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Josh Maja got Bordeaux’s only goal in their 3-1 defeat to Olympique Marseille in Saturday’s French elite division fixture.

After replacing Hatem Ben Arfa in the 66th minute, the Nigeria international found the net for Jean Louis Gasset’s men - who suffered their second defeat of the 2020-21 Ligue 1 campaign.

The game got to a great start for Marseille as they got a fifth minute lead through Florian Thauvin. Receiving the ball from Japanese defender Hiroki Sakai, the 27-year-old curled in a beauty past goalkeeper Benoit Costil.

In the 14th minute, Andre Villas-Boas’ men had the chance to double their advantage from the penalty spot after referee Frank Schneider pointed to the spot following Youssouf Sabaly’s foul on Jordan Amavi. However, the resultant kick taken by Thauvin was saved by Costil who guessed the right direction.

Two minutes later, Marseille’s attacking forays paid off with Arfa scoring from the left but his effort was out for offside.

Bordeaux had their first clear chance in the 24th minute but thanks to Steve Mandanda, he was well positioned to repel Toma Basic’s thunderous strike.

Amavi doubled the Phocaeans’ lead nine minutes into the second-half after heading home a free-kick from the very enterprising Thauvin.

While Gasset’s men were trying all within their ability to reduce their two-goal deficit, they leaked the third goal after Brazilian defender Pablo turned the ball into his own net in his bid to clear Amavi’s goal-bound shot.

Looking dead and buried, the visitors made two changes with Maja coming in for Arfa and South Korean striker Ui-jo Hwang replacing Yacine Adli. That paid off in the 83rd minute as the 21-year-old Nigerian beat Mandanda from close range courtesy of Jimmy Briand’s assist.

That strike stood as consolation following Bordeaux’s inability to get two more goals in the last seven minutes.

Senegalese defender Sabaly was in action from start to finish for the Girondins, while Algerian midfielder Mehdi Zerkane came in as a 71st minute substitute for Remi Oudin. As expected, Samuel Kalu and Mozambique star Mexer were ruled out of the game owing to hamstring injuries.

With this victory, Marseille moved to fifth in the log after garnering 12 points from seven games, while Bordeaux dropped to 10th with nine points from same number of matches.

Following a game of two halves in which there were positives and negatives, new Kaizer Chiefs coach Gavin Hunt got his tenure off to a winning start as his side edged out Maritzburg United 2-1 in an MTN8 quarter-final clash at the FNB Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

It should be noted, before too much is read into this result, that Hunt was without a half a team of potential first-choice players (due to injury and suspension), including influential forwards Samir Nurkovic, Lebogang Manyama, Dumisani Zuma, as well as Eric Mathoho and Willard Katsande.

Leonardo Castro, meanwhile, was not fully fit and started on the bench. The former Bidvest Wits mentor also only had two-and-a-half weeks of preparation with his new players.

Nevertheless, there were several noteworthy take-outs from the game.

Poor start

"I think first half we were still in the bus," Hunt told SuperSport after the match, in what was a great summation of Chiefs' performance in the first 45 minutes.

It certainly was a nervy-looking Amakhosi side which took part in the opening stanza.

And the opening half couldn't have gone much worse, although Chiefs were lucky to only be 1-0 down after the KwaZulu-Natal side had struck the bar through Bongokuhle Hlongwane not long after Thabiso Kutumela had notched the opening goal.

Going forward in attack, Chiefs looked disjointed and lacked purpose, while at the back, the home defence regularly found themselves being pulled out of shape and exposed by Maritzburg's attackers.

Positive signs

It all changed after the interval, and Hunt's two substitutes, Njabulo Blom and Castro, made a significant impact as he demonstrated his tactical nous.

There was also a substantial increase in focus and intensity from the Soweto side, likely a result of a stinging team talk at the break.

That Hunt was able to get such a reaction from his men was probably the most important point of the day. The character, fighting spirit and unity bode well for the season.

It was also crucial in terms of putting to bed last season's bitter disappointment of losing out on the league title on the final day. Just imagine how the morale may have sunk had Amakhosi started the new season by being knocked out of the cup.

For Hunt, it was the mental fortitude his men showed which was most satisfying and he'll be hoping that with time and more training, his side will gel and go from strength to strength as systems are implemented.

"I take mentality, attitude [from the game]," Hunt concluded. "Nothing to write home about [in terms of] prettiness. I will try instill that attitude into the team."

Liverpool will be without Virgil van Dijk for a number of months after confirming that the defender suffered serious knee ligament damage in Saturday’s Merseyside derby.

Van Dijk was forced off just 11 minutes into the Reds’ 2-2 draw at Everton on Saturday following a reckless challenge from Blues goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

He was sent for a hospital scan immediately after the game, and visited a specialist on Sunday to ascertain the full extent of the issue. 

The news which came back was devastating for the Premier League champions. Van Dijk has suffered damage to his anterior cruciate ligament, which will require surgery and will keep him out of action for an extended period. 

Liverpool have refused to give an exact timeframe for his recovery, with club sources refusing to rule out the possibility of the 29-year-old returning to action before the end of the season. The club's medical staff believe his exceptional attitude and mentality will give him every chance of reducing the lay-off time.

