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The Spanish Footballers' Association (AFE) has thrown its support behind Barcelona's playing staff, who were not present on Wednesday as club officials held a meeting to discuss a blanket wage reduction for all staff members.

It is reported that those in charge of the Catalan side are looking to reduce all salaries, club-wide, by around 30 per cent, but players have made it known via burofax that they will reject any proposal made by the club as they have not been given the chance to sit in on discussions.

The players want to be involved in the talks – which are set to culminate within 15 days – before any action is taken and will more than likely resort to legal recourse if their demands are not met.

Playing staff are of the opinion that their contracts should be treated separately to the board of directors and all other non-playing staff, a stance that has since been backed by the AFE.

A statement from the association reads: “This procedure, in our opinion, suffers from serious formal defects. A negotiating table has been set up to discuss the measures to be adopted and the players are not represented as they have not been eligible in the elections of the committee.

“It is our duty to request that the club reverse this process and initiate, if it is deemed necessary, a dialogue with the professional footballers through the established legal channels.

“Beyond the serious defects regarding the composition of the negotiating table, we ask that the club opt to negotiate these measures in two differentiated processes: One for workers with an ordinary employment contract and another for professional athletes subject to a special employment relationship.

“Only from the individualised analysis of a group such as professional footballers can an agreed solution emerge within the framework of this process.

“Finally, the club cannot fail to be aware that this process, if carried out with the terms set forth, will incur serious challenges, with a high risk of nullity, and the automatic right to the termination of employment contracts of the affected workers.

“We believe that the club must be frank with its members and assume that their current measures will lead to a very significant loss of FC Barcelona's assets.”

New Harambee Stars coach Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee has assured Kenyans he still has the Mojo to take the team to the Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup finals after he was unveiled on Wednesday.

The 52-year-old tactician was handed the mantle to handle the team on a three-year contract following the exit of Francis Kimanzi, whom the Federation claims they parted with on mutual agreement on Tuesday.

Speaking exclusively to Goal after being unveiled on Wednesday, ‘Ghost’ who is well remembered to have steered Kenya to the 2004 Afcon finals held in Tunis, Tunisia, says he is ready to take up the challenge and believes he still has what it takes to succeed with the team.

“First of all, I want to thank the federation for again having faith that I can steer the team to the Afcon and World Cup,” Mulee told Goal. “We had a very lengthy discussion as to what the ambition of the federation is after the election and after seeing the working conditions are favourable, I said that I can give it a try.

“I know it is a good thing to handle a national team but at the same time a difficult task because we have two tough games coming up against Comoros, they are two very important games for Kenya, however, I believe that with the team that I saw against Zambia, the team that has played the first two qualifiers, there is a big possibility that we have a squad to take us to the Afcon.

“My focus now is on how to deal with Comoros, it is those matches that we always refer to as dead rubbers. So it is a difficult match but I think if we can manage to win the first game at home, then we will be good to go.”

Asked whether he still has what it takes having been out of the coaching scene for more than five years, ‘Ghost’ told Goal: “I have been in the game since the last time I coached the team, for now, I cannot promise anything, a coaching job is difficult, you can have it today, play one game and get fired.

“But looking at the team in my disposal, I have confidence they will do well under my leadership, the office has promised us the support, and I know that we can do well, all we need to do is win our home matches.”

On whether he will make changes to the squad, ‘Ghost’ said: “As we speak now, my mind is already in the Comoros double-header and any good coach cannot change a winning team, they just beat Zambia a few days ago, I will stick with the team which played against Zambia.”

‘Ghost’, who has also handled Tusker in the Kenyan Premier League (KPL), also confirmed he will name his technical bench in the next two days.

“I will have the names out in the next two days, I know the people I can work with but I need a few things sorted out to give out the names.”

Kenya started their campaign in the Afcon qualifiers with a 1-1 draw against Egypt away in Cairo before forcing another 1-1 draw, then against Togo at Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi.

Bafana Bafana head coach Molefi Ntseki has received backing from South African Football Association (Safa) president Dr Danny Jordaan.

The 50-year-old tactician was slammed by supporters on social media after Bafana's two international friendlies against Namibia and Zambia in Rustenburg two weeks ago.

