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Roberto Firmino may have scored only once in his last 14 outings - and two in 24 - but John Barnes says the Liverpool striker’s goal form is no cause for concern.

The Brazil international may occupy a central striking berth and the No.9 shirt at Anfield, but others are relied upon to provide the main source of goals.

Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane continue to deliver on that front in one of the most fearsome attacking tridents in world football, allowing Firmino to focus on other areas.

There have been suggestions that the South American should be hitting the target on a more regular basis, but Barnes feels the 29-year-old remains an integral part of Jurgen Klopp’s plans.

Quizzed by BonusCodeBets on whether Firmino’s lack of goals is an issue, Reds legend Barnes said: “No, is the answer. Firmino’s role is slightly different and it’s not necessarily about netting the ball; in fact, he brings more to the team than just goals.

“By having him supporting Salah and Mane in front of the net, and for those two to lead the goal scoring, has done the team a world of good, which became very clear last season.

“This magical trio finished on a combined 57 goals and 38 assists - now that’s something to be proud of. Yes, it’s a slight different set-up to many other teams but it works.” 

Liverpool have moved to bring even more firepower into their ranks for 2020-21, with Portugal international forward Diogo Jota snapped up from Wolves in the summer transfer window. Barnes believes he can help to carry the goalscoring load, with the hard-working 23-year-old another wide attacker in the mould of Salah and Mane.

“Jota is a great player who will be able to help strengthen the squad,” said Barnes.

“Will he play in front three? Probably not but he's given us enough quality that if one of the front three gets injured, he can come in and do a very good job and someone you can count on.

“For someone to say that he’s ready to play in each position that the manager wants him to says a lot about a player and his attitude. It shows a level of maturity, dedication and professionalism. I really think Jota will bring a lot to the team. He’s one to watch.” 

Liverpool should have looked into offloading Divock Origi over sanctioning a £23.5 million ($30m) move to Sheffield United for Rhian Brewster, says Phil Thompson, with Xherdan Shaqiri another of those that could have been sold to free up funds.

The Reds agreed a big-money deal with a Premier League rival as they bid farewell to a promising product of their famed academy system.

Brewster had been held in high regard throughout his time on Merseyside, with the talented frontman expected to build on his U17 World Cup triumph with England.

Fierce competition for places left him down the pecking order, though, with a loan spell at Swansea required in order to see regular game time.

He offered enough while at the Liberty Stadium to attract further interest from afar, with Chris Wilder moving to snap him up in the summer transfer window.

Thompson believes Liverpool may live to regret allowing such potential to slip their net, especially as there were other forward-thinking assets that could have been moved on instead of Brewster.

The former Reds captain told Paddy Power: “On the outgoings, I’m disappointed that they decided to let Rhian Brewster go.

“I’d like him to have stayed. I can see some of the reasons why, but if you were asking me whether to go with Brewster or Divock Origi, for me, it’d be Origi going.

“But on the football side, I can see he isn’t playing as many games, so maybe it’ll get him that first-team experience.

“There’s not too many forwards that have the aggression that Brewster has though.

“There’s a couple of others that could have gone, Xherdan Shaqiri for example could’ve brought a few quid in.

“Maybe the outgoings haven’t gone the way they’d like – but the incomings have been really good.”

Shaqiri did see a move mooted as the latest deadline approached, but that passed with no agreement put in place.

The Switzerland international, who has been cleared after initially posting a positive Covid-19 test while away with his country, claims to have no issue with still being on Liverpool’s books.

He has told Thuner Tagblatt: “The media write a lot, but in the end I’m with Liverpool.

“I have a long-term contract, and I really feel good. I have decided to stay with Liverpool. In football, there is always speculation.

“I think the national team comes at a good time to be able to play again and then attack again when I go back to Liverpool.”

Manchester United fans will have to wait a little longer to try out new signing Edinson Cavani on FIFA 21.

