Looking for Soccer News?

Former Bidvest Wits midfielder Rowan Human has joined Israeli top-flight league side Maccabi Tel Aviv on a one-year contract with an option to extend by another year.

Human will, however, be immediately loaned out to second-tier Beitar Tel Avivi Bat Yam and the development could be a blow to Chiefs who were reportedly targeting to sign the teenager on a free transfer.

A Fifa transfer ban could have limited the Soweto giants from tying down the youngster to a contract.

“Maccabi Tel Aviv signed Rowan Lancaster Human, a South African midfielder from Bidvest Wits FC,” Maccabi Tel Aviv said in a statement.

“The 19-year-old attacking midfielder signed a one-year deal with an option to extend by a further season and will be loaned out to Beitar Tel Aviv Bat Yam.”

Rumours that Human was on his way to Naturena were fuelled by the appointment of Gavin Hunt as Chiefs coach.

Hunt is an avid admirer of the youngster whom he coached at Wits and regards him as the brightest prospect in South African football.

“The youngster [Human] came on because I know he’s got… I believe he’s got a great future you can see he works hard and he did well you know,” Hunt was once quoted as saying, as reported by FourFourTwo.

“And then I put the kid in and what a revelation, he is the best player in South Africa at his age, there is no better player than him I believe, I have not seen a better player at his age and I think he will be a superstar.”

Human played 13 games for the now-defunct Wits last season across all competitions, scoring one goal as he became a regular in the PSL bio-bubble.

Kaizer Chiefs football manager Bobby Motaung has described the delay in the ruling on their transfer ban appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) as “unfortunate” but says he refuses to be weighed down by prolonged waiting.

Amakhosi were in February 2020 slapped with sanctions by world governing body Fifa, banning them from participating in the transfer market for the next two registration periods after being found guilty of a transfer offence.

This was after Madagascan club Fosa Juniors reported Chiefs to Fifa and they were found guilty of illegally signing and registering Andriamirado ‘Dax’ Andrianarimanana in 2018.

But after submitting an appeal against the transfer ban with CAS on September 8, the outcome of their petition is yet to be released.

“It’s unfortunate… you have to exercise patience. I can’t really say it’s frustrating but we have to be patient,” Motaung told Phakaaathi.

“For now we are awaiting the verdict and there is nothing we can do but practise patience and hope for the best… we are waiting for the verdict and we will take it from there. We don’t have a timeline… the situation is in CAS’ hands and we will wait on them to give us the verdict, there is nothing more we can do at the moment.”

Chiefs spokesperson Vina Maphosa recently said the CAS ruling is taking long to make a ruling on their transfer ban appeal due to the voluminous nature of the evidence they submitted.

As Amakhosi anxiously await word from Zurich, new coach Gavin Hunt is watching as their PSL rivals are in the thick of transfer business preparing for the upcoming season.

Mamelodi Sundowns have already signed 12 new players while Orlando Pirates have brought in at least five new players including Bafana Bafana captain Thulani Hlatshwayo.

In anticipation for having their transfer ban lifted, Chiefs have convinced former Bidvest Wits left-back Sifiso Hlanti to start training with them.

Hlanti is a free agent and Motaung is positive that their ruling on their appeal will be in favour of them to secure the defender's signature.

“We do not focus on what could be but deal with the reality. And the reality is that he [Hlanti] is training with us,” said Motaung.

“When the outcome comes we will deal with the challenges then, for now we are here and he is training with us and we are not looking at what happens if we don’t get a positive response. We are not looking at what if it doesn’t happen, we are not negative, we have to stay positive.”

Reports suggest Chiefs could hear from CAS this week. 

Harambee Stars and AFC Leopards have suffered a blow after defender Collins Shichenje has been ruled out by an injury.

Shichenje had been called up by Francis Kimanzi for the upcoming friendly tie against the 2012 African champions Chipolopolo but an update from the club has confirmed the young defender underwent an operation on his right inguinal hernia over the weekend.