South Africa let a lead slip in their 1-1 draw against Namibia, before succumbing to a disappointing 2-1 defeat to an under-strength Zambia side. 

Legendary South African coach Clive Barker also questioned Safa's criteria when appointing Bafana coaches.

Jordaan has now pleaded with the fans to be patient with Ntseki and also compared him to former Bafana head coach Pitso Mosimane.

“Well, I think that it’s the life of coaches in this country," Jordaan told Sowetan.

"We’ve seen all coaches go through a rough patch and the same thing happened to our best coach Pitso Mosimane. 

"We gave Mosimane a chance to prove himself with Bafana, and we must do the same thing for Ntseki."

Mosimane is widely considered as one of the greatest South African football coaches, having won a record five Premier Soccer League (PSL) titles and Caf Champions League trophy.

The 56-year-old, who is currently in charge of the biggest football club on the African continent, Al Ahly of Egypt, served as Bafana coach between 2010 and 2012.

Jordaan is confident Ntseki will guide the 1996 African champions to back-to-back victories against Sao Tome and Principe in the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers next month.

“Today, Pitso is celebrated as a national hero. Let us give coach Ntseki space and time to beat Sao Tome home and away and qualify for the Afcon finals, and then the fans will be happy again," he said.

"Ntseki is quite aware of the relationship between fans and coaches. I believe in him and know that he will help Bafana to qualify for the Cameroon tournament."

Ntseki has taken charge of six matches since he replaced British tactician Stuart Baxter as Bafana coach in August 2019.

The national team has recorded two wins, one draw and three defeats under the local tactician's guidance and he will be under pressure to secure two wins against Sao Tome and Principe. 

Angelino has drawn praise from his RB Leipzig manager Julian Nagelsmann, who claims the Spaniard has a winning character and is only unpleasant when left out of the side.

The former Manchester City man was deployed in a position on the left of midfield in RB Leipzig’s clash with Istanbul Basaksehir in the Champions League, and he stole the show with both goals in the 2-0 win at the Red Bull Arena on Tuesday evening.

In total Angelino scored from two of his three shots on goal and provided a key pass, while he also gained possession of the ball six times for a Leipzig side that actually had less possession. 

Angelino’s first goal was the standout effort, as he controlled the ball instantly before spinning and firing home a goal Nagelsmann described as “world class.”

The performance will almost certainly secure the 23-year-old an extended run in the side, which will come as a relief to both player and manager.

"Angelino is only unpleasant when he doesn't play, which only happened twice this year. That pretty much describes his character," Nagelsmann said.  

"I think Yussi [Yussuf Poulsen] agrees, that he only wants to win. He is like a child that just wants to play all the time. He is almost as bad as me. I'm always playing around with a ball.  

"But he just always wants to have the ball and you see him constantly shooting it. After training he wants to continue. He has a massive playing instinct and he just wants to win all the time and play around with a ball.”

Nagelsmann believes he inherited a player who had learned the tools of his trade at Manchester City, and the German feels a lot of credit must go to Pep Guardiola.

Angelino came through the youth ranks at City and spent time in the first team as well as going out on a spate of loan spells, the latest of which took him to Leipzig in January in a temporary deal that was extended for the 2020-21 season with a purchase option included. 

"I have to admit, he arrived after working under a great manager,” Nagelsmann said. “I can't just praise myself. He came as a well-developed player.  

"We haven't brought many players in from Pep Guardiola, yet, so we can't draw a comparison. But his adaption time was minimal, as he arrived from a great team and a great manager, who surely taught him something.  

"He is inquisitive, listens and implements things, as he is a great footballer with an instinct to play.  

"He wants to work all the time and Yussi is like that too. So you adapt and show great results. To score his first goal today is world class."

Jose Mourinho has spoken out on Tottenham's 'Spursy' coverage after their capitulation against West Ham on Sunday, insisting they "just need to defend better from set-pieces".

Tottenham missed the chance to move up to third in the Premier League standings after throwing away a 3-0 advantage at home to the Hammers.