What is certain, though, is that Van Dijk will miss the majority of Liverpool’s Premier League title defence, as well as the bulk of their Champions League campaign.

It is shattering news for Jurgen Klopp, who was left distinctly unamused by Pickford’s challenge – as well as the fact the Everton man was not shown a red card for such a reckless lunge. 

Reds captain Jordan Henderson revealed that the England number one had sought him out at the final whistle, asking him to pass on an apology to Van Dijk, but Liverpool have contacted the Premier League asking it to review the application of VAR during the game, having been further incensed at seeing a winning goal, scored by Henderson, ruled out for a questionable offside against Sadio Mane.

The two points dropped, though, pale into insignificance when compared to Van Dijk’s injury. The Dutchman has become a totemic figure at Anfield since arriving from Southampton for £75 million ($97m) in January 2018, a player Klopp knows will be impossible to replace at the heart of his defence.

Van Dijk had, prior to this weekend, played every minute of Liverpool’s last 74 league matches, helping them record the best defensive record in the division in each of the last two seasons. In 2019, he was the PFA Player of the Year, and finished second in the Ballon d’Or voting to Lionel Messi.

Now, Liverpool must hope that Joe Gomez and Joel Matip, who made his own return from injury against Everton, can remain fit and healthy. Both have had issues throughout their Reds career, but both will now need to step up if Liverpool are to maintain the standards shown across the past two campaigns. The pair, remarkably, have never started a game together at centre-back in their time at the club.

Matip returned from a hamstring injury against Everton, completing 90 minutes for the first time since last October. Gomez, whose form has been patchy in recent weeks, replaced the stricken Van Dijk early.

Klopp has the option of using midfielder Fabinho as a centre-back, a tactic which worked well away at Chelsea earlier this season, while both Henderson and Gini Wijnaldum have, in the past, covered in the backline in emergency situations.

Beyond that, Liverpool would need to rely on youngsters. Billy Koumetio, the 17-year-old, offers promise and made a big impression on Klopp and his staff during the pre-season training camp in Austria, though is relatively untested, even at Under-18 or Under-23 level.

Rhys Williams, 19, showed quality in two Carabao Cup appearances this season, and appears to have benefited from a loan spell at Kidderminster in the sixth tier last term, while Sepp van den Berg, who has top-flight experience with Zwolle in the Eredivisie, is still with the club having failed to secure a loan move in the summer.

Nat Phillips is another option. The 23-year-old, who spent last season on loan with Stuttgart in 2.Bundesliga, was not moved on in the summer despite interest from a host of Championship clubs, and will train with the senior squad at Melwood. Phillips made his debut for the Reds in the FA Cup win over Everton in January, and is back fit again following an ankle issue which disrupted his pre-season.

Arsenal manager Joe Montemurro believes Vivianne Miedema can still get better after becoming the Women’s Super League’s all-time top-scorer.

The Netherlands international scored a hat-trick against Tottenham on Sunday in the north London derby, helping the Gunners to a 6-1 win while taking her tally to 52 goals in 50 league games – a new WSL record.

It was just the latest record for the 24-year-old, who is already her country’s all-time top-scorer, and her manager believes there is even more to come.

"Her ability to be better is there. She can get better. She's a person who wants to get better, she wants to challenge herself, she wants to be even better, because there's still a lot of learning and development to go," he said.

“I'm enjoying working with her and having her as part of the group, and as long as Viv's smiling we'll keep seeing a better Viv.

“We see from a football perspective, week-by-week, the contribution Viv makes as a footballer, but I’m blessed and lucky to be a part of her everyday scenario.

“She is an amazing person there for the team, a team player. I’m blessed to have 23 players that work for each other.

“The thing that was enlightening [during the game] was the players injured [who were sat] behind me, their energy and encouragement for the players, and Viv is a part of that. Off the ball she is also an amazing person.

“It’s great to see her have the freedom and opportunity to be part of our attacking part and she gets the reward for it.”

After setting that scoring record, there is likely to be no slowing down for Miedema, who has 10 goals in her first five league games this season now.

The forward signed a new long-term deal with Arsenal in December 2018 and has since gone on to prove herself as one of the best players in the world.

Montemurro says the club plan on talking to the 24-year-old about a new deal very soon, adding: "It's something that we'll start to do very, very early - around November.

“We already start to look at where we're heading with the direction of next year and years to come, but obviously Viv will be on top of that list and we'll do everything we can to make sure Viv remains a part of the group.

“She's an important part of the group, obviously as a footballer but also off the park, her qualities as a person are fantastic."

Former Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan has revealed that no deal with Ghana Premier League side Asante Kotoko has been agreed despite his desire to wear the colours of the club.

In the twilight of his career, the 34-year-old has never hidden a long ambition to represent the most successful club in the history of the domestic league before calling time on his professional career.

He has been unattached since leaving Indian Super League fold NorthEast United earlier this year, his situation fuelling rumours of a move to Kotoko ahead of the commencement of the 2020-21 Ghana football season in November.

