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Thiago Silva has "got everything", according to Kurt Zouma, who says he's "excited to learn from" Chelsea's summer signing.

Chelsea snapped Silva up on a free transfer at the end of August after seeing him depart Paris Saint-Germain at the end of his contract.

The Brazilian wasn't offered a renewal at Parc des Princes despite helping Thomas Tuchel's side reach last season's Champions League final, but was given the chance to extend his career at the highest level when Frank Lampard came calling.

The Chelsea boss handed the 36-year-old his Premier League debut away at West Brom on September 26, and also trusted him with the captain's armband.

Silva had a day to forget as his mistake gifted Callum Robinson one of his two goals in the 3-3 draw, raising question marks over his ability to perform in the English top flight.

He managed to ease those doubts in Chelsea's next outing against Crystal Palace the following month, producing an assured display at the back alongside Zouma during a comfortable 4-0 victory.

Zouma has been impressed with what he has seen from Silva so far, and hopes to soak up as much knowledge as he can from an experienced figure as the season progresses.

"You can see straight away, as soon as he [Thiago Silva] walked through the door at Cobham, he gives advice to the players around him, he’s really good with people and you can definitely see he has very good leadership skills," the Blues defender told the club's official website.

"Everyone has welcomed Thiago into the group and we are all happy he’s with us at Chelsea.

"I’m very excited to work with Thiago but I don’t think I’m the only one, a lot of the guys here at Chelsea feel exactly the same. We are all excited to play with him and to learn from him.

"He’s got great experience at the highest level, he’s won a lot of titles and last season he played in the Champions League final.

"For me, he’s got everything. He’s calm on the ball, he can defend very well, his positioning is great. I’m very happy he’s here and excited to learn from him."

Asked to address any potential communication issues with the Brazilian, Zouma responded: "He doesn’t speak English that well just yet but he speaks French, so I can help him with that and so can a few other boys," 

Ex-Leicester City full-back Ben Chilwell, who also joined Chelsea during the summer transfer window, added on the instant impact Silva has had in the Stamford Bridge dressing room: "Ever since he came in the building, when he is in the room he has a presence about him, and he makes everyone want to do well and standards will never slip, which they shouldn’t anyway,

"He demands quality and assures the whole team around him so it is great to have him in there with us, and he talks throughout the whole game."

Kenyan Premier League champions Gor Mahia will have quite a task in their quest to defend the title considering their first five 2020/21 fixtures.

The giants have been handed Tusker – their most formidable rivals in the last four seasons – as the first opponents for the new season away from home.

It will be the second straight time the Brewers and K’Ogalo have been scheduled in a season-opening fixture as they had met in the 2019/20 season, when Gor Mahia mounted a comeback to stun Tusker 5-2 in Kisumu.

The Gor Mahia-Tusker tie is one of the matches that have been scheduled to take place on the season-opening day on November 20.

The second match for Oliveira ‘Robertinho’ Goncalves' side will be against the 2010 league champions Ulinzi Stars on November 28.

For their third match, Gor Mahia will entertain the 2008 Kenyan Premier League winners Mathare United on December 4.

The Green Army will then host another former league champions Sofapaka in what will be their second home match on December 9.

On December 13, the record league champions will travel to face debutants Bidco United in a game that will be expected to start at 16:15.

Gor Mahia’s fixtures are expected to be subjected to further amendments as they will also take part in the Caf Champions League tournament which will kick off later in the year.

The 19-time league winners have been training in Nairobi in the last couple of weeks in preparation, especially for the continental competition.

They are now under a new coach – Goncalves, who previously was in charge of Rayon Sports – after Steven Polack took holiday and later confirmed his resignation after a season with the club.

The first five fixtures will play a great role in telling whether Gor Mahia are ready to win the league title for the fifth consecutive time.

Meanwhile, Kakamega Homeboyz - who had a rather good run before the FKF cancelled the competition in May - will open their campaign with a game against Mathare United. The match will be played on November 21.