A Harry Kane brace and a Son Heung-min strike put Spurs out of sight in the first 16 minutes of the game as David Moyes' side struggled to cope with an in-form duo's movement in the final third.

Mourinho saw his side take their foot off the gas thereafter, and West Ham emerged in the second half with a renewed sense of purpose.

The visitors pushed to try and find a way back into the game with Tottenham seemingly content to rest on their laurels, and were eventually rewarded when Fabian Balbuena headed home in the 82nd minute.

A Davinson Sanchez own goal set up a tense finale moments later, and in the final minute of stoppage time, West Ham snatched an equaliser in spectacular fashion.

Substitute Manuel Lanzini struck an unstoppable shot into the top-right hand corner from 35 yards out after Spurs attempted to clear a late free kick, sparking wild celebrations on the away bench.

Questions over the mentality of Mourinho's squad were raised once again in the wake of the result, with Tottenham's reputation as a 'nearly' club often weighing them down in the modern era.

However, the Portuguese was quick to dismiss the 'Spursy' tag ahead of a Europa League group-stage meeting with LASK on Thursday, as he told a press conference: "I believe that winning 3-0 in minute 80 we can play 50 more matches and it's not going to happen again so I don't want to be sticking on this and no stories about 'Spursy' and this kind of thing.

"We just need to defend better from set-pieces. We've conceded just one goal from open play against Southampton."

Mourinho went on to discuss Danny Rose's omission from Tottenham's official 25-man Premier League squad, admitting that he is no longer in his plans after pushing for a move away from the club in the winter transfer window.

"Danny is not part of our squad. Danny wanted very, very much to leave in the January window last season. Why? Because he wanted to play and play and play," he said.

"Then he went to Newcastle and I immediately had the feeling of being a player of his dimension that, thinking about Euros, I thought our future would be Davies and Sessegnon.

"Then we had the possibility to get Reguilon and I thought that would be a good opportunity for Ryan to get game time and develop.

"With Danny, the players and agents make the market. If the agent didn't find a solution for Danny to move then it's a question you have to ask him."

Mourinho also explained why he moved to bring in Joe Roden from Swansea last week, with it his belief that the 22-year-old defender has a bright future ahead of him.

"We got him because we can see a future for him. Let's work and let's see the evolution and step by step he will be there," he said.

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer revealed midfielder Scott McTominay played with "one eye" in the first half of the team's Champions League victory against Paris Saint-Germain after losing a contact lens.

McTominay started alongside Fred and Bruno Fernandes in midfield and impressed as United upstaged last season's finalists PSG 2-1 in their Group H opener on Tuesday .

As Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic and Donny van de Beek watched from the bench in the first half, McTominay performed well for United, who took a 1-0 lead into the break thanks to Fernandes' 23rd-minute penalty in Paris.

Anthony Martial's own goal in the 55th minute gifted PSG an equaliser, but Marcus Rashford netted United's match-winner with three minutes remaining at Parc des Princes, where the Red Devils claimed a record 10th consecutive away victory in all competitions.

Solskjaer singled out McTominay post-match, telling reporters: "Scotty played the first-half with one eye as well, that was the most impressive thing, because he lost his contact lens. That was impressive."

Fernandes opened the scoring with his 11th spot-kick for United following a re-take. Since 2012-13, PSG have conceded more penalties (18) and more penalty goals (13) in the Champions League than any other side.

Martial, though, headed the ball into his own net early in the second half as Ligue 1 champions PSG restored parity behind closed doors.

But Rashford fired a fine finish into the bottom-left corner of the net from the edge of the penalty box.

Rashford's last three goals in the Champions League have all come on the road, with the last two netted at Parc des Princes.

"He's a good footballer and he's got quality. And he took his goal very well; great turn, good finish and into the corner. He likes that side of the [Parc des Princes] stadium, I think," Solskjaer said.

"I think when you're doing well on the pitch as well as off the pitch, they marry well together. And I am sure he knows…I think it gives him energy what he does so that's not a problem."

On comparisons between Rashford and PSG star Kylian Mbappe, Solskjaer added: "I think he's a very, very good striker. It's difficult to compare them but both are going to be top, top strikers for 10-15 years.