Last month, media reports claimed the ex-Udinese man's high salary demand has proven a stumbling block to a deal thus far.

“I have said on countless occasions that I have Kotoko at heart. I have also said I will play for them before I retire from the game," Gyan told Adom TV.

"As I’m without a club, there were speculations that the deal has been finalised but as a professional football player, we don’t deal like that.

“I have made it known that I will play for them but at least we have to go through processes because I’m still a professional footballer.

"I don’t want people to downgrade the Ghanaian league. At times people even get it wrong [by their assumption] that if a player travels abroad, then he then becomes a professional footballer. But they don’t know that the Ghana league is professional.

“Kotoko should do everything professional although I have said I will play for them. I can't just stand up and say I’m going to play for the club. I’m available so when they are ready, we have to sit down and go through whatever is involved in terms of signing a contract.”

Gyan played for Liberty Professionals during his previous stint in the Ghana Premier League ahead of a move to Udinese in 2003.

“The new [Kotoko] chief executive [officer] Nana Yaw Amponsah is my friend and a partner. He is a good guy and knows everything about the game. We talk behind the scene but it’s not even about football because of our [kind of] relationship," he added

"Kotoko should just do things right, they need to do things that will suit the player and the club before the deal can go through. We don’t do a deal just like that.

"If everything goes the way I expect, I will join Kotoko. Football is my job and everything will depend on me and the club but it’s all about negotiations.

"People will say I have money, so I should play for free, but we don’t do that. If it happens that way, it means you are trying to take advantage of me, people have the impression I love the club, so I will play for free, no, I won’t do that."

Kotoko, arguably Ghana's biggest club, has won the Premier League on 23 occasions. 

Manuel Lanzini's last-gasp stunner sealed a remarkable comeback from West Ham to earn a 3-3 draw against Tottenham in a thrilling London derby on Sunday.

Jose Mourinho's men were in complete control from the moment Son Heung-min opened the scoring inside a minute, with Harry Kane's quickfire double seemingly confirming the victory after only 16 minutes.

However, Fabian Balbuena's header and a Davinson Sanchez own goal set up a nervy finish, and Lanzini's incredible strike secured a point for the visitors at the death, putting a huge dampener on Gareth Bale's Spurs return.

Back in the dugout for the first time since testing positive for coronavirus in late September, West Ham boss David Moyes would have hoped to see his team build on the two convincing Premier League wins earned in his absence.

Instead, the Hammers lasted just 45 seconds before conceding, Kane dropping into midfield before clipping the ball over the top for Son, who cut inside Balbuena with ease to dispatch a low shot into the far corner.

Things went from bad to worse shortly after, as Kane nutmegged Declan Rice at the edge of the box before sending a shot through the legs of Angelo Ogbonna and beyond a helpless Lukasz Fabianski.

And, while the visitors had a couple of promising moments in the aftermath of that second goal through the industrious Michail Antonio, they simply could not keep Spurs at bay at the other end.

Consequently, they were 3-0 down after 16 minutes, Kane grabbing his second with a powerful header from Sergio Reguilon's cross to the back post.

To their credit, West Ham attempted to produce a positive response to an opening quarter of an hour that had all but ended their hopes of taking anything from the game, but any potential openings they worked were often wasted, while Tottenham continued to look dangerous on the counter.

Even when the visitors did manage to finally create, they were wasteful, not least when Pablo Fornals somehow contrived to head a deflected Antonio cross over from close range shortly after the restart.

For their part, Spurs looked understandably happy to simply sit on their lead and attempt to manage the opposition threat, with counter-attacks their main source of chances in the second period.

And it was one such quick break that almost led to Kane grabbing his hat-trick, the England striker clattering the post 10 minutes from time with a fine left-footed effort from distance. 

Spurs brought on Bale but his second debut did not end how he would have hoped, as there proved to be a sting in the tail for the hosts.

Their grip on the game seemed to loosen when Balbuena headed in from a dangerous free-kick delivery from the left wing and that was quickly followed by Sanchez's own goal, the defender inadvertently heading Vladimir Coufal's cross beyond Hugo Lloris in the Spurs net.

And, after Bale has missed a glorious opening, Lanzini completed the comeback in the fourth minute of injury time as he smashed a marvellous long-range effort beyond a despairing Lloris to make it 3-3.

What does it mean? Spurs resurgence tested

After a nightmare start to the season in losing at home to Everton, Tottenham had begun to stage a recovery under Mourinho.

Spurs overcame a testing schedule prior to the international break to beat Chelsea on penalties in the EFL Cup, and hand out thrashings to Maccabi Haifa and Manchester United in the Europa League and Premier League respectively.

However, after surrendering a three-goal lead to their local rivals, Mourinho's men are sure to once again come in for harsh scrutiny.

Hammers comeback a rare feat

It was a stunning comeback from the visitors, underlined by the fact that it was only the third time in Premier League history a side has avoided defeat despite trailling by three or more goals going into the 80th minute.

West Brom managed it in a crazy 5-5 draw with Manchester United in 2013, with Norwich City having also done so in a 4-4 draw with Middlesbrough in 2004.