They will then host Sofapaka on November 29 before playing their second away game against KCB on December 4.

On December 9, the Kakamega club will face debutants Nairobi City Stars before a fifth tie against Ulinzi Stars on December 9, probably at Afraha Stadium in Nakuru.

Jose Enrique has described Thiago Alcantara as a "phenomenal player" and backed Liverpool's new "magician" to be the signing of the season.

Liverpool bought Thiago from Bayern Munich for £20 million ($26m) on September 18, tying him down to a four-year contract.

The former Barcelona playmaker has won 24 major trophies over the course of his career, including two Champions League crowns, the second of which he picked up with Bayern in 2019-20.

Jurgen Klopp threw the experienced 29-year-old straight in at the deep end two days after his arrival at Anfield, bringing him on as a substitute in the 2-0 victory over Chelsea.

Thiago gave Liverpool fans a tantalising glimpse of what he will bring to the side during his 45-minute cameo, setting a new record for the number of passes played in a single Premier League game.

The Spaniard was forced to self-isolate after testing positive for coronavirus shortly after the Chelsea game, but will be available for selection once again for Saturday's Merseyside derby against Everton.

Enrique believes Thiago will add a creative spark to Klopp's side which has been lacking since Philippe Coutinho's move to Barcelona in January 2018, and that his decision to join the Reds shows how far they have come in recent seasons.

"He's a phenomenal player. He's a top midfielder but he's also a magician in the way that [Philippe] Coutinho was," the former Liverpool defender told the Daily Mail.

"I can see him alongside Jordan Henderson and Fabinho in midfield, giving the team something they didn't have before. It says a lot about where the club is right now that someone who is an important player at Bayern Munich wants to come and play for Liverpool."

Enrique continued to wax lyrical over Thiago after approving another of Liverpool's summer signings, with £41 million ($53m) Diogo Jota considered to be the ideal man to provide competition for Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah after moving to Anfield from Wolves.

"Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri are good players but we were missing someone who, if he adapts, can reach the level of the other three forwards," he added. "Now with Jota, it would not be as serious a problem if one of the others were out for a longer period.

"I think [Jurgen] Klopp has the best squad he has had since he has been at the club, and he will make the signings better players. He makes all of them better players.

"It's difficult to improve someone who a top Bayern player but Thiago will learn new things. He will be, if not the signing, then certainly one of the signings of the season."

Simba SC midfielder Clatous Chama has assured the club's fans that he will soon renew his contract with the Tanzanian giants.

The Zambian midfielder is among the key players who are running down their contracts with Simba and reports have linked him with rivals Young Africans (Yanga SC).

But in a question and answer session with fans on his Instagram page, Chama, who was voted the best player and midfielder of the 2019-20 season, has now revealed his readiness to extend his stay with the Wekundu wa Msimbazi.

“Very soon, very soon I hope all will be well,” Chama answered a fan who wanted to know his contract situation.

Another answer which will delight Simba fans came after a Yanga fan asked him to sign for them, Chama responded: “Thank you for the offer, but here at Simba, things are very good, enjoying everything,”

In a recent interview, Simba information officer Haji Manara rubbished reports linking Chama to Yanga, saying they will not lose their star player to their rivals because their style of play does not fit him.

“If you want Chama to play well, he needs a team that can possess the ball and if he goes to Yanga, how will he play and they don’t have that kind of play?” Manara asked a question during an interview.

“First of all they don’t have money to buy the player, his contract with us stands at 100million dollars, does Yanga have the money to break the bank and buy the player?

“I want to ask Simba fans not to get worried, those are rumours in social media, they don’t have any truth in it, we are not ready to allow Chama to leave, he is also committed to Simba and that is the case.”

Simba coach Sven Vandenbroeck has also on many occasions stated his wish to keep the player at the club beyond the current contract.