Players trying out Early Access or who pre-ordered the Champions Edition or Ultimate Edition versions of FIFA 21 have found out that United’s new No. 7 is not in the game.

Not all summer transfers have been completed in-game following the end of the transfer window on October 5.

Cavani is not a Man United player in FIFA 21 yet as he was a free agent when the game was initially released. He was without a club after leaving Paris Saint-Germain when his contract expired earlier in the summer.

New summer transfers will be available as an update in the coming days, though there is no official release date at this point.

FIFA 21’s full release is on October 9, 2021, four days after the transfer window closed, so players will hopefully not have too long to wait for the squad updates.

Cavani not being in the game also means his overall rating has not yet been revealed.

In FIFA 20, Cavani started at 88 overall, and also had an 89-rated FUTMAS card on Ultimate Team.

Since FIFA 12, Cavani’s base rating has ranged between 85-88 overall, though he has also had numerous special card upgrades. His highest-rated Ultimate Team card to date was a 98-rated Team of the Tournament card in FIFA 18.

Cavani’s latest rating in the online seasons database suggests he could be rated 86, meaning he is set to be one of Man Utd’s highest-rated players in FIFA 21.

At the moment, Bruno Fernandes is the top-rated player at Old Trafford at 87 overall.

Paul Pogba and David De Gea are both rated at 87, with Marcus Rashford at 86 and Anthony Martial rounding off the top five with a rating of 84.

In the real world, Cavani has already spoken of his pride in taking the No. 7 shirt at Old Trafford. He follows the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham and George Best in donning one of the most revered numbers in world football.

The 33-year-old has also admitted he considered quitting football this summer after he, his girlfriend and members of his family tested positive for Covid-19.

South Africa Africa coach Molefi Ntseki was left a satisfied man by the central defence pairing of Thibang Phete and Mosa Lebusa which started Thursday’s international friendly 1-1 draw against Namibia.

As Bafana Bafana now prepare to face Zambia in another friendly match on Sunday, Ntseki welcomes back forward Percy Tau and others like captain Thulani Hlatshwayo, Andile Jali who who did feature on Thursday.

“Percy Tau was rested and rest of the guys who were rested for today’s match will they’ll feature on Sunday‚” said Ntseki as per Sowetan Live.

“Like I said when I talked about the energy levels‚ they [Lebusa and Phete] did very well in the first half. There was no threat in the first half. I think it was one ball that was played behind the defence and I think [Peter] Shalulile tried to put it in at the far post and it went out.

“That was the only opportunity they had in the first half. But when you look at the second half they were playing more of the long balls and we dealt very well in the first half with the long balls.

“But when you start getting tired the concentration levels go down‚ and when you look at the goal we conceded‚ it’s just a question of concentration levels having gone down.

“But if you at how Phete and Lebusa played in the first half‚ I think they did well with complement that they got from Innocent Maela and Abbubaker Mobara.”

Portugal-based Phete impressed Ntseki on an evening he was making his Bafana debut after years of knocking on the national team door without luck.

It is yet to be seen who between Phete and Lebusa, the coach would prefer to partner Hlatshwayo on Sunday.

Ntseki is however concerned about the fitness levels of Premier Soccer League (PSL) players in his squad.

“At half time we were made aware that we needed to replace some of the players with immediate effect and we could understand because of the level of fitness‚ especially for our local players,” Ntseki said.

They are worries that he could go with into Sunday’s hosting of Zambia.

While picking up positives in the draw against Namibia, the coach was however not been too impressed with the result as he says he is keen for a win ahead of November’s 2021 back-to-back Africa of Nations qualifying matches against Sao Tome e Principe.

“But if you look at the whole game‚ I think there were moments that we did very well in terms of our tactical plan‚ out of possession and in possession‚ but unfortunately we’re not happy with the result,” said Ntseki.

“We wanted to win this one and get confidence going forward. But you don’t win the game by not scoring goals‚ you win the game by scoring goals and defending well and not conceding.”