Kane & Son's deadly partnership continues

Kane set a new Premier League record, his assist and two goals making it 12 goal involvements this season.

No player has ever managed as many in their opening five games of a campaign in the Premier League era, with the previous best of 11 set by Thierry Henry for Arsenal in 2004-05.

Key Opta Facts

- Tottenham (D1 L2) have failed to win any of their opening three home games of a Premier League season for just the fourth time (and first time since 2017-18), conceding stoppage-time equalisers in each of their last two.

- Tottenham were 3-0 up within 16 minutes against West Ham, the earliest they have scored three times in a single Premier League game since August 2007 v Derby County (14 mins).

- West Ham full-back Aaron Cresswell has assisted three goals in just five Premier League appearances this season, after managing only one across his previous 56 matches in the top flight.

- Since Jose Mourinho took charge of Spurs in November 2019, Harry Kane (33) and Son Heung-Min (30) have had a direct hand in more goals in all competitions than any other Premier League players.

What's next?

Tottenham will need to recover quickly from this setback as they kick off their Europa League group-stage campaign against LASK on Thursday, while West Ham head into a daunting clash with Manchester City next weekend full of confidence.

Samuel Chukwueze was in action as Villarreal defeated Valencia 2-1 to move to the top of La Liga table on Sunday.

The forward walked straight into Unai Emery’s first XI after starring for the Nigeria national team during the international break.

The 21-year-old winger featured prominently for the Super Eagles against African champions Algeria and Tunisia in Austria.

Chukwueze impressed in the encounter as the Yellow Submarine returned to winning ways after playing out a goalless draw against Atletico Madrid last time out.

Villarreal started the game on the front foot, with the Nigeria international inspiring their opener in the encounter.

The winger delivered a fine cross into the area and Gabriel Paulista brought down Mario Gaspar as he attempted to connect to Chukwueze’s cross.

Referee Carlos Del Cerro Grande subsequently awarded a penalty to Villarreal and Paco Alcacer swiftly dispatched it into the back of the net.

Moments before the half-time break, Goncalo Guedes levelled proceedings for Valencia after he receiving the ball from Carlos Soler.

Daniel Parejo then scored the winning goal with a fine strike to ensure his side clinched their third win of the season before they were reduced to 10 men in additional time after Takefusa Kubo was shown his second yellow card.

Chukwueze played for 64 minutes before making way for Francis Coquelin While Central African Republic international Geoffrey Kondogbia did not feature for Valencia.

The Super Eagles winger had 38 touches on the ball, struck two shots and had an 82% successful pass rate in the encounter.

Chukwueze will hope to continue his fine form when Villarreal take on Turkish side Sivasspor in a Europa League game on Thursday.

Edinson Cavani trained with his Manchester United team-mates for the first time on Sunday ahead of a potential reunion with Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday.

The Uruguay international joined the Red Devils on transfer deadline day as a free agent, having previously left the Ligue 1 outfit at the end of last season.

The 33-year-old forward was forced to undergo mandatory quarantine at the behest of the United Kingdom's government, however, in line with their regulations amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Those regulations dictated that he was unable to link up with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side in time for their Premier League win against Newcastle on Saturday.

Now, with his exile over, the striker has been able to join the rest of United's squad ahead of their first European match of the season, putting him in line for a possible immediate return to his old stomping ground at the Parc des Princes.

United took to social media to release footage of Cavani for the first time, showcasing the forward undertaking drills alongside the rest of the squad.

The ex-Napoli man is one of four specialist attackers named by the club on their A-list for the competition, alongside Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Odion Ighalo.

If picked in midweek, Cavani will be thrust into the heart of United's first Champions League campaign for two years, only months after his former side were downed in the final of last season's competition by Bayern Munich.

Cavani spent seven years in the French capital, scoring 200 goals in 301 games and helping them cement a period of dominance at the summit of the country's domestic football pyramid.

During his spell with the club, he topped the Ligue 1 goalscoring charts in consecutive seasons between 2016 and 2018, and was named the league's Player of the Year in 2017.

On the international stage, Cavani was a member of the Uruguay squad who finished fourth in the 2010 World Cup, while he helped his nation to consecutive knockout stage appearances in 2014 and 2018 during his stay in Paris, ultimately losing out to eventual champions France in the latter.

Jose Mourinho says Tottenham were not 'psychologically strong enough' to fight off West Ham's resurgence in Sunday's 3-3 draw.

Spurs had a three-goal lead within 16 minutes of the Premier League encounter as a goal from Son Heung-min and a Harry Kane double put the hosts in control.

But an incredible last 10 minutes of the match saw the Hammers mount an incredible comeback, with Fabian Balbuena heading past Hugo Lloris ajd Davinson Sanchez turning into his own net before Manuel Lanzini secured a draw with a stunning strike from distance.

Mourinho says his side deserved the punishment for their mental weakness in the second half.

"Football. Of course I have to analyse the second half and have to do it internally, but for you I prefer to say football happened, and praise West Ham's belief," he said to Sky Sports.