"They've both got quality, great physique, pace, both of them seem good people – humble and hard-working. And It’s nice to see them succeed."

Axel Tuanzebe is undroppable after his star turn against Paris Saint-Germain, according to Rio Ferdinand, who says Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has to "reward performances like that".

United returned to Parc des Princes for the first time since their famous last-16 comeback against the French champions in 2018-19.

Solskjaer's side prevailed once again thanks to a Bruno Fernandes penalty and a stunning late strike from Marcus Rashford, marking their return to the Champions League in emphatic style.

An Anthony Martial own goal early in the second half gave PSG hope of a positive result, but the visitors carved out more clear-cut opportunities as Thomas Tuchel's men struggled to find any cutting edge in the final third.

Tuanzebe put in a man-of-the-match display to keep the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Angel Di Maria at bay after being handed his first start in 10 months, and Ferdinand was delighted to see the 22-year-old put his injury woes behind him on the biggest stage.

Asked if the centre-back has made it impossible for Solskjaer to leave him out of a Premier League clash with Chelsea on Saturday, the United legend told BT Sport: "Yes. Ole has just said it’s two of the best two strikers in the world (Mbappe and Neymar), he snuffed out danger many a time today.

"You have to reward performances like that. He’s had a hard time with injuries – first game in 10 months – to come in and play like that, from out of the cold, you deserve to be rewarded.

"But Ole is the man to make that decision."

"But he was smelling danger."

"Good luck getting this guy out of the team," said Hargreaves. "This guy… I love him. He’s a good athlete, he makes good decisions, physically he’s got a good presence, he wasn’t fazed by Mbappe or Neymar.

"I think he grew into the occasion. We saw a couple of years ago Scott McTominay came here and put in a top performance.

"This young man… he’s not getting out of the side." 

Orlando Pirates head coach Josef Zinnbauer has explained why Thembinkosi Lorch did not feature in their recent clash with Cape Town City.

The reigning PSL Footballer of the Year was a noticeable absentee from the Bucs starting line-up against Cape Town City in the MTN8 quarter-final match on Saturday.

Zinnbauer opted for new signings Terrence Dzvukamanja and Deon Hotto as the Buccaneers secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over the Citizens at Orlando Stadium.

The German tactician indicated he has depth in his squad so he can afford to drop Lorch, who was an unused substitute against City. 

"Lorch is a player you know who has quality but we made another decision [not to play him] and maybe next game, maybe he's on the bench, maybe he's in [the starting line-up]," Zinnbauer told the media.

"We have top quality in this squad and all players have to work and this season we have [more options], we can improve with having two players in each position.

"We've improved this with all the new players which means the old players have to work and the new players [to get into the team]."

Lorch has seen his form dip at Pirates since his breakthrough season (2018/19) in which he scored 15 goals in 38 matches across all competitions and he was named PSL Footballer of the Year.

The 27-year-old attacker then endured a poor 2019/20 campaign as he netted just three goals in 26 matches across all competitions.

Zinnbauer refused to promise that Lorch will start when the Buccaneers take on AmaZulu FC in their maiden PSL game of the new 2020/21 season on Saturday.

"Maybe against [AmaZulu] we'll need another player in that position or we change the system a little bit. We know who Lorch is and his quality," he added. 

"We need his quality, and also on the other side of the bench we have other quality players who didn't play so that's good for us."

The clash between AmaZulu and Pirates will be played at Jonsson Kings Park Stadium in Durban.

Pirates could face their former players Augustine Mulenga and Luvuyo Memela, who recently joined Usuthu after being released by the Soweto giants. 

Pulau Pinang goalkeeper Samuel Somerville is excited for the chance to finally feature in Malaysia's top tier, the Super League next season.

The English-born Malaysian passport holder has been an instrumental part of the Panthers since joining them for the 2020 season, from Johor Darul Ta'zim II (JDT II).

The custodian let in only eight goals throughout the Premier League season, to help his club win the league title as well as promotion to the top tier next season.

"I had gone through so much at Johor and I want to thank TMJ (JDT owner Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim) for all that he had done for me. But I felt it was the right time for a move and more playing minutes, and I was lucky to join a team with a winning mentality since the start of the league campaign. To concede only eight goals is a wonderful achievement, on top of my clean sheets and the Premier League title.