“Whenever a player's contract is over, he becomes free to make his decision but if he continues to perform like this, maybe it will be hard to let him go,” Vandenbroeck told reporters.

“For now, I cannot comment much because I do not know what is in the head of Chama and the Board Members. I can only say that if he will continue to play like this, I will be the happy coach and will want him to stay.”

Chama has been a key player for Simba and only last season he led the side to win a treble – Community Shield, a league title, and FA Cup.

He was also voted the Most Valuable Player and midfielder of the year in the 2019-20 campaign.

Temwa Chawinga says she is eager to record more successes with her Chinese Women's Super League side Wuhan.

The Malawi international ended as Wuhan's top scorer and the league's runners-up as she scored nine goals in 13 matches to help her side to a first-ever domestic title after a 19-year wait.

To clinch the coveted crown, Wuhan thrashed holders Jiangsu Suning 4-0 in the 2020 final, with Temwa scoring the opener to bury the dreams of her sister Tabitha and Jiangsu's back-to-back title ambitions.

Following her remarkable debut season in China, the 22-year-old, who enjoyed a successful two-year spell in Sweden, where she scored 59 goals in 57 games, is keen on inspiring her side to more silverware.

"Our team [Wuhan] put in a brilliant performance," Temwa told Fifa.com after their title triumph.

"I may have scored the opening goal but I owe thanks to my team-mates.  I wouldn't have played so well had it not been for their strong support.

"Our rivals also played well, and my sister demonstrated her talent. She has been my role model.

"I am a young player and I wanted to make further progress in a strong Asian league. That was why I moved to China.”

The title success handed Wuhan a qualification ticket to represent China in this year's AFC Women's Club Championship to be held at a yet-to-be-announced venue in November.

They will join South Korea's representatives Incheon Red Angels and Australian giants Melbourne City for the second edition of the tournament won by Nippon TV Beleza last year.

Nigeria’s international friendlies against Algeria and Tunisia will give Gernot Rohr selection headaches ahead of November’s Africa Cup of Nations qualification double-header against Sierra Leone.

The Super Eagles bowed 1-0 to the reigning African champions in their first game before settling for a 1-1 draw with the Carthage Eagles on Tuesday.

In the absence of the likes of Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, Leicester City’s Wilfred Ndidi, Rangers’ Joe Aribo, Galatasaray's Peter Etebo and goalkeeper Francis Uzoho, the games played in Austria gave the German tactician a chance to try new legs.

Assessing his team’s performance, the former Gabon, Niger and Burkina Faso handler was impressed with their performance, albeit, felt the results could have been better.

His team will try the Leone Stars for size in next month’s qualifiers en route Cameroon 2022, and he disclosed it will be difficult picking a squad for the game owing to the inspiring performances of the "new boys".

“We are happy to have had this opportunity to be camped in Austria for 10 days.  It was a very good feeling to be together again after being away for 11 months, although we missed some key players,” he told the NFF media.

“The two friendly games we played were very good competitive games. Algeria and Tunisia are very good teams.

“Indeed, the results could have been better. We could have picked up a draw against Algeria and a win against Tunisia.

"We have some positives to pick out from the games because in spite of missing some key players we still competed well.

“Now, it is going to be difficult for me to pick our list for the Afcon qualifiers next month because of the new boys who did well.

“I believe these very good friendly games will help us to return to winning ways when we play Sierra Leone next month. Good results next month may see us qualifying for the 2022 Afcon already."

Thanks to victories over Benin Republic and Lesotho, the three-time African champions currently lead Group L having accrued six points.

Nigeria finished third at the 2019 edition of the biennial competition staged in Egypt – defeating Tunisia 1-0 in the third-place play-off courtesy of Odion Ighalo’s first-half strike.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Fifa have celebrated with Al-Nassr forward Ahmed Musa on his birthday.

The speedster was born on October 14, 1992, in Maiduguri, and has been sent wonderful messages on his 28th birthday.