“[Collins] Shichenje had a successful repair of the right inguinal hernia on Sunday, October 4th,” AFC Leopards’ statement read on Monday. “The midfielder had been experiencing prolonged pain and an abdominal ultrasound done revealed a hernia.

“Shichenje is currently recuperating and the medical team has advised that he will be out of action for six weeks. Get well soon Shichenje.”

Shichenje had not linked up with Harambee Stars at Kasarani for training ahead of the Friday encounter at Nyayo Stadium and his absence leaves head coach Kimanzi with a thin squad to pick his starting team.

Kimanzi will now have to select his defenders from the unattached Brian Mandela, Johnstone Omurwa of Wazito, Simba SC’s Joash Onyango, Joseph Okumu of Elfsborg, Barnsley’s Clarke Oduor, David Owino of Mathare United, Gor Mahia’s Philemon Otieno and Badi Baraka of KCB.

The injury means the national team has been denied another player after Victor Wanyama, Michael Olunga, Ayub Timbe, Arnold Origi, John Avire and Johanna Omollo failed to travel due to the coronavirus restrictions.

Harambee Stars, however, were boosted by the arrival of Sodra’s Eric Johanna, Masoud Juma of JS Kabylie and FC Masr’s winger Cliff Nyakeya on Tuesday.

AFC Leopards signed Shichenje from former National Super League (NSL) outfit Green Commandos in 2019 and although he arrived as a midfielder, he ended up playing more games as a centre-back.

He was fielded at the heart of the defence when the club was missing captain Robinson Kamura and Robert Ayala who had been sidelined by injuries. Shichenje managed to keep regular positions under both Casa Mbungo and Anthony Kimani.

With Football Kenya Federation (FKF) yet to confirm dates for the new season, AFC Leopards would only hope Shichenje would eventually be fit for the 2020/21 campaign.

The second edition of the Nations League is underway and the 16 teams in League A know who they will face in their respective groups.

Portugal won the 2018-2019 tournament after beating Switzerland and the Netherlands in the finals, and Goal looks at which teams are favourites to win it this time around.

Who are the favourites to win the Nations League?

France are 7/2 (4.50) favourites to win the Nations League and add another trophy to their collection after winning the World Cup in 2018.

Didier Deschamps' men finished second in their group behind Netherlands on head-to-head goal difference, and will face another tricky test in Group A3 alongside Portugal, Sweden and Croatia.

Spain are 5/1 (6.0) to become the second country to win the Nations League and lift their first piece of silverware since Euro 2012.

It has not been the smoothest sailing for La Roja since their last trophy, with their last three major tournament results largely being disappointing, but they have opened their Nations League campaign with four points from two games.

England are 11/2 (6.50) to build on their third-place finish last time around and win the Nations League.

The Three Lions lost to the Netherlands in last year’s semi-final but face an uphill battle to get to that stage again this year, having failed to beat Denmark to leave them trailing Belgium in League A2.

Belgium can be backed at 6/1 (7.0) to win the Nations League after a disappointing group stage finale saw them miss out on the finals in 2018.

A 5-2 defeat at Switzerland in their final game meant they missed out but they have begun the 2020-21 campaign in style with two wins from two games, including a 5-1 drubbing of Iceland.

Who are the underdogs to win the Nations League?

Italy are 8/1 (9.0) to win the Nations League after a solid start to their group stage.

A 1-1 draw at home to Bosnia was certainly disappointing for the Azzurri but they followed that up with a 1-0 victory at the Netherlands, putting them top of the group and in excellent stead to reach the finals.

Germany were fortunate not to be relegated into League B and are 10/1 (11.0) to bounce back by lifting the Nations League trophy in 2021.

Joachim Low’s side managed just two points in the 2018-19 edition to finish bottom of Group A1, but a revamping of the competition meant they stayed in League A for the current tournament.

There is 12/1 (13.0) available on the Netherlands to go one step further than last time following their defeat to Portugal in the 2018-19 final.

However, their campaign has already stuttered thanks to a home defeat to Italy in just their second match and face an uphill battle to reach the finals again.

Holders Portugal are priced at 12/1 (13.0) tor retain their trophy and win yet another piece of silverware.