Manchester City will be in a position to sign Lionel Messi in the summer of 2021 if the opportunity presents itself, claims the club’s chief operating officer Omar Berrada.

The Blues quickly positioned themselves at the front of a long queue of suitors over the summer when it became apparent that the Barcelona superstar wanted out of Camp Nou.

Pep Guardiola’s strong ties to Messi – having previously worked with the Argentine in Catalunya – were expected to work in City’s favour if a remarkable deal was to be done.

That door was quickly slammed shut, with the six-time Ballon d’Or winner revealing to Goal that he will be honouring his current deal, but no extension has been put in place at Barca.

Messi will be free to discuss pre-contract terms with other clubs from January, if no fresh terms are agreed in Spain, and City believe they boast the finances to pull off a stunning coup.

Berrada told the Manchester Evening News of past links to Messi and the potential for a future agreement: “He's an amazing talent , he's somebody that can make a significant impact at any club in the world on and off the pitch immediately.

“He's the best player in the world, he's the best player of his generation. I think any club in the world would like to explore the possibility of him joining their team.

“The fact that it was commented that he wanted to come to play for City just shows you how far the team has come over the last years where the best talent of his generation and potentially saying he wants to come and play for us.

“It's hard to guess what could happen. If you think back to those two weeks where everything played out at Barcelona, it's almost impossible to guess what will happen next summer.

“Messi is a generational talent, he's the best player in the world and probably an exception to potential investments that we'd do out of the ordinary but our planning has been done with this current squad and it is being considered with the current opportunities that we have.

“For every single position we have to be prepared because there can be so many things that can happen but at the same time I think we have the financial strength and system ability to make that investment when required.

“That's what puts us in a position where we feel comfortable that we'll be able to take the right decision because it also doesn't mean that we'll have to rush into anything - first because Sergio [Aguero] and Gabriel [Jesus] are performing very well, they are two of the best strikers in the world right now, and when we do decide to bring in potentially someone else, whether it is next season or the one after that then we will be in a financial position to do it for the right price.”

Retaining the services of Pep Guardiola remains a “priority” for Manchester City, claims the club’s chief operating officer Omar Berrada, with it possible that both the Catalan coach and star striker Sergio Aguero could commit to new contracts.

As it stands, both are due to see their current deals expire in the summer of 2021.

Guardiola has remained coy when it comes to his future plans, with a spell at the Etihad Stadium already the longest of his distinguished coaching career to date.

It has been suggested that he will walk away if Champions League glory proves elusive once again this season, but Berrada hopes fresh terms can be thrashed out.

He has told the Manchester Evening News: “Our priority is Pep staying, so if it requires a bit of time it requires a bit of time but we want him to stay.

“There's an element of being prepared [to make a decision] but at the same time he has demonstrated enough and in terms of his performances as a manager and the team he has shown enough commitment and we have also shown commitment to him.

“There's a lot of trust in that relationship - with the chairman, with Txiki [Begiristain], with Ferran [Soriano], Pep and his coaching staff and when you have that level of trust in the relationship the conversations are much easier. I think we'll be fine throughout this process.

“Clearly, Pep was the best manager, is the best manager, and will continue to be the best manager in the world. He has proven that at Barcelona, at Bayern and with us and we want him to stay and feel comfortable being with us.

“This is his fifth season working with us, which he's never done with any other club. That is a testament to his commitment, which is great. Those conversations will happen at the right time.”

As Guardiola keeps City guessing, Aguero is doing likewise.

He has been tipped to walk away as a free agent next summer, but Berrada believes the club’s all-time leading goalscorer can be convinced to stay put.

He added: “I think you will see that with top players like Sergio and managers they have to feel that they can keep contributing to the team and being important for the squad. We're all ambitious, they're ambitious and they want to contribute.

“With Sergio we're expecting another amazing season for him and then the conversation about his future will be had but right now we're just focused on him getting back from his injury and performing as he has been doing up until now.