The forward has enjoyed great success on the international scene since breaking into the limelight at the 2010 Wafu Nations Cup, hosted in Nigeria.

The forward’s impressive displays in the competition inspired the West Africans to the final of the tournament and was subsequently handed his Super Eagles debut at the age of 17 against Madagascar in 2010.

Musa has risen to the team’s captain and has delivered memorable eye-catching performances for the West Africans.

The winger put smiles on the faces of the Super Eagles fans at the 2014 and 2018 World Cup tournaments in Brazil and Russia, respectively.

Musa scored four goals for the three-time African champions at the global tournaments to become Nigeria top-scorer in the competition.

The forward also played a prominent role as the West Africans won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations South Africa.

He recently shone during his 93rd appearance for the Super Eagles against Tunisia on Tuesday, providing an assist to help the side avoid defeat in the encounter.

The football governing bodies have sent birthday wishes to the winger, recollecting his impressive showings for Nigeria. 

The fleet-footed forward has also enjoyed success at club level since he started his career with GBS Football Academy.

Musa bagged a number of goals in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) before he moved to Europe, joining VVV-Venlo from Kano Pillars on loan.

His impressive performances earned him a move to Russian Premier League side CSKA Moscow in 2012 and spent four years with the side during his first stint before moving to Leicester City.

After two years in England, he moved back to Russia to re-join CSKA on loan before he permanently switched to Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr in the summer of 2018.

Since teaming up with Al-Nassr, Musa has helped the club win the Saudi Professional League and Super Cup.

The forward will hope to continue his impressive form for both club and country in the 2020-21 season.

Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has addressed rumours of a potential transfer to Manchester United for Kingsley Coman.

Coman has spent the last five years of his career with Bayern, having joined the club on an initial loan deal from Juventus in 2015.

The German champions brought the 24-year-old onto their books permanently two years later, after seeing the talented winger establish himself as an important member of the squad.

Coman has suffered serious injury setbacks since then, with a knee issue forcing him to miss most of the 2019-20 campaign, but he returned to action in time to help Bayern seal a historic treble.

The Frenchman netted the winning goal in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain on August 23, heading home after meeting a perfectly-flighted Joshua Kimmich cross at the back post.

Despite the ex-Juventus star's impressive contribution on the European stage, he was touted for a move away from Bayern during the summer transfer window, with Old Trafford mooted as his most likely destination.

Coman was one of several wingers reportedly under consideration at United as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sought to bolster his attacking options, but a final deal never came to fruition.

Salihamidzic insists Bayern would not have sanctioned the departure of a prized asset with three years left to run on his current contract, and that the Red Devils never formalised their supposed interest in the first place.

"There was nothing, and we wouldn't have looked into it either. His goal in the Champions League final should explain enough why we are relying on him wholeheartedly," the Allianz Arena chief told Sport Bild.

Thiago Alcantara ended up being the only high-profile exit at Bayern this summer, as he completed a £20 million ($26m) move to Liverpool, while Leroy Sane, Marc Roca, Bouna Sarr and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting were added to Hansi Flick's squad on permanent deals.

Douglas Costa also returned to the Allianz for a second spell on loan from Juventus, but the Bundesliga giants missed out on the signing of Ajax defender Sergino Dest, who joined Barcelona for £19m ($25m).

Salihamidzic added on Bayern's failed move for the United States international: "There are transfers that come to the point where you have to say: 'We are out immediately'. 

"It is all the more important that one thinks about alternatives or alternative paths right from the start."

Uganda head coach Johnathan McKinstry has explained why the Dubai training camp was more important than friendlies.

The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) decided to take the Cranes to the Middle East for a week-long training camp ahead of a November double-header against South Sudan in the African Cup of Nations qualifiers.

“Overall, I am very pleased with the camp we have completed in Dubai, it has been a very worthwhile six-seven day,” McKinstry said as was quoted by Sports Nation.

