on a hat-trick and was amused at being denied his third of the afternoon. Far from it, the 21-year-old wasn’t on the scoresheet at the time, neither had he opened his competitive account for the Partenopei almost halfway into his third appearance since moving from Lille.

In a statistics-driven age, where observers focus on raw numbers, some eyebrows may have been raised before Gennaro Gattuso’s troops faced free-scoring Atalanta on Saturday. Osimhen had fired blanks going into gameweek four — having played 119 minutes before kick-off in Naples — a run that extended to 162 minutes before his 43rd-minute strike to send Gli Azzurri 4-0 up at half time.

Even though the raw numbers show the promising big-money signing has scored one and set up as many, his overall impact — witnessed by those who’ve actually seen Napoli play since the Serie A season started — demonstrate how valuable the West African is becoming to the side.

Osimhen not only came on to devastating effect in their 2-0 win over Parma in gameweek one, but he’s also delivered effective showings in the 6-0 hammering of Genoa — assisting Piotr Zielinski’s goal — and in Saturday’s thrashing of Gian Piero Gasperini’s team, who’d scored 13 times in the opening three fixtures.

Nullifying Atalanta is no mean feat, so Gattuso’s men restricting them to one goal from xG of 0.64 — La Dea’s lowest since a goalless encounter with Sampdoria in November 2019 — was hugely impressive. This was no coincidence, however, with a Kalidou Koulibaly-led backline so-far one of the best in Europe.

Statistics show that Napoli have allowed the second-fewest volume of shots on target (six) in the continent’s top five leagues and they sit joint-second along with Athletic Club, Udinese and Brighton & Hove Albion for the number of saves (five).

Digging deeper, the underlying numbers reveal that Gattuso's men aren’t simply getting lucky with the opposition missing chances against them, as their defensive sturdiness is further reflected in their xGA of 1.7 — the outright best in Europe so far. For greater context, Bayer Leverkusen, who have allowed only five shots on their target have posted xGA of 2.9, while it’s 2.1, 3.8 and 5.3 for Athletic, Udinese and Brighton respectively.

Admittedly, Napoli’s improvement at the back is a collective effort, but much of it is owed to Koulibaly’s ostensible return to form after last year’s decline and rumours of a move away during the extended summer window. Manchester City were favourites to acquire K2 but a fractious relationship between both clubs and Aurelio De Laurentiis’ asking price meant the Citizens opted for Ruben Dias instead.

After enduring a tough 19/20 amid all the in-fighting in Naples, the Senegal stopper has been immense in the opening weeks of this campaign, signalling a return to his brilliant best. The 29-year-old still retains an influence in the team’s build-up play but has largely been astute in his defensive duties as well.

Barring an error to commit into a tackle that led to Atalanta’s consolation, arguably the only time he’s put a foot wrong this term, the experienced centre-back looks to be returning to the lofty heights of previous seasons, and Napoli, not Man City or any other side in Europe, are going to be beneficiaries.

The top Serie A sides are unique in the sense that their frontmen are shaped in the team’s identity; with Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus, Romelu Lukaku at Inter Milan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic at AC Milan. Osimhen’s arrival in Naples has sharpened the tip of the spear of Gattuso’s set up and his immense impact has not only made them strong top four contenders but outsiders for their first top flight title since 1990.

Of course, it may be too early to throw Napoli’s hat into the ring for a title challenge but the uncertainty and craziness of the times we live in mean the extraordinary cannot be ruled out. The Old Lady are in transition under an inexperienced Andrea Pirlo and Antonio Conte’s soldiers are their major competition.

However, their weekend defeat at the hands of a resurgent AC Milan proved they can be got at.

While Stefano Pioli’s young, in-form Rossoneri team may not be as advanced in their development to mount a title challenge just yet, their tremendous growth in recent months suggests they could contend for the Scudetto if the top guns falter.

There’s also Atalanta, whose attacking verve under Gasperini often proves too much for many sides in Serie A — well, except Napoli who destroyed them on Saturday — while Lazio have to find their form promptly if they hope to challenge once again.