“For every single position we have to be prepared because there can be so many things that can happen but at the same time I think we have the financial strength and system ability to make that investment when required.

“That's what puts us in a position where we feel comfortable that we'll be able to take the right decision because it also doesn't mean that we'll have to rush into anything - first because Sergio and Gabriel [Jesus] are performing very well, they are two of the best strikers in the world right now, and when we do decide to bring in potentially someone else, whether it is next season or the one after that, then we will be in a financial position to do it for the right price.

“In normal circumstances we have the financial strength and sustainability and a base to be able to make a significant investment if we decide it is the right route to go down.”

Lionel Messi expressed the importance of victory and not the performance after Argentina kicked off their World Cup qualifying campaign with a 1-0 win over Ecuador.

Messi was the hero again for Argentina in Buenos Aires on Thursday, converting a 13th-minute penalty in the country's first match since November last year.

Argentina were scheduled to begin their CONMEBOL qualifying campaign for Qatar 2022 in March, but the coronavirus pandemic scuppered those plans.

The South American giants finally returned to action in a lacklustre display and extended their unbeaten streak to eight games, dating back to the 2019 Copa America in July, thanks to superstar captain and six-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi.

"We knew it was going to be complicated. but the most important thing is that we won and now we have to work to keep growing," Messi said post-match.

"It was important to start off with a win because we know how difficult the world cup qualifiers are.

"The matches are always tough. We hoped the level of play would be different but it's been almost a year since we played together, this was our first game back and the nervousness makes it complicated."

Messi and Argentina played at an empty La Bombonera – the iconic home of Argentine powerhouse Boca Juniors – amid the Covid-19 crisis.

There have been more than 856,000 confirmed cases and over 22,700 deaths from coronavirus in Argentina.

"It was a complicated year for what we are living through," added Barcelona's Messi, whose Argentina meet Bolivia on Tuesday.

"Being able to go back and play with the Argentina national team and give happiness to people with the win, beyond the game, serves to decompress. Much strength to all Argentines."

Messi's goal on Thursday saw him equal a record now also held by Ronaldo and former Barcelona team-mate Luis Suarez. 

Suarez left Camp Nou over the summer for a move to Atletico Madrid with the striker opening up on his controversial departure after he scored in Uruguay's 2-1 win against Chile. 

"When Atletico came looking for me, I didn't hesitate for a single moment," Suarez said. "Obviously I have to get used to various things, but I feel very happy at Atletico." 

Malaysia Premier League side Negeri Sembilan's season have been a disappointing one, by their own admission.

The state side have managed only three wins, two draws and five defeats this season, under head coach Sazali Saidun, on 11 points in eighth spot.

With one matchday remaining in the league, they are now separated by just three points from the bottom place, although fortunately for them no team will be relegated from the second tier this season due to the abandonment of this season's tiers three and lower due to Covid-19. 

But the Deer have one chance to salvage this season as they head into their home match against Sarawak United on Friday. They are currently the fifth best non-reserve side team in the standings, with the top five non-reserve side teams qualifying for the truncated 2020 Malaysia Cup. Four of the qualification spots have been decided last weekend, and only one remains up for grabs.

Team manager Abdul Razak Idrus stated in a press statement issued by the team that he is disappointed with the players, despite having retained 90 per cent of them, and their penchant for losing focus which has led to them conceding too many goals this season.

"I'm still disappointed with our home defeat (4-2) to Kuching FA, despite having won two matches since the Malaysian league resumption.

But I hope that the players will work hard and stay focused for our match against Sarawak, so that we can qualify for the Malaysia Cup or I will have to let the board take the appropriate action," said Razak.

Against Sarawak, a win would guarantee Negeri a Malaysia Cup spot, but as it stands, even the last-placed team still have the chance to snatch the last remaining spot away from them.

NorthEast United FC head coach Gerard Nus will be the third manager in the Indian Super League (ISL) after ATK Mohun Bagan's Antonio Lopez Habas and Jamshedpur FC's Owen Coyle to arrive in India.