“We have done a lot of good work not only on the field but also in the classroom.

“And this is something you don’t often get to do during international football break because it tends to be a match after a match where your focus is on that opponent and not get much time to look at yourself on how to build for a long time.

“This last week was really about building for the medium and long term, not just for the objectives of the South Sudan double-header in November but also looking for to the rest of the Afcon qualifying and the qualifying series of the World Cup as well.”

The former Rwanda coach was happy, especially for they concluded the training camp without incidences of coronavirus infection.

“The boys have worked extremely very hard, and we have also been able to follow Covid-19 protocols as all our tests returned negative,” he added.

“There have been challenges everywhere, we saw the Guinea game called off.”

McKinstry also promised that he will soon name the players to take on South Sudan for the third Afcon group qualifier.

“It is only a short time until November and I will be naming the squad in a couple of weeks, the guys will be back together and will be very hungry to get going again,” he concluded.

Mamelodi Sundowns' Denis Onyango and Smouha SC’s Derrick Nsibambi's missed the Dubai trip and the former’s case irked the coach who blasted the club for not releasing his captain.

South Sudan, who are looking for a maiden Afcon qualification, were active during the Fifa break and drew 0-0 with Cameroon.

Racheal Kundananji has clinched the top scorer gong and helped BIIK Kazygurt to retain the Kazakhstan Women's Premier League title.

Following Monday's 4-1 triumph over Koksetao, BIIK clinched a record 14th Kazakhstan crown and eighth in a row, with the Zambia international playing a crucial role in their final-day victory.

Before the encounter, the Zambian star had netted eight goals in four outings for the Kazakhstan giants but placed second on the scorers' chart, one short of the league's leading scorer.

The 20-year-old striker scored twice along with efforts from Yekaterina Babshuk and Gulnara Gabelia which ensured Kaloyan Petkov's side wrapped up the 2020 season on a high.

The triumph over Koksetao guaranteed their eighth win in eight league outings and confirmed their automatic qualification to the Round of 32 of the 2020-21 Uefa Women's Champions League.

BIIK will gear up for their Champions League Round of 32 draw on October 20 as they aim to surpass their Round of 16 feat in their last outing after a 7-0 aggregate loss to Bayern Munich.

On her part, Kundananji's brace on the final day helped her to edge leading scorer and teammate Gabelia, on superior assists to clinch the coveted prize. 

Her exploits this term also saw her surpass her debut season's feat when she managed only four goals and nine assists in 11 outings.

She also becomes the second Zambian female to clinch a golden boot in 2020 season after compatriot Barbra Banda won the gong, with 18 goals from 13 outings, for Shanghai Shengli in China.

Both Zambian stars are likely to be on parade when the Southern Africa nation take on Chile in a build-up to their Tokyo 2021 outing. 

Arsenal manager Joe Montemurro says there is “a massive amount of internal review” taking place at the club at the moment in light of a “concerning” number of injuries.

The Gunners currently have seven players nursing problems as they prepare for this weekend’s north London derby against arch-rivals Tottenham.

That isn’t including a number who have spent time out since the new season started at the beginning of September, either.

“There is a massive, massive amount of internal review that we are doing because it's something that has crept up on us in an area where we felt we were very, very strong,” Montemurro explained.

“Is it load management? Possibly. Is it the accumulation of games? Possibly. Is it the long pause of games and now, suddenly, there are lots of games and there is the stress of real-game situations as opposed to training at home alone? Possibly.

“We're trying to work out where and how and why this has happened. We need to be better at understanding all of this. There is no finger pointing here, this is about us coming together as a group, as a wider Arsenal, and also how we work with individuals on a specific basis and looking at how we can get better results.

“We need to look at it and be better because it's an area where we are a little bit concerned."

That is despite a lot of extra precautions taken this season by the club, off the back of such a long break without football, too.