"Now I'll be achieving my dream of playing in the top tier for the first time since arriving in this country. I may need some time in order to adapt to the competing at this level. I hope that the coming season will provide me with another highpoint in my career and I will be able to continue playing at the top level for a long time," explained the 26-year old custodian in an interview with Malaysian Football League (MFL).

Rio Ferdinand has urged Manchester United's Marcus Rashford to follow Wayne Rooney's blueprint and improve the "ugly side" of his game in order to become "world class".

Rashford notched his fourth goal of the season to fire United to a 2-1 victory in their Champions League group-stage opener against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night.

Bruno Fernandes opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the first half, but PSG were gifted an equaliser when Anthony Martial headed into his own net early in the second period.

The Red Devils pushed hardest for the winner, though, and were eventually rewarded when Rashford fired an unstoppable shot past Keylor Navas to win all three points for the visitors three minutes from time.

The England international was also the match-winner on United's last visit to Parc des Princes, as he scored a decisive late penalty to seal a memorable last-16 comeback in the 2018-19 campaign.

He was, however, guilty of squandering several clear openings against PSG this time around, which might have helped Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side wrap up the win far earlier.

Ferdinand says Rashford should follow the example of United's all-time record scorer as he bids to reach the next level, with Wayne Rooney's ability to score "scruffy goals" seen as one of the main reasons behind his success at Old Trafford.

The former Red Devils defender told BT Sport of the 22-year-old's potential: “I think this kid could definitely be world class if he keeps on improving.

"He needs to add a poacher’s element, a couple of scruffy goals a season.

“Wayne Rooney, when he signed for Manchester United, scored outrageous goals. He didn’t score the ugly goals but then he got that into his game.

“Marcus scores and creates fantastic goals as well. If he can get that ugly side... this kid can go on to be unbelievable.”

Rashford's next chance to impress will likely come when Chelsea arrive at Old Trafford for a crucial Premier League encounter on Saturday evening.

United are currently sitting two points behind the Blues in the table having played a game less, but Solskjaer is confident his team are starting to turn a corner.

"These boys can play. They enjoyed it. Attitude, work rate... you know the team spirit has been fantastic since they've come back from the international break so it's been brilliant," he said after the win at PSG.

"It's taken a bit of time to get going. But we've certainly got our form back."

After Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting left Paris Saint-Germain for Bayern Munich, less than two months after losing to Hansi Flick’s Bavarians in the Champions League final, there was a temptation to whisper “if you can't beat them join them”.

The Cameroon forward had come off the bench for the Parisians on August 23 when FC Hollywood pipped them to the continent’s most sought-after prize 1-0 in Lisbon. It was a huge vote of confidence from Thomas Tuchel to opt for the Indomitable Lion ahead of Mauro Icardi, who’d scored 12 times in 14 Ligue 1 starts before the French top flight was curtailed.

In truth, maybe Tuchel’s choice was a consequence of how events in Portugal had played out in the previous rounds.

Having seen Choupo-Moting come up trumps in their late, late fightback vs Atalanta in the quarter-final — a game Icardi largely underwhelmed — the African star was elevated above the Argentina forward for the rest of the competition, albeit as a substitute.

Simply put: while Choupo-Moting may not be top drawer, he’s someone who can be trusted to deputise up front when the usual incumbents are absent. Recognising this opening, Bayern signed the 31-year-old whose Bundesliga experience in his prime took him to Mainz and Schalke having struggled to break into the Hamburg side.

“He gives us the squad depth we need in the centre of our attack,” said Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic. “Eric has gained international experience in Paris, knows the Bundesliga and joins us on a free. So, it all works out well.”

He continued: “We have seen how important Maxim can be in Lisbon. I know from my own experience how crucial it is to have a lot of good forwards in the squad.”

Fortunately, the striker himself understands he won’t be first choice, given Robert Lewandowski’s presence, so there won’t be an expectation to play regularly. Having had a taste of this for about two years in Paris, Choupo-Moting knows what’s required for the bit-part role.