The sheer unpredictability of this season means that Gattuso’s men have a chance if the stars duly align.

Most of the key players from their challenge under Maurizio Sarri in 17/18 are still at the club and they have a manager in Gattuso whose ongoing maturation on the job continues to catch the eye.

Finally, the addition of Osimhen makes Napoli even more threatening. The Super Eagle’s style means Serie A defenders will have little respite when he’s on the pitch. His movement would take them into areas they’d not want to drift into while his competitive nature and inter-play mean centre-backs wouldn’t relish facing the West African forward.

As the 21-year-old has shown to be a threat even when he isn’t scoring, opposition central defenders are in for a long season.

Having given a preview of the menace he carries against Parma, Osimhen continued vs Genoa and put the nation’s second-placed in-form side in 2020 to the sword — he was due to tap in Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s cross before Sportiello diverted it onto Hirving Lozano, his mere presence made two Atalanta players get in each others' way in the build-up to his side’s second and he iced a very sweet cake with his 43rd-minute goal.

Without question, Osimhen’s impact has transformed Napoli’s attack. Together with Koulibaly, who marshals a near watertight backline, the Partenopei, not Inter, could be the ones to finally end Juventus’ Serie A hegemony.

Rising star Brenden Aaronson has revealed he is a huge Liverpool fan and dreams of playing in the Premier League.

Aaronson, who earned his first cap for the U.S. men’s national team earlier this year, will make the leap from MLS to Europe when he joins Jesse Marsch’s Red Bull Salzburg in January.

Currently of the Philadelphia Union, Aaronson says he idolized Liverpool legends Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres and loved watching their Premier League title win last season.

"My dad introduced me to the game at a young age as he played college football in America,” Aaronson told Sky Sports. “He also put me in front of a TV and I watched Liverpool ever since.

"As long as I can remember I've been a Liverpool fan. I have Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres posters in my room, those two were the ones I looked up to. I have Liverpool winning the Champions League above my bed too.

"When they won the title last year, that was a crazy moment for me. Going back to the Gerrard slip… it was tough but to see them absolutely dominate the Premier League, it was insane and I was so happy on the inside."

Aaronson knows he arrives in Europe with plenty to prove but, with the likes of Erling Haaland – plus Liverpool pair Sadio Mane and Naby Keita – having made their names in Salzburg, he is in a good place to take the next step.

In the future, though, the teenager would love to see himself playing in England.

"I think the Premier League is the dream league for me. It's unbelievable and it keeps going upwards.

"The players keep getting better and better and for me, it's for sure a dream league and something I would like to be a part of for any team over there really!"

Aaronson has been compared to Chelsea star Kai Havertz in the past, but he aims to emulate Reds great Gerrard in his midfield role.

"I think we're a little different in positioning, but I used to see him go into games and giving it his all every game,” he said.

"He was winning challenges, playing the ball forward, scoring goals - he really was the complete midfielder and that's something I want to bring into my game. He was tireless and gave everything for the team and that's something I really like about him.

"I also really like Luka Modric and Kaka - I like those three a lot and they're the ones I like to plan my game around.

"I think I'm an energetic center midfielder that loves to get forward, score goals and get assists. I'm creative when I get to the final third and I like to make stuff happen when I get the ball."

Brenden Aaronson says the examples set by the likes of Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie have been “huge” for him as he prepares to make the step from MLS to Europe.

The highly-rated 19-year-old midfielder is set to leave the Philadelphia Union in January, signing for Jesse Marsch’s Red Bull Salzburg in Austria.

With the likes of Pulisic, McKennie, Giovanni Reyna and Barcelona’s new signing Sergino Dest set to make an impact at the very highest level in the Champions League this season, young Americans like Aaronson have role models to look up to.

"It's huge seeing them and it definitely gives you confidence as a player,” Aaronson told Sky Sports.

“It shows anything is possible when you come from the MLS and American soccer is definitely on the up.

"I actually met Pulisic in an October camp for the USA national team. He's a fantastic guy and super down to earth. He's very hardworking and you can just see in training how amazing this guy is. It was awesome to see him, Weston and all these other guys who are just top.