“There’s been more in terms of the screening and nutrition and the understanding of where they’re at. We’ve done a lot in terms of the mental health and the psychology areas. Those two areas are non-negotiables for us,” Montemurro said.

“I do have a feeling that professional athletes being out of the game for six months, in terms of the impact, in terms of the moment, the decision making, the different scenarios in terms of football pressure and football environments as opposed to isolated training, has taken its toll.

“One of the things we’ve tried to do from day one was to simulate and integrate real football situations as much as we could. A football moment is different to replicating it in training and replicating it on your own at home.

“The turns are different, the ball travels differently, the grass is different, the pressure is different, so we’d just try to replicate that as much as we can, but I think the long period out doing those football actions I think has taken its toll.”

After this weekend’s clash with Spurs, Arsenal will lose a large amount of their players to the international break, with as many as 13 away with their countries for the latter half of October.

Montemurro says there are conversations ongoing with those national teams as he aims to protect his players ahead of what will be a long season, with the Gunners likely to go far, once again, in the cup competitions.

“We give a lot of data to the national teams pre-camp,” he explained.

“We would expect the national teams to look at the data of where the player is coming in, at what load level, but also from a football playing perspective, and look at the type of games, because some games are obviously more intense than others. So that gives you an idea of where the player is going into camp.

“We give a lot of detail in regard to information to all the national teams. What they do with it? We hope they respect [it], as much as we respect the fact that [the players] go on national team duty.

“We hope they respect our ability to give that information, but also the fact that they spend most of the year with us.

“There is dialogue, there is communication, there's a lot of thought process from our side because we have to accumulate [their national team game time] as part of their load.

“We've had a history of players coming back injured from national team scenarios, but what they do with [the data] is with the national team.”

Junior Ajayi and Mohamed El Shenawy have been named in the Al Ahly squad for Saturday’s Caf Champions League first-leg semi-final against Wydad Casablanca.

The reigning Egyptian Premier League kings are gunning for their ninth African title, however, they must navigate their way past the Moroccans who are eyeing a third continental crown.

To make this dream a reality, coach Pitso Mosimane has announced a strong 22-man squad with the former Nigeria U23 star making the cut.

Also, Mahmoud Kahraba has been declared fit for the crunch tie, while the Red Devils will be without defender Ramy Rabia, who is down with a muscular injury. Angola international striker Geraldo and Ali Maaloul will join the rest of the squad in Morocco after their national team duties.

Former Shooting Stars forward Ajayi scored his seventh goal of the 2019-20 Egyptian top-flight season from 28 league games as Al Ahly silenced ENPPI 3-0 on October 7.

He joined the Cairo-based team in 2016 after a season at Tunisian elite division club CS Sfaxien.

After Saturday’s first-leg at Stade Mohammed V, Casablanca, the Wydad of Nation travel to the Cairo International Stadium for the return leg billed for October 23.

To get to this stage, Al Ahly eliminated Mamelodi Sundowns 3-1 over two legs while Wydad Casablanca were 2-1 winners against Tunisia’s Etoile du Sahel over two legs.

Squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Mohamed El-Shennawy, Ali Lotfy, Mostafa Shobier

Defenders: Mahmoud Wahid, Ayman Ashraf, Yasser Ibrahim, Mohamed Hany, Ahmed Fathi, Ali Maaloul

Midfielders: Amr El-Sulaya, Aliou Dieng, Hamdy Fathi, Mohamed Magdy Afsha, Junior Ajayi, Saleh Gomaa, Hussein El-Shahat, Ahmed El-Sheikh, Walid Soliman, Mahmoud Kahraba, Geraldo

Strikers: Marwan Mohsen, Aliou Badji

Former Gor Mahia defender Musa Mohammed is on his way back to Nkana FC.

The former K’Ogalo captain was heavily linked with a transfer to Kenyan Premier League (KPL) side Sofapaka, after running down his contract with the Zambian giants, who won the league title last season.