“There were conversations with the coach, he made it clear to me that he would be happy if I came. We are not talking about a major role,” the forward explained to the media recently. “Everyone knows that at Bayern there is Lewandowski at the forefront, but each player is important in the project”.

"Paris wanted me to stay, but I turned them down. There were some interesting offers. My choice was made as soon as Bayern contacted my agents,” Choupo-Moting continued. “It wasn't a shock they came in for me, but it's a huge honour. They're the Champions League holders, the biggest team in Germany. It's a great league. Munich is a beautiful city. I am super happy.”

After winning two Ligue 1 crowns as well as the Coupe de France and Couple de la Ligue in his time in the French capital, a return to the Bundesliga makes sense. He not only has the chance to add to his trophy collection playing for the best side in Europe at the moment but returns to a league he’s familiar with.

This removes or, at least, reduces the bedding-in period it’d have taken a new signing to acclimatise to a different division, even though partnerships with teammates at Sabener Strasse have to be struck. The need for a Lewandowski replacement was made apparent after last month’s 4-1 thrashing at Hoffenheim, which came about three days after Flick’s troops played for 120 minutes in the Uefa Super Cup.

Teenage prodigy, Joshua Zirkzee was selected to start but the chasm in quality was obvious. In fairness to the young forward, his selection was probably the least of Bayern’s worries on the day — the criminal defending for 90 minutes was — but he was an easy target for an early substitution as the visitors chased the game.

Indeed, it was then argued that, despite the dearth of bodies in Bavaria, a loan deal for Zirkzee was imperative as opportunities were probably going to be few and far between. The arrival of Choupo-Moting means the 19-year-old is probably going to be third-choice until January, ceteris paribus.

He’s since revealed that a loan deal was considered in the final hours of the transfer window but nothing materialised eventually.

“It was a difficult situation, only there was not enough time on deadline day,” Zirkzee told Dutch daily Algemeen Dagblad. “I will stay with Bayern now, but maybe something will happen in the future. I don't know exactly yet.”

Barring an injury to any of Bayern’s forwards, a temporary spell could help the youngster’s development, even if it’ll be for a few months. Thus, it’s a shame the club couldn’t find a suitable option for him before signing the Cameroonian in early October.

Choupo-Moting sat fifth last season for xG per 90 and non-penalty xG per 90 in the PSG side, behind the quartet of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, Icardi and Edinson Cavani, which somewhat summarises his profile. While not essentially top class, he is no slouch either.

Bayern are set to be beneficiaries of the forward’s intermittent contribution, and the 31-year-old can enjoy a return to the Bundesliga with the best side in the land and Europe.

Plans are already afoot at Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) for the 2021 season despite still two more competitions for them to complete this 2020 season in the Malaysia Cup as well as the AFC Champions League (ACL).

In a media session held on Wednesday afternoon, club owner HRH Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim (TMJ) revealed the upcoming changes to the squad for next season as well as for the two aforementioned competitions.

Lead striker Diogo Luis Santo has been a great asset since signing for the club back before the start of the 2019 season and has contributed 24 goals thus far over the course of two seasons for the Southern Tigers.

The Brazilian is likely to head back to Thailand for his next adventure having arrived at JDT from Buriram United, with BG Pathum United rumoured to be the club that the 33-year-old will join.

TMJ also confirmed that while Diogo's departure is imminent, he will still be part of the squad that will compete in the Malaysia Cup but not in the ACL, where Fernando Rodriguez will deputise.

Further beyond that, TMJ announced that it will be another Brazilian that will step into the breach next season in the shape of 32-year-old Camilo da Silva Sanvezzo who currently plies his trade in Mexico.

"Diogo will return to Thailand and I'm thankful because sometime back when the Super League was still in progress, I said that we need to dedicate the league to (Luciano) Figueroa, Diogo and Safawi (Rasid). 

"Camilo da Silva from Brazil who played for Tijuana will be the replacement. We've been tracking him for a few years but he was too expensive. He will replace Diogo," said TMJ in the session.

Young midfielder Danial Amier was also revealed to be joining JDT beginning 1 December after his contract with Felda United expires at the end of the current season.