'It is not easy to be losing 3-0 and be dominated, to keep the belief. I knew they are a different team to last season, but to lose an advantage of three goals is a big punishment and eventually deserved.

"I found already by analysing from the touchline, some things are completely out of the context, once more an indirect free-kick, the own goal, the third is a free-kick and second ball, a rebound.

"The game was under control, we had Harry Kane to score the fourth when he hit the post, Gareth Bale to kill the game. The game was more to the fourth goal, but that's football.

"Not deliberately, but the team was dropping, with [Harry] Winks we found balance again and was in control. It was exactly when we were in control that we conceded the first and their belief went up. My guys were not strong enough to cope with it psychologically. The last few seconds we lost two points."

He continued to BBC Sport: "We should be stronger. In the second half they risked quite a lot, pressing up and gave us more space. We should get an occasion to win the game.

"I don't know if it was us inviting them or with them with the extra motivation of getting in the game. I can't identify us or them, maybe both."

Cote d’Ivoire players are the best penalty takers in the history of the Premier League, Opta has revealed.

Wilfried Zaha converted from the spot as Crystal Palace played out a 1-1 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion in Sunday’s English elite division clash at Selhurst Park.

After a lacklustre start, Roy Hodgson’s Eagles were awarded a penalty by referee Stuart Attwell after Tariq Lamptey fouled Chelsea loanee Michy Batshuayi, who was on course to head home Andros Townsend’s well-tailored cross.

The ex-Manchester United man converted the ensuing kick by sending goalkeeper Mathew Ryan the wrong way.

Following Zaha’s penalty goal, players from the West African nation have now scored 25 out of their 28 attempts from 12 yards to boast of 89% conversion rate – the highest of all the 117th different countries to have graced the competition.

The three Ivorians to have missed their penalty kicks are Chelsea great Didier Drogba against Tottenham Hotspur in 2010, Aruna Dindane against Burnley in 2009 during his time at Portsmouth, and Wilfried Bony versus Newcastle United on April 19, 2014 during his time at Swansea City.

Over the years, Cote d’Ivoire players have enjoyed success in the Premier League with Yaya Toure (Manchester City), Drogba (Chelsea), Salomon Kalou (Chelsea) and Kolo Toure (Arsenal).

Drogba won the EPL Golden Boot twice - in the 2006-07 (20 goals) and 2009-10 (29 goals) campaigns.

Zaha’s strike meant he has now scored seven times against Brighton and Hove Albion in the English top-flight, more than he has against any other Premier League opponent.

Palace, now placed 12th on the log having accrued seven points from five games played so far this season, will be gunning for their third triumph of the 2020-21 season when they travel to Craven Cottage on October 24 for a date against Scott Parker’s Fulham.

Orlando Pirates are set to take on their arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs in the 2020 MTN8 semi-finals.

The two biggest football clubs in the country were pitted against each other during a draw which was conducted on Sunday night.

Pirates booked their place in the last four after securing a hard-fought 1-0 win over 10-man Cape Town City at Orlando Stadium on Saturday night.

Terrence Dzvukamanja netted the only goal of the match on debut for Bucs, who are keen to clinch their 10th MTN8 title and end their six-year trophy drought in the process. 

However, Bucs will have to overcome their Soweto rivals in the two-legged semi-finals in order to reach the final.

Amakhosi advanced to the semi-finals after they came back to defeat Maritzburg United 2-1 at FNB Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

A first-half goal by Thabiso Kutumela handed Maritzburg the lead, but Yagan Sasman grabbed a brace after the restart which inspired Chiefs to a well-deserved win.

The Soweto giants are hoping to go all the way and clinch a record-extending 16th MTN8 title and also end their five-year trophy drought in the process.

This will be the first meeting between Pirates and Chiefs in the MTN8 since 2014 when Amakhosi ran out 1-0 winners in the final.

Prior to that, Pirates had eliminated Chiefs from the MTN8 in the 2013 semi-finals as they won 2-1 on aggregate.

Meanwhile, SuperSport United will battle Bloemfontein Celtic in the other semi-final tie.

SuperSport progressed to the last four after edging out Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila 3-2 in an entertaining encounter at Thohoyandou Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Bradley Grobler, Ghampani Lungu and Iqraam Rayners all netted for Matsatsantsa and TTM's two goals were scored by Mogakolodi Ngele.

Matsatsantsa are the defending champions and they are looking to become the first club to retain the trophy since Pirates in 2011.

Celtic advanced to the semi-finals after causing an upset by defeating the reigning PSL champions Mamelodi Sundowns 1-0 at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Sunday night.

Victor Letsoalo's late goal inspired Siwelele to an impressive win over Masandawana and Celtic will be hoping to win the MTN8 trophy for the first time this season.

The Premier Soccer League will announce the dates and venues in due course.

Bloemfontein Celtic ended a four-year winless run against Mamelodi Sundowns with a 1-0 victory in a hard-fought MTN8 quarter-final encounter at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Sunday evening.

Victor Letsoalo was the match-winner with a cleverly-taken goal midway through the second half.

And after losing four times to Sundowns last season alone (twice in the cup and twice in the league), it was certainly sweet revenge for Celtic, who put up a spirited performance in Pretoria.