Nus will be accompanied by his coaching staff and they will touchdown at Goa on Friday, following which they will have to self-quarantine themselves for 14 days before kicking off pre-season training.

NorthEast United had posted a picture of their head coach and his coaching staff at the Madrid airport getting ready to travel to Goa.

Star midfielder Federico Gallego had left for India on Wednesday and has already reached Goa on Thursday. The Indian contingent too will reach Goa very soon and will self-quarantine themselves for 14 days.

The Highlanders have added some quality Indian players to their squad this season. They have signed Mohun Bagan's I-League winning trio Ashutosh Mehta, Gurjinder Kumar and VP Suhair this year.

Along with the experienced Indian campaigners, some promising youngsters like Rochharzela, Ponif Vaz and Mashoor Shereef have also been signed. 

The club has so far announced the arrival of four new foreign players and have retained Uruguayan Federico Gallego from the previous campaign.

If you are someone who did not pre-order the Champions/Ultimate edition of FIFA 21, then the doors just opened for you to grab your download and start playing EA Sports' latest take on football.

Most, if not all, professional eSports gamers in India, however, would have already started playing because it's important for them to ramp up their level of expertise as soon as possible. This is because eSports has become a competitive field in India.

A quick search will let you know that eSports isn't a 21st-century phenomenon. The concept of electronic sports, which is a competitive industry for video gaming, began more than 40 years ago. 

Just like the arrival of high-speed internet connections, eSports also took its own sweet time to touch base in India. While the industry as a whole is still at a nascent stage, the popularity is quickly rising and the country, which was under lockdown for several months due to the Coronavirus pandemic, has only witnessed increased attention to eSports.

And before you begin to wonder, the industry has also a federation named eSports Federation of India (ESFI).

According to a report by inc42, eSports audience could reach 17 million by the end of the year and can generate a revenue of around $68 million in the current financial year.

With the lockdown forcing people to sit at home and consume videos and streams a lot more than they would have done in a pre-COVID-19 world, India's gamers have taken their 'game' to the next level with consistent production of good quality content respectively. The increased availability of internet connections has also boosted the participation of gamers from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. 

And Indians have shown that they can make a mark in the field. Esports made its way into the 2018 Asian Games as a demonstration event. Playing the collectible card game Hearthstone, Gujarat-based gamer Tirth Mehta won bronze for India. 

As far as professional competitions go, EA recently dropped some wonderful news for Indian gamers when they announced the inclusion of India into the FIFA 21 Global series. While gamers took to social media to express their disappointment on missing out last year, the gaming giants have righted their wrongs this time around.

"We’re very excited to welcome Bolivia, Costa Rica, and India to the EA SPORTS FIFA 21 Global Series! With the addition of India, we’re changing the name of the Middle East & Africa region to West Asia & South Africa, which India will join, and moving a few of the countries that have traditionally played in that region elsewhere." - EA

The Global Series is a competition organised by the developers of FIFA to find out the best virtual footballers in the world and is a good platform for Indian participants to show their mettle. With FIFA 21 opening the doors for gamers, the eSports industry stands to gain. What next? 

Zambia international Augustine Mulenga has revealed it was him who requested to be released from his contract with Orlando Pirates. 

Mulenga said the reason he left the club was his lack of game time under Josef Zinnbauer and the fact that more players were recently signed meant his situation wasn't going to improve. 

"I would like to tell the Pirates fans that it was my decision to leave Orlando Pirates. I wasn't getting game time and now they've signed more players. I can't stay and experience the same thing again," said Mulenga in an interview with SAFM. 

"I'm also a national team player and If I don't get game time, then I will lose my place in the Zambia team. I'm 30 and I need to play regularly."

The 30-year-old attacker claims he kept asking Zinnbauer what is it that he wasn't doing right but the coach wasn't honest enough him.  

And Mulenga feels the German mentor manipulated him throughout the season as he'd only play him when any of his trusted players were injured. 