"I hope I'll be able to be a part of it and that would be amazing but for now I just need to keep working hard to get into the Salzburg team."

Aaronson is joining a Salzburg side which has proved a finishing school for some of the world’s top young talents in recent years.

Erling Haaland, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita are among the players to have made their mark there and, while he has admitted he would one day love to play for Liverpool in the Premier League, he believes he made the right decision when choosing his new club.

"I think it was around the MLS is Back tournament, a few big teams were interested in me at the time but Salzburg stood out because of how they play.

"It really benefits my game how they play, the formation, the coach. Everything stood out and made sense for me to make the move, it's been a dream since I was young to play in Europe so I can't wait to get started.”

Harambee Stars midfielder Anthony Akumu has hinted he is ready to join Tanzania Mainland League giants Yanga SC if he gets a good offer.

The 28-year-old's club Kaizer Chiefs narrowly missed out on the PSL title last season. Now, reports in Yanga have already linked the towering midfielder with a move to the 27-time league champions. 

GSM and Yanga SC official Hersi Said wished the midfielder a happy birthday on his official Instagram page and many see this as a hint despite being just a goodwill wish.

"I know [Hersi Said] well and I have no problem if he gives me an offer to join Yanga SC," Akumu said as quoted by Championi.

"The main thing is reaching an understanding, especially on personal terms because I don't want to remain here [at Kaizer Chiefs] for a long time.

"The South Africa league is big, same as the team I am playing for; however, it is not an excuse for not leaving for another team if I get a better offer," the former Gor Mahia player concluded.

The Kenya international has in the past played for Zambian giants Zesco United and Sudanese outfit Al Khartoum.

Akumu was part of the Kenya team that defeated Zambia 2-1 in an international friendly match played on October 9 at Nyayo Stadium, Nairobi.

The Young Africans officially unveiled Burundian coach Cedric Kaze to take charge at the Jangwani giants a couple of days ago. The Burundian tactician arrived in Tanzania to replace Serbian Zlatko Krmpotic, and signed a two-year contract that will keep him at Wananchi until 2022. 

"I am very happy to be here," Kaze told reporters on arriving at the Julius Nyerere International Airport. "I am also very proud to be the coach of Yanga, one of the biggest teams in Tanzania, East Africa, and even across Africa.  

"I have received a lot of congratulatory messages from several quarters for accepting to take up the job and I promise them I will not disappoint, I now know that Yanga is a big brand, and urge all those associated with the club to pull together and support the team as we achieve more success in the coming years."  

The first assignment for the Burundian will be against Polisi Tanzania at Uhuru Stadium on Thursday.

The stage is set for the 181st El Clasico in LaLiga, albeit with a different backdrop.

This will be the first meeting between Barcelona and Real Madrid since a global pandemic altered how matches have to be conducted.

But in this Season 90 of LaLiga, whatever the surrounding is, this fixture remains one that captures worldwide attention.

The usual protagonists such as Lionel Messi, Gerard Pique, Sergio Ramos and Karim Benzema are still there to play a major role in the fixture.

However there is a new generation that will be going into battle looking to get their El Clasico baptism.

On the Blaugrana side, expectations are high on the likes of Ansu Fati (17 years old), Sergino Dest (19) meanwhile the Los Blancos could parade Rodrigo Goes (19) and Vinicius Jr (20).

In fact Vinicius had already made his mark in the last El Clasico played back in March 1 2020 when Real ran away 2-0 winners at Santiago Bernabeu and eventually went on to lift the 2019/20 LaLiga title.

Yet both Ronaldo Koeman and Zinedine Zidane will go into Saturday’s clash under a slight bit of pressure despite it being early days of the new 2020/21 season.

Surprisingly both sides lost in last weekend’s action by similar scorelines to Getafe and Cadiz respectively. 

Barcelona did recover to achieve success in the midweek’s continental action against Ferencváros but Real suffered their second straight defeat at the hands of Shakhtar Donetsk.

Both sides have injury concerns with Barcelona likely to miss the services of keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen while Real could be without Eden Hazard.