The first half belonged mainly to the Brazilians, although Phunya Sele Sele did have a couple of good chances of their own.

It was, however, Celtic keeper Jackson Mabokgwane who was the busier of the two shot-stoppers, starting in the sixth minute when he did well to get down quickly to push away a close-range shot by Ricardo Nascimento, who had been left unattended at a corner.

It took a while for the next opening to arrive, and this time it fell the way of the Free State side, but a sharp reaction by Sundowns goalkeeper Denis Onyango meant the opportunity was snuffed out before Sera Motebang was able to pull the trigger in the 28th minute.

A couple of minutes later the action returned to the other end where Mabokgwane made an outstanding reflex stop as he got down to claw Gaston Sirino’s near-post flick to safety, following Lyle Lakay’s accurate cross.

Mabokgwane also pouched a long-range shot from Hlompho Kekana in the 32nd minute before Motebang missed a decent chance for Celtic when he fired a volley into the stands from inside the box.

Just before half-time, Masandawana were denied what they thought was the opening goal when Peter Shalulile’s header was correctly called off-side.

Shalulile was at it again straight after the restart, drawing a save from Mabokgwane although it was the visitors who nearly went ahead in the 48th minute when Victor Letsoalo’s angled drive flashed over.

Just before the hour mark Sundowns were inches away from taking the lead when a typically thunderous Kekana shot from 30-yards out smashed off the crossbar and nearly crossed the line but instead bounced back into play.

Phunya Sele Sele were always in the game though and they shocked the hosts by taking the lead in the 68th minute when Letsoalo’s deft header from a Ronald Pfumbidzai free-kick nestled in the back of the net.

From then on, it was all about whether Celtic could hang on for the final 25 or so minutes.

But they managed it well and even had a couple of chances on the counter-attack to add another goal,

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Gavin Hunt lauded the club's youngsters after the Soweto giants defeated Maritzburg United in the MTN8 match on Sunday afternoon. 

Yagan Sasman, 24, was the hero for Amakhosi as his brace inspired the team to a 2-1 win over the Team of Choice in a quarter-final encounter at FNB Stadium

Reeve Frosler, 22, Nkosingiphile Ngcobo, 20, Njabulo Blom, 20, and Happy Mashiane, 22, were all in action as Hunt started his Chiefs tenure with a victory. 

"I thought the kids did well again. I thought the goal boy [Sasman] - he's a player for me. He can play. Blom came in, changed the game. He's another one, a youngster. Happy - came in on the left," Hunt told SuperSport TV.

"These are the ones for the future. I've got a few more here. I'll keep blooding them and keep playing them. But we can't play them just for the sake of playing them. We've got to play them for the right reasons. It'll take hopefully not too much time."

The former Bidvest Wits coach also praised veteran forward Bernard Parker, who was a constant thorn in the flesh of Maritzburg defence throughout the lively encounter. 

"I think first half we were still on the bus, we were all over the show. We have pulled apart. I'm trying to instil a couple of things, but it's difficult in a week and a half. And then I made the changes which it was inevitable to do. We changed the shape a bit," he continued.

"I thought a guy like Bernard Parker, he was unbelievable today. He was fantastic, playing out of position. But you know, we showed a bit of grit. But I'm trying to instil the mentality into the team. That's the most important thing.

"First half, certainly not good. No one generally plays well in their first game of the season. We were a little bit rusty here and there. But the things we are trying to implement will take time and hopefully, this will give us some momentum going forward and we'll try next week again. We'll get a few players back."

Chiefs will now take on Mamelodi Sundowns in their maiden PSL game of the 2020/21 season on October 24.

Meanwhile, Maritzburg head coach Eric Tinkler was left to rue his side's missed chances with the Team of Choice having dominated the first half, but they scored only once. 

"First half. We should have killed off the game to be brutally honest. We dominated completely. We should have been 2-3 nil up at half-time. We should have ended the game in the first half," Tinkler told SuperSport TV. 

"And because we didn't, we got punished for it in the second. It was chalk and cheese - the performance of the first half versus the performance of the second half.

"What is the reason behind the drop in performance and the fact that we just looked completely lost in the second half? It simply doesn't make any sense. And the only thing I can put my finger on is, have we got the heart? Have we got the winning mentality?"

Tinkler feels that Chiefs centre forward Leonardo Castro changed the complexion of the game as he was able to hold the ball up for his teammates. 

"And number two, maybe it's the fitness levels. Maybe the fitness levels in the second half weren't where they need to be and we didn't match them in terms of the intensity and that's probably one of the reasons why we find ourselves playing on the back foot," he continued. 

"Yes, Castro came in, he made a big difference for them. They were playing the ball into his feet. We allowed the ball to go into his feet. But we didn't respond to it. We didn't press them as well as we did in the first half. The second-half, non-existent. We allowed them back in. Two set-pieces. We spoke about it for the whole week."

The former Orlando Pirates coach was also disappointed by the way his side defended against set-pieces as Chiefs' two goals came from corner-kicks. 