"The coach didn't play me much and I kept asking what I needed to do," revealed Mulenga. 

"I don't think Zinnbauer was honest with me. I expected him to be like a father. I kept asking him what's wrong and he would act like everything is ok but then I'd still not play.

"I didn't understand that. I would only play for Lorch or when someone was injured. I think the coach was manipulating me."

Mulenga said his former teammates were surprised when he told them about his intentions to leave the Sea Robbers. 

Zinnbauer's technical team even offered that he goes on loan for a season, Mulenga claimed.

"Everyone was surprised that I wanted to leave, but I had to make a decision. The technical team even offered me to go on loan but I couldn't do that. I also received the blessings of the chairman," he added.

"I was treated well at Pirates but when you are a foreigner, there are a lot of challenges, including language. Some of the guys would speak Tswana and we didn't understand. But these things happen in football."

Meanwhile, Mulenga suggested he would be keen on staying in the PSL because he believes he has unfinished business, and has received a lot of offers but hasn't decided on his future as yet.

However, he sees himself playing for another big PSL club although he'd think twice if Kaizer Chiefs were to offer him an opportunity to play for them because of the respect he has for Pirates fans.   

"I would like to stay in South Africa because I feel I have unfinished business here," he concluded.

"I have received many offers and I'm still considering my options. I would still like to play for a big club but I'd have to think twice if Chiefs came for me because Pirates fans are like family and I know what it would do to the supporters."

Former Black Leopards midfielder Meshack Maphangule doesn't regret leaving Orlando Pirates as he's now in search of a new club. 

The 29-year-old spent last season on loan at Chippa United but the Port Elizabeth-based outfit decided against keeping him for the upcoming campaign. 

Subsequently, Maphangule returned to his parent club, Pirates, only to be told that he would be sent out on loan again for a second successive year. 

And the midfielder rejected the proposal because he has had enough of loan deals, saying he needed to find a team where he would be able to prove himself.   

He was among the eight players released by Josef Zinnbauer's coached team this week. Other players are Xola Mlambo, Alfred Ndegane and Tercious Malepe, Brian Hlongwa, Augustine Mulenga, Thembela Sikhakhane and Diamond Thopola. 

"I'm enough of loans," Maphangule told Daily Sun. 

"I don’t have a problem that we parted ways. It's football and these things do happen. They were keen to loan me again but I didn't want to move all the time. I also needed a chance to prove my worth."

Maphangule isn't short of options and he's confident he will sign with a new club in the near future. 

"There are teams that are after my services but I haven't decided just yet where I will play next season," he confirmed.

"I am still processing offers because I need the one that is better for me. I also want to continue playing instead of warming the bench. I can’t reveal the names until I know where I will go."

While Maphangule said he enjoyed his football at both Leopards and Chippa, he admits the situation at Mayfair wasn't the same. 

However, he is not discouraging any player who wants to turn out for the Sea Robbers, saying their situation might be different to his.    

"I enjoyed myself at Leopards and at Chippa last season but the situation is not the same at Pirates. What happened to me (warming the bench) doesn’t mean it will happen to other players. If they get the chance to play it might be different," concluded Maphangule.

Young Africans (Yanga SC) have settled for Lamine Moro as their new permanent captain for the ongoing campaign.

The Jangwani giants were yet to name a full-time captain for the 2020-21 season with Deus Kaseke, Haruna Niyonzima, and Moro taking turns to wear the armband during Mainland Premier League matches.

The club has now confirmed the appointment of Moro, who has already scored one goal this campaign and will be assisted by Bakari Mwamnyeto, who signed for the club from Coastal Union as first assistant and striker Mukoko Tonombe as the second assistant.

“We have picked Lamine [Moro] as our captain for the rest of the season,” Yanga confirmed on their social media pages. “[Moro] will be assisted by defender Mwamnyeto as his first assistant and Tonombe as the second assistant.”