The 23-year-old was an integral part of Malaysia Under-23 national team before managing to break into the senior team in 2019 will offer plenty of competition in the centre of midfield at JDT.

This comes after the club revealed contract extensions to Benjamin Mora, Akhyar Rashid, Adam Nor Azlin, Nazmi Faiz, Ramadan Saifullah, Feroz Baharudin, Syazwan Andik, S. Kunanlan, Gary Steven Robbat, Aidil Zafuan, Farizal Marlias and Hazwan Bakri.

At the same time because of the clash of schedule between Malaysia Cup and ACL, JDT have decided to break the squad up into two balanced squads to compete separately in the two competitions.

This was decided to give the players adequate resting time ahead of the start of the 2021 season as well as affording some younger players playing opportunities in either competitions.

Former Kaizer Chiefs defender Tlou Molekwane says the Soweto giants can challenge for the Premier Soccer League (PSL) title with youngsters. 

Amakhosi are still awaiting an outcome from Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) following their transfer ban appeal hearing.

Gavin Hunt's side had to rely heavily on youngsters as they secured a 2-1 win against Maritzburg United in the MTN8 quarter-final match last weekend. 

Yagan Sasman, 24, Reeve Frosler, 22, Nkosingiphile Ngcobo, 20, Njabulo Blom, 20, and Happy Mashiane, 22 helped Chiefs overcome Maritzburg and Hunt indicated that he will keep faith in youngsters. 

“Coach Gavin, even if you check his time at Bidvest Wits, a lot of players played under him from development. He is the coach who believes in young players,” Molekwane told Sowetan.

“I will say they will compete even if that ban is not concluded anytime soon. The sooner the coach introduces them, the better, and I was happy that he gave them a chance.

“After four or five games, those players will be settled in the team. It is the right time to be played because last season they were not. They were playing for five or 10 minutes. It is not enough, but you can see the hunger from them, I’m happy to see them playing.”

Blom and Mashiane changed the complexion of the game after being introduced in the second-half and Sasman grabbed a late brace to hand Amakhosi the win over the Team of Choice. 

“If the coach believes in young players, when they throw you in the first team you must be ready. I was not surprised to see the likes of Blom and other young players playing against Maritzburg,” Molekwane continued.

“Remember the team was under pressure, they were trailing and you could tell that the coach believes in the youngsters, that is why he allowed them to help the club in that match.

“Most of them are still young, and this is the time for them to play. There is no pressure in the league. You saw the changes after Hunt introduced them against Maritzburg."

Molekwane, who is a former South Africa under-20 and under-23 international, feels that predecessor‚ Ernst Middendorp did not believe in youngsters.

Middendorp was dismissed by the Chiefs management after the team lost the PSL title to Mamelodi Sundowns on the last day of the 2019/20 season. 

“The previous coach at Chiefs never believed in young boys maybe, if he could have introduced them by then, we should be talking a different story now," the retired right-back added.

“The nice part is that [assistant coach] Arthur Zwane is the one who promoted those young boys. They worked with him before, so he understands every one of them.”

Chiefs' first league game of the 2020/21 season will be against Sundowns at FNB Stadium on Saturday.

Following the revelation by interim head coach Michael Feichtenbeiner that the Red Giants have let go of five members of their first team, the club have announced that their places will be taken over by five of their reserve team players.

On Tuesday, the German told Astro Arena that the five have been let go in order to make way for their younger players in the coming Malaysia Cup campaign. He only named defender Nicholas Swirad, but rumoured to have also been cut were goalkeeper Farizal Harun, winger Khyril Muhymeen, and pre-season signing Anwar Ibrahim.

On the following day, the 33-time Malaysia Cup winners revealed the Selangor 2 players that have been promoted to the first team.

They are right back Quentin Cheng, goalkeeper Aqil Fadhly, centre back Sharul Nazeem, attacker Danial Asri and foreign player Bajram Nebiha.

Cheng and Sharul were regular starters in the Premier League, while Danial scored regularly for them. 

The inclusion of Nebiha and Aqil is curious somewhat, in that the club will have to drop one foreign player from the first team in order to make way for Nebiha, while Aqil has only been the reserve team's third-choice custodian.