A source close to the player has now confirmed to Goal Mohammed will be heading back to Zambia to play for Nkana for another season.

“They [Nkana] have asked him to travel and he will leave on Sunday to sign a one-year deal,” the source, who did not want to be named, told Goal on Wednesday.

Mohammed was not involved in the last league matches as Nkana went on to wrestle the title from Zesco United.

Goal also understands other Kenyan players at Nkana – Duncan Otieno, Duke Abuya, and Harun Shakava – will also return to play for the club in the new season.

Otieno and Shakava were also heavily linked with transfers to AFC Leopards but the source has confirmed they will all return to Zambia to feature for the champions, who will now take part in the Caf Champions League.

Sofapaka through president Elly Kalekwa had engaged the player over a possible transfer but the deal did not materialize.

“Musa is an exceptional talent, and the coach [John Baraza] was keen on working with him,” Kalekwa told Goal after the move hit a snag.

“The only obstacle was on the sign-on fee where the player wanted Ksh 6 million before committing. It was too much for the club; the club is now working on plan B to ensure everything is seamless by the start of the new campaign.

“Sometimes also the coach decides who he wants to work with, in the team, so if he again recommends otherwise, we have to follow because he is the one who will work with these players and not the management.”

Mohammed featured for K'Ogalo from 2010 to 2017 before moving to Albania for a short stint with KF Tirana. When he ended his contract with the European club, he returned home before moving to Zambia in 2018.

Scott McTominay has claimed the Manchester United squad are behind Ole Gunnar Solskjaer amid rumours that Bruno Fernandes has lost faith in the Norwegian.

The pressure is beginning to build on Solskjaer at the start of his second full season in charge at Old Trafford.

United managed a third-place finish in 2019-20, but have so far been unable to build on the promise of an impressive post-lockdown run between June and August.

The Red Devils opened their latest campaign with a home defeat to Crystal Palace, before picking up a fortunate victory away at Brighton in between Carabao Cup wins against Luton Town and the Seagulls.

Any momentum built up after three wins on the bounce was wiped out completely when Solskjaer saw his side thrashed 6-1 by Tottenham before the international break, which already leaves them nine points behind early pacesetters Everton having played a game less.

Fernandes scored United's goal from the penalty spot against Spurs, taking his overall tally for the club to 14 in 26 appearances since joining from Sporting CP in January.

The €55 million (£50m/$65m) playmaker quickly settled into life in the Premier League while seemingly inspiring his new team-mates to raise their own performance levels, but the mood of optimism surrounding the club has been replaced by frustration and disappointment in recent weeks.

It has been reported that Fernandes no longer believes Solskjaer is the right man to take the Red Devils forward, and that he was left bemused by the club's failure to significantly strengthen the squad during the summer transfer window.

However, McTominay has rubbished any suggestion of discord in the dressing room, insisting the 47-year-old head coach still enjoys the full confidence of his players.

"The whole club is behind him," the Scotland midfielder told TV2 while away on international duty. "We believe in every word he says, and it’s not just him. 

"We trust every word from Mike Phelan, Kieran McKenna, Michael Carrick and the entire support staff."

Asked to assess the first two-and-a-half years of Solskjaer's reign, McTominay added: "Fantastic. You see it in the way he has developed me and given me playing time and how I have played. That is a lot to his credit."

United are due back in Premier League action away at Newcastle on Saturday, before their focus shifts to a Champions League group-stage opener against Paris Saint-Germain three days later.

Ugandan Premier League record champions Sports Club Villa will have a new ownership structure, the interim committee led by the club legend William Nkemba has announced.

The club will now be run by what has been dubbed as ‘Villa Members Trust’ which will be inducted at the end of the month.

“We managed to go back to the roots of the club and we now announce the Villa Members Trust as the owners of Villa and will be duly incorporated on October 30,” Nkemba said in a document obtained by Goal.