Yanga were yet to name a permanent captain since the departure of midfielder Papy Tshishimbi, who was among the 14 players released by the Jangwani-based club at the end of last season after the team failed to win silverware.

And when new coach Zlatko Krmpotic arrived at the club, the armband started to rotate among three players as the coach continued to weigh up the right option to replace Tshishimbi.

A source, who did not want to be named, had revealed in an earlier interview that Krmpotic was looking at several options before picking the new leader, but he could not stay to appoint the same when he was fired after only 37 days in charge of the club.

“The coach is looking at having a captain who will be able to lead the side and the coach is also yet to make a decision because he is still rotating the squad and not all the players are assured of playing time,” the source was quoted by Sokaletu.

“Though the coach is yet to pick the captain, he has settled for Niyonzima and Moro to continue wearing the armband and either of them could have it when he makes his final decision.

“The coach has maintained the captaincy is a big role for any club and he wants to be assured of the player who will take it, whether he is good enough and ready for the task.

“The coach is also looking at a player who can speak more than two languages – English and Swahili.

"[And also] French, it is because the team is built around players from across Africa.”

Yanga have enjoyed a good start to the campaign as they have won four matches and drawn one from the five played so far.

Cape Town City have announced the signing of TS Galaxy defender Terrence Mashego.

The 22-year-old player was one of Galaxy's key players in the last two seasons in the National First Division (NFD).

Mashego was linked with both City and SuperSport United ahead of the current transfer window.

However, the Citizens have now confirmed his arrival at the Western Cape-based club. 

"Cape Town City is delighted to announce the acquisition of South African defender, Terrence Mashego," a club statement read.

"The left-back signs a three-year deal, joining City from TS Galaxy. The future is now."

Mashego has filled the void left by fellow left-back Ebrahim Seedat, who recently left City for Galaxy on a permanent deal.

Galaxy made a move for the 27-year-old player after they purchased Highlands Park's PSL status and they will be campaigning in the elite league in the new 2020/21 season.

Mashego has joined City following two successful campaigns with the Rockets as he made 58 appearances for the team in the NFD - missing only two matches.

The former Mthatha Bucks player was also a regular for Galaxy as they stunned the whole country by clinching the 2019 Nedbank Cup.

The Rockets became the first team from the lower division to win the Nedbank Cup after defeating a much-fancied Kaizer Chiefs side in the final.

Mashego played all of the team's six matches in the South African FA Cup that season as Galaxy made history.

As a result, the Mpumalanga-based outfit qualified for the 2019/20 Caf Confederation Cup after winning the Nedbank Cup.

Mashego got an opportunity to play in Africa's secondary club tournament as Galaxy eliminated Saint Louis Suns United of Seychelles and Madagascar's CNaPS Sport.

However, the Rockets crashed out of the competition after losing to Nigerian giants Enyimba in the playoff round. 

Mashego is expected to compete with Mozambique international Edmilson Dove in the left-back position at City.

Dove can also play as a central defender for coach Jan Olde Riekerink's side with the team set to take on Orlando Pirates in the 2020 MTN8 quarter-final match on October 17.

Sergino Dest is looking forward to the “special moment” when Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo rekindle their rivalry on a Champions League stage, with the American living the dream at Barcelona.

History has been made by the United States international as the first man from his nation to represent the Blaugrana.

He has already taken in La Liga action while at Camp Nou and has continental competition to come, with Ronald Koeman’s side set to take on Juventus as part of their group stage campaign.

Those fixtures will see two all-time greats go head-to-head once more, with Dest excited to be getting a front row seat for what promises to be an intriguing tussle between two men with 11 Ballons d’Or between them.

He told beIN Sports: “It will be a special moment to play with Messi against Ronaldo.”

Dest has more outings alongside an Argentine icon to take in before a first meeting with Juve on October 28, with the USMNT defender having snubbed interest from Bayern Munich to link up with Barca.

He is convinced that the right call was made there, saying: “Last Friday after the Celta Vigo game, I was able to meet all my new team-mates, including Messi. It was a very special moment.