In Selangor's three league matches under Feichtenbeiner, he had handed first team appearances to several Selangor 2 boys such as Mukhairi Ajmal, Aliff Haiqal and Zikri Khalili.

ALSO READ: Zikri and Selangor boys can expect more first team experience in Malaysia Cup

Manchester United's match-winner at Paris Saint-Germain, Marcus Rashford, was full of praise for manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's tactics and stressed how his belief in the team has never wavered.

United have made a mixed start to the new season, with the lowlight being a 6-1 loss to Tottenham. But they travelled to Paris for Tuesday's game on the back of a 4-1 win at Newcastle United and took to their task with relish.

Solskjaer made changes, notably including Axel Tuanzebe in a three-man defence for his first start in 10 months, and the Norwegian was rewarded with a fine all-round display.

United went ahead through a Bruno Fernandes penalty on 23 minutes, and were fully deserving of their lead.

An own goal from Anthony Martial at the start of the second half raised the prospect of a PSG comeback, but United remained in control and Rashford popped up with a brilliant solo goal on 87 minutes to secure the three points.

Rashford was centre of attention after the game, but he placed the focus on his team-mates and the manager.

“I think the manager got it spot on today," Rashford told the club's official website. “The system allowed us to express ourselves going forward and to be tight defensively, which I think we did as well as we could. Of course, it’s a big win and a perfect position to be in because we have got a lot to improve on as well.

"It’s a good performance and a performance we have a lot to build on. I always believe in the team, as players it’s important to believe in the system the manager wants us to play. Today we did that fantastically.“

Victory in the French capital leaves United well placed at this early stage in Champions League Group H. RB Leipzig top the table on goal difference from the Red Devils, following a 2-0 win over Istanbul Basaksehir, but three points on the road in Paris could count for a lot later in the campaign.

United face RB Leipzig at Old Trafford next week, but prior to that they take on Chelsea in the Premier League and Rashford is looking for a similar performance on Saturday.

“At the end of the day we’re in a strong position now in the group," he said. "It’s the first game. 

"The concentration and the intensity we showed today we need to take into the next game in the Premier League.”

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has confirmed the appointment of Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee as the new Harambee Stars head coach.

Mulee returns to the national fold and now takes the mantle from Francis Kimanzi who parted ways with FKF on mutual consent on Tuesday. The change – said to have been informed by a general team restructuring – came as Kenya prepare to play Comoros in November for an Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier.

Kimanzi left the scene after he masterminded what had been tipped to be an unlikely friendly win against Zambia on October 9 at Nyayo Stadium. He had been appointed in 2019 to replace Sebastien Migne who he worked with as an assistant coach.

Mulee left a mark as the national team head coach after helping Harambee Stars qualify for the 2004 Afcon edition in Tunisia. He had – at his disposal – what has been regarded as one of Kenya’s greatest squads.

Under him were Dennis Oliech – Kenya’s top scorer with 34 goals - McDonald Mariga, Musa Otieno, John Baraza, Tom Juma, Jo ‘Mo’ Muiruri, Francis Onyiso, and Mike Okoth – Arnold Origi’s father - among several stars.

He is also credited to have mentored the current J1 League top scorer Michael Olunga and his appointment has provided an opportunity for the duo to work again at national level.

Mulee becomes the fifth coach to have been appointed by Nick Mwendwa since he took office in 2016.

Stanley Okumbi came and lasted from February 2016 to October 2017 as persistent public criticism saw him leave the position.

Paul Put was appointed to replace him and the tactician led Kenya to yet another Cecafa title as he lasted between November 2017 to February 2018 before he abruptly left after making damning allegations against FKF.

Kenya then settled for Migne who led the country to the 2019 Afcon finals but, a Chan qualifying setback against Tanzania saw him part ways with the team on mutual consent paving the way for Kimanzi’s rise to the helm.

Kimanzi remained in charge from August 2019 to October 20, 2020, and he left just days after Mwendwa had secured another four-year term as the FKF president.

Mulee and his technical bench are expected to help Harambee Stars fight for back-to-back Afcon qualifications with two matches – against Egypt and Togo - already played.