"Every interview I do, I say the only place they can hurt you is from the set-piece and you go and concede two goals from the set-piece. So it's about taking responsibility. Everybody must take responsibility. Because we threw away a great opportunity here to get into a semi-final," he added. 

"It's very easy to point fingers at everyone. Even I must take responsibility. And we'll go back and work on it during the week. And you hope that people learn from these mistakes. But these mistakes are very costly.

"And you practise it the whole week and it's very easy to point fingers. But we have to take responsibility."

Maritzburg have now turned their attention to their first league game of the 2020/21 season which is against Baroka FC on October 24.

The Confederation of African Football (Caf) president Ahmad Ahmad has congratulated Nick Mwendwa for his re-election as Football Kenya Federation(FKF) president.

The youthful administrator garnered 77 votes from the 85 cast with closest challenger Omondi Aduda managing five votes while Herbert Mwachiro managed to get three. Dan Mule and Boniface Osano got zero votes.

"I was not surprised when I learned about your brilliant re-election as the head of the Football Kenya Federation, thus confirming the high performance and the high efficiency of your work since 2016, the year of your first taking office, and I hasten to present you my most warm and sincere congratulations," Ahmad said in a letter to Mwendwa obtained by Goal.

"On behalf of the Executive Committee of Caf and personally, I wish you every success in your endeavours.  

"This second term, which you obtained by an impressive majority, is the demonstration that your entire term has been appreciated and strongly supported."

The Caf head has now challenged Mwendwa to maintain the good work he has been doing and set a fine example especially in promoting the game among the youth.

"Considered as one of our youngest National Association president, you represent a role model and an example of pride to follow for African sports youth, and I remain convinced that you will continue all of your actions with the same vigour and the same determination," the letter added.

"I encourage you on this path to success which reflects the prestigious ambition of the Kenyan nation which has made the sport a national priority.

"Kindly accept, Mr President, dear friend Nick once again my warm congratulations and friendly greetings."   

Mwendwa went on to thank the delegates for giving him a second chance and promised to work with rivals.

"I am very humbled for the overwhelming win we scooped as Team Blue," Mwendwa told Goal after the polls.

"I knew going into the elections that I will retain my seat but I didn’t know I will do it with such an emphatic style, I thank the delegates for giving me another mandate to lead them and I promise I will achieve my targets in the next four years.

"I also want to ask those who were competing against me, and even those who lost in various positions here today [Saturday] I am welcoming them to my side, let them come, we work together, let us put our heads together to improve our football.

"I cannot do this on my own or with the team you have given me, I need everyone on board so we can achieve our set targets.

"We have several targets we must achieve in the next four years, I want to see Kenya in the World Cup, for both men and women national teams, I know it might sound like a dream or even a joke, but we can make it, we need proper planning and that is why I want everyone on board."

Jose Mourinho admitted that West Ham were worthy of admiration for a hard-fought point against Tottenham on Sunday, calling out Tomas Soucek as David Moyes' "new Marouane Fellaini" as his opposite number excused his celebratory dancing as "a David Peat moment".

The Hammers roared back from the brink to secure a sensational 3-3 draw at Spurs' expense, having looked buried inside the opening stages of their trip across to North London after a Son Heung-min finish inside the first minute and a Harry Kane double set records tumbling.

But the hosts were unable to kill off the resilience of their opponents and Fabian Balbuena's 82nd minute header handed them a lifeline as the game entered its closing stretch.

Davison Sanchez then turned a cross into his own net three minutes later to put West Ham on the cusp of the most unlikely of comebacks, before Manuel Lanzini's incredible curled finish with the last kick of the game deep into injury time sealed a magnificent point.

In a game that saw Gareth Bale make his long-awaited return to the club off the bench, Mourinho was left to rue a second late capitulation in the space of three Premier League games, following on from their draw with Newcastle last month.

Speaking after the match, the Portuguese paid tribute to his opponents while singling out Czech Republic international Soucek for praise, comparing him to former Manchester United star Fellaini, whom both Mourinho and Moyes coached during their time at Old Trafford, with the latter bringing him with him to the Theatre of Dreams from Everton in 2013.

"I told them to be aware of set-pieces against, which we knew they were very strong," he told Sky Sports. "David found in Soucek his new Fellaini. They fought very hard to be lucky, so I praise them.

"This is a game that was in the pocket and we lost two points."

Moyes meanwhile praised his side's turnaround while admitting that his celebratory reaction after Lanzini's equaliser called to mind that of former Luton Town boss Pleat, who took off across the pitch in similar fashion in 1983 when his side avoided relegation thanks to a Radomir Antic goal against Manchester City at Maine Road.

"I have just seen my celebration," he told BBC Sport. "[A] David Pleat moment came to mind! I know someone else who has run and slid down the touchline, so I wasn't going to copy that."

"It is one of these moments you don't often get in football. At one point you're saying how bad can this get. I hadn't thought we played badly in the first half, that's what I said at half time.

"Sometimes you feel you have to do something. We didn't. We made changes later on and they certainly made a big difference.

"The plan was not to go 4-0 down. We said if we got one we would see what happened. It is a growing confidence we have at West Ham at the moment.