“It was a dream come true [when I knew Barcelona were interested]. I always wanted to play here.

“They called my agent and my agent then called me. When I knew they wanted me, my decision was made.

“I love challenges and that's why I chose to come here. I want to play at the highest level and grow as a player. I hope to fit in here.”

While taking pride in his own achievements, Dest is hoping his exploits – which have taken him from Ajax to Catalunya – will inspire others to follow in his footsteps.

The Netherlands-born right-back added on his remarkable career path, with the decision taken to represent the country of his father at international level: “I hope it motivates other American players to work hard and think that one day they can end up at such a huge club like this one.”

Azam FC striker Prince Dube has revealed his main target for the season is to help the club to win major silverware.

The Zimbabwean striker is currently topping the goal scoring chart in the Mainland Premier League after notching five goals and is followed closely by Simba SC Meddie Kagere, who has four to his credit.

Kagere has been the man dominating the scorers' chart as he has won two Golden Boot titles since he joined the Wekundu wa Msimbazi from Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions Gor Mahia in 2018.

Kagere scored 23 goals to win the gong in the 2018-19 season and won it again last season after he managed to score 22 goals.

Dube has, however, said despite his five goals so far this campaign, his target is not on the Golden Boot but rather to help Azam win a major title this campaign.

“On the claims, I want to win the Golden Boot, I want to say that it is not in my mind, I don’t think I have ever thought about it, my main intentions now is to help Azam achieve the targets set for the season,” Dube is quoted by Sokaletu.

“I am scoring the goals to help the team, I am not thinking about anything else, I want to score as many goals as I can so that the team can achieve what they want to achieve.

“I am not looking at the goals I score, I am looking at what the goals will help with the team at the end of the season, but if the goals come with the Golden Boot then that is fine, I don’t have a problem, but it is not my primary target for now.”

The Chamazi-based club, who last won the league title in 2014, have made a good start to the 2020-21 campaign, winning their opening five matches to sit at the top of the table on 15 points.

In fact, Azam only conceded their first goals this season when they beat the stubborn Kagera Sugar 4-2 in their last match before the international break.

They will resume their hunt for more points when they take on Mwadui FC in their next league assignment.

Express FC skipper Enock Walusimbi has promised to repay the faith bestowed on him to lead the team.

The 22-year-old defender joined the Red Eagles from Bright Stars and coach Wasswa Bbosa appointed him to lead the team on the pitch.

It is for this reason the youngster has promised to deliver and help the Wankulukuku-based side to perform well in the 2020/21 season.

"I got to know just before my afternoon training session on Tuesday," Walusimbi revealed how he got the news.

"It is an honour and privilege to lead this historic club and I’ll repay the faith entrusted in me.  

"I know the armband and badge come with a lot of expectations especially from the fans, but I would like to confirm that I, along with my teammates, are ready for the challenge and we are positive we shall bring back the club's past glory."

Walusimbi played a starring role as Bright Stars graced the 2019 Uganda Cup finals but fell in a penalty shootout to proline FC.

'Lucio' will be deputised by goalkeeper Mathias Muwanga and youngster Desmond Kaneene as the third-choice captain.

The latter captained the junior team and was promoted to the senior team at the start of last season.

In a recent interview, Bbosa explained the reasons why he decided to sign Walusimbi.

"I have always kept an eye on Enock [Walusimbi] and those that know him can agree with me that he brings a lot to us," Bbosa told the club’s official website.

"His game intelligence and leadership qualities are next to none."

On signing for the team, Walusimbi said: "I am grateful for the opportunity to become an Express player, this club has a lot of history so much so that I’ve always wanted to be part of it."

The defender has also featured for regional sides Nansana and Luweero United but it’s his time at Solito Bright Stars where he stood out, marshalling the backline for three seasons as well as captaining the side.

Most notably, he guided the Buganda Province Region to the 2019 Fufa Drum, scoring one goal in the process.