What makes this encounter one of the greatest in world football is the fact that it could go either way. They are closely matched in the previous 180 matches with Barcelona picking up 72 wins and Real having won just one more than that.

This Saturday’s fixture might yet be another classic in the El Clasico series!

To celebrate the return of El Clasico, we are giving two lucky winners a chance to get their hands on a Barcelona or Real Madrid jersey. Find out how you can win it here. 

Carlo Ancelotti has revealed that Everton will be without James Rodriguez when they face Southampton on Sunday, with the Colombian nursing a knock suffered against Liverpool.

An untimely injury suffered by Reds defender Virgil van Dijk was considered to be the most notable fitness issue to emerge from an eventful Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.

The Dutch centre-half was, however, to catch James during an early tussle for the ball before being forced from the field himself.

That coming together has left an in-form Toffees star stuck on the treatment table, with Ancelotti not expecting the 29-year-old summer signing from Real Madrid to come into his thoughts for a trip to St Mary’s Stadium.

“Unfortunately, James had a problem during the game [against Liverpool],” Ancelotti told evertontv.

“He had a mistimed tackle with Virgil van Dijk at the beginning of the game and I think he will not be available for the game against Southampton.”

Everton will also be without club captain Seamus Coleman against the Saints, but Allan is available after avoiding any recurrence of the groin complaint that he carried into a meeting with Liverpool.

The Toffees will be looking to stretch their unbeaten start to the season when heading to the south coast, with Alex Iwobi looking to make what would be just his second league start of the 2020-21 campaign.

On his selection decisions, Ancelotti added: “We have to put in other players who have the desire to play.

“We are working this week on this and I think we are going to choose a good line-up for the game against Southampton. Alex is a player who works hard. He is fast and with his quality he can help the team be better in certain situations.

“He [potentially] has an opportunity to play but also we have Bernard and Anthony Gordon. We have a lot of opportunities to replace Richarlison and James. We are already moving on.”

The Toffees will also be without Brazilian forward Richarlison, with the former Watford star having been sent off late on in the Merseyside derby for a challenge on Thiago Alcantara.

Jordan Pickford is “really sad” to have forced Virgil van Dijk under the knife, says Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti, with a knee-high tackle on the Liverpool defender considered to have been nothing more than “mistimed”.

The Toffees’ England international goalkeeper clattered into the Dutch defender early on at Goodison Park.

Van Dijk did get back to his feet, but he was in no position to continue and is now facing up to several months on the sidelines with cruciate ligament damage.

Pickford has seen his wild lunge widely condemned, with many bemused as to how he avoided any form of punishment, but Ancelotti insists there was no malice on the part of his player and that Liverpool were merely the victims of an unfortunate sporting incident.

The Italian has told evertontv: “To be clear, we are really sorry for the injury of Virgil van Dijk. Every one of us hopes he can recover soon and well.

“There was this contact with Jordan Pickford: it was mistimed contact. But the fact the Premier League is so fast, it is not so difficult to arrive a little bit later.

“Jordan arrived a little bit later but his intention was to try to reach the ball. It was not to hurt Virgil van Dijk.

“To say it was premeditated, and this and that, in my opinion, is too much. Virgil van Dijk knows this.

“Jordan is really sad, really disappointed [that he is injured]. It was a strong contact, maybe mistimed, but sometimes in football, it can happen.”

Ancelotti’s opinion is not shared by everyone, with Liverpool legend Graeme Souness among those to have condemned Pickford for a rush of blood that has become all too common in the 26-year-old keeper’s game.

He told Sky Sports: “I guarantee you, every single professional who has ever played the game, semi-professional, maybe the guys on Hackney Marshes, when you look at that, the focus is not on the offside, their focus is on one thing: the assault on the player.

“It's outrageous. For me, as an ex-player, it's 'wow!'. These people who make these decisions, who sit in Stockley Park, can look at that and think, 'that's offside', I just don't get it. They just don't know what they're talking about.

“I've been to Stockley Park, it's nigh-on impossible to make a mistake with the technology they have, the time they give themselves, and they can still get it wrong. That wasn't a tackle, that was an assault!”