"[It was] a really good performance from the players [that] got us back into it. We thought we played really well, the football was good, we threatened them.

"We are playing against a team everyone is talking about and after 10 minutes I was thinking [that] this going to be six or seven. We changed and it made us better.

"You get a lot of downs in football when you are working hard and trying to attain the top level [but] today was a great moment. Since we came back from lockdown we've been a completely different team."

Tottenham star Son Heung-min says his team-mates are 'devastated' after they gave up a three-goal lead to draw 3-3 with West Ham.

Son opened the scoring for the home side in the first minute as he tucked into the bottom corner after taking on a pass from Harry Kane.

The England star then netted two of his own as Spurs were in full control after 16 minutes.

But West Ham fought back late in the second half, with Fabian Balbuena heading in the visitors' first goal before Davinson Sanchez knocked the ball into his own net and Manuel Lanzini secured a point with an incredible shot from distance.

Son admitted the Spurs players were in shock after the final whistle as they felt they should have won.

"The lads are devastated for the result, we think we deserved three points and played really well until the last 10 minutes. It's a shock," he told Sky Sports .

"It is football. It should never happen but it is part of football. We have to be focused until the referee's whistle. I don't want to feel this again, this is a good lesson for us to never happen again.

"We dominated the game from the start and scored three early goals and completely controlled the game. We had a couple more chances to score, but when you score three goals at home you can't drop points.

"It is so sad for me. The players, the team, are all sad. What happened, happened. It is just so sad. It should never happen again."

The 28-year-old told BBC Sport  that the result felt worse than a draw and hopes they learn their lesson after letting their concentration drop.

"It hurt. I don't know what I should say... I am very sad, it feels like we lost the game," he added.

"The second half we still dominated the game and controlled the game, had a couple of chances we should do better. A football game is 95, 97 minutes, you have to be focused.

"We should remember this feeling forever so it never happens again. It is just so sad that we lost a big two points, when we as a collective played so well and as a team dominated and controlled the game, to draw the game feels like we lost."

Crystal Palace forward Jordan Ayew has contracted coronavirus and he has gone into self-isolation to treat himself.

The Ghana international revealed his health status on Sunday after missing Crystal Palace's 1-1 draw against Brighton and Hove Albion at Selhurst Park.

Ayew recently returned to south London after going on international duty with the Black Stars in Turkey where he played in their international friendly fixtures against Qatar and Mali.

He has been a regular player in Roy Hodgson's Crystal Palace set-up since the start of the season with four appearances in the Premier League.

The 29-year-old disclosed he is asymptomatic to Covid-19 but he has commenced the self-isolation at home.

“Sadly, I have tested positive for Covid-19 and have begun my quarantine in line with the health guidance,” Ayew tweeted.

“Thankfully, I am feeling fine and I do not have any symptoms. I will be cheering the boys on from home and look forward to being back on the pitch soon.”

After Wilfried Zaha's strike earned them a point against Brighton, Crystal Palace took time to wish their frontman a speedy recovery on the sidelines.

However, Hodgson suspects he contracted Covid-19 in the Ghana camp and he does not know when Ayew will return to action.

"Unfortunately he tested positive for Covid in our last test on Friday," Hodgson said, per Evening Standard.

"He's been away with Ghana, which we weren't exactly delighted to accept that he had to do. Like several other Ghanaian players, I believe when they have gone back to their clubs they have tested positive.

"Now we have to follow the relative government and Premier League guidelines before we see him again.

"I don't know [when we'll have him back]. Don't ask me to stand here and explain all of the Premier League government guidelines when it comes to Covid."

Ode Fulutudilu shone for CSKA Moscow as they broke a six-year winless jinx against PK-35 Vantaa following Saturday's 2-0 victory in a Finnish Naisten Liiga encounter. 

Prior to the encounter, Aland had not won in 14 matches in all competitions against the five-time champions, with their last a 1-0 victory on July 12, 2014, drawing four times and losing 10 times subsequently.

Fulutudilu bagged her 13th start of the season from coach Samuel Fagerholm and gave a good account of herself as she created several chances, including a penalty that sealed their long-sought win.

Fagerholm's team made a brilliant start but could not break the visitors' defence as Anna Westerlund threatened twice with headers off corners from Anni Miettunen inside the opening five minutes.

In the 15th minute, Rosa Herreros raced in from the right before providing a fine pass for Miettunen to open the scoring for the hosts to secure the driving seat before the half-time break.

After the restart, Jari Vaisanen's ladies pushed for a comeback but Fulutudilu compounded the woes of the visitors as she won a penalty after her strike came off the crossbar.

Isabella Mattsson converted the resulting penalty kick in the 51st minute to wrap up her side's epic win over PK-35 at the Wiklof Holding Arena.

The South African, who boasts of five goals in 14 outings so far this season, was in action for 73 minutes of the match before she was replaced by Emelie Johansson for Aland.

The victory kept Aland in the top spot with 37 points from 17 matches this season, although tied with second-placed TiPS but ahead of goal-difference.

They will continue their pursuit for a first-ever domestic double against KuPS in their next fixture on October 31.