“Membership shall be for those persons who subscribe annually to its membership of paying an inauguration fee of USh50,000 to the club.

“Current and future assets of Villa will be owned by the members. It is only the members who will have a say in affairs of the club.

“To become a member of the Villa’s trust and be eligible to hold administrative duties with the club. We shall open the registration of the membership on October 30 to December 31.

“This membership shall be open to all who have the best interest of the club, and it is only those who will be members who hold ownership and will decide the future of the club.”

Nkemba went further to explain how the club will be specifically run structurally as they try to regain their previous winning formula.

“This is an instrument which allows Villa to be a community-owned club and this has been given the okay by the founding members,” the Jogoo legend added.

“Going forward, Villa shall be owned by the statutes of the club including the club congress – a body within the trust and shall be the supreme body of the club.

“There will be a trust, headed by the trustees [the board and the custodians] within the trust there will be the congress which shall be the sporting arm of the trust.

“There shall be an executive body headed by the president who shall be voted from the congress, and the president will pick his executive from the membership of the congress which shall not have more than 120 persons.

“The club president shall hold office for four years and will be accountable as far as sporting success is concerned.

“We shall also have a secretariat body headed by the Chief Executive who will perform administrative duties.”

The interim committee was formed to restore stability at the iconic Ugandan club that has been struggling off and on the pitch in the previous seasons.

Nairobi City Stars have supported the move by the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) to set a new date for the resumption of the 2020-21 FKF Premier League.

On Tuesday, the FKF through a statement obtained by Goal, confirmed the new season will kick off on November 20 with draft fixtures set to be released on Wednesday.

City Stars, who earned promotion to the top-flight when the FKF moved to end the National Super League (NSL) in mid-March owing to the effects caused by the coronavirus pandemic, have now welcomed the move, saying the period given before resumption is sufficient enough for clubs to prepare well.

“We are very okay with the league kick-off date,” City Stars CEO Patrick Korir told Goal on Wednesday.

“This was discussed at the FKF PL meeting held last Friday and clubs felt it was ripe for the league to resume.

“Remember, games were last played in mid-March and it's impractical to delay the league any further and ass City Stars we support November 20 kick-off as, by calculation, that gives a six-week pre-season window for clubs which is sufficient for good preparations.

“We resumed training in the ended week and should there be no interruptions we shall be ready for the top league by the time it kicks-off on the mentioned dates.”

On Tuesday, several clubs welcomed the new date for kick-off, with Kakamega Homeboyz chairman Cleophas Shimanyula delighted by the move.

“It is the greatest news ever for any football lover,” Shimanyula told Goal on Tuesday. “We are all itching to have action back, seven months in the cold is not an easy thing, the players have really suffered but to have the league back is the best news ever.”

Asked whether they are ready to play their first match, Shimanyua said: “We are always ready to play, we started training in groups a week ago and this week we have increased the intensity of training, we have been gearing up well, we are ready, let the action begin.”

Meanwhile, Sofapaka President Elly Kalekwa told Goal: “We have really waited for the day FKF will give us direction on when the season will start and now that they have confirmed, everyone is very happy at the club.

“It is the best news ever for us, we have been training for the last two weeks, we have also finished our transfer business, and are good to go.”

According to the FKF governing council, the decision to resume the league on November 20, was informed by the need to ensure the completion of the 2020-21 season in good time and in line with the global football calendar.

“The progress of the pre-season training sessions by the league clubs that are currently ongoing and with the successful international friendly between Kenya and Zambia while observing the Ministry of Health protocols has laid a positive ground for the safe resumption of the league,” read a statement from FKF obtained by Goal.

“The general council remains cognizant of the Covid-19 situation in the country and has put in measures that will ensure the league will be conducted within the existing health regulations in the country to ensure the wellbeing and safety of all those involved."

Whether the league will kick off as per the new date remains to be seen as football is among contact sports which are banned until further notice in the country.