That price is reflective of the Euro 2016 champions being placed in Group A3 with 2018 World Cup winners France, with the victor of their clashes likely to dictate which of the two countries advances to the finals.

Who are the outsiders to win the Nations League?

Poland are 25/1 (26.0) to win the Nations League and may prove to be a popular dark horse considering they do boast the strike power of Robert Lewandowski.

World Cup runners up Croatia are 33/1 (34.0) but are yet to make their mark in Group A3, having conceded four goals to both of France and Portugal on their way to two defeats.

Ukraine are available at 40/1 (41.0) whilst Switzerland are priced at 66/1 (67.0), with those two countries seemingly likely to be fighting to avoid relegation in Group A4 alongside Spain and Germany.

Odds correct at the time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.

The international break schedule for the 2020-21 season has been confirmed, with plenty of fixtures arranged between the world’s top national sides.

The coronavirus pandemic severely disrupted the men’s international calendar in 2020, with Euro 2020, the Copa America and the Africa Cup of Nations all postponed.

In June, FIFA announced a worldwide Covid-19 relief plan which included some changes to the international schedule.

When are the 2020-21 season international breaks?

There are four international breaks planned for the 2020-21 season, scheduled around the following weekends:

The September international break has already passed, but there were no fixtures played outside of Europe.

FIFA’s coronavirus response included the cancellation of the September international window for the AFC, CAF, CONCACAF and the OFC.

CONMEBOL countries had been slated to begin their World Cup qualifying campaigns but these fixtures were eventually cancelled.

Which international tournaments are being played in 2020-21?

The first two matchdays of the UEFA Nations League went ahead in September. Some of the more notable results saw both France and Portugal thrash Croatia, Italy win away at the Netherlands, Germany draw 1-1 with Spain, and England scrape past Iceland with a last-minute Raheem Sterling penalty.

The October and November international breaks were extended by an extra day for UEFA countries to allow teams to play three games rather than the usual two. England, for example, will play a friendly match with Wales as well as their Nations League clashes with Belgium and Denmark.

World Cup qualifying will resume in South America and Asia in October, but CONCACAF has decided not to begin its qualifying schedule until the March international break. CONCACAF and African countries will play international friendlies in October, in some cases their first international fixtures of 2020.

Qualifying for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, which has been postponed until January 2022, will resume in the November international break. The CAF World Cup qualifiers will resume in May 2021, after the postponed 2020 AFCON finals which start in January.

World Cup qualifying for UEFA countries will begin in March 2021, once Nations League qualifying is complete.

Can fans attend international fixtures?

UEFA has announced that fans will be able to return to stadiums for European international fixtures where local laws permit. Stadiums can be filled to a maximum of 30 per cent capacity, and no away fans will be permitted to travel to fixtures.

Mauricio Pochettino "may be the man" for Manchester United, according to Dimitar Berbatov, who thinks the pressure Ole Gunnar Solskjaer finds himself under will likely increase as the season progresses.

Solskjaer was a popular appointment at Old Trafford when he replaced Jose Mourinho in the hotseat on an interim basis back in December 2018.

The Norwegian impressed enough in his first four months at the helm to earn a permanent three-year contract, and has since set about trying to shape a squad capable of reviving the glory days of the Sir Alex Ferguson era.

A third-place Premier League finish in 2019-20 raised the mood of optimism among supporters, with big-money signings Harry Maguire, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Bruno Fernandes all having a positive effect on the team, but results and performances have taken a turn for the worst at the start of the new campaign.

The Red Devils have only picked up three points from a possible nine, while shipping 11 goals in three matches, including six in a humiliating home defeat to Spurs on Sunday.

Solskjaer's tactical nous and coaching ability have been called into question in the wake of that result, and calls for Pochettino to be drafted in as his replacement have started to resurface.

The Argentine was heavily linked with the top job at United after being sacked by Tottenham last year, but the Red Devils ultimately decided to keep faith with Solskjaer.

Berbatov believes Pochettino may be eyeing Solskjaer's position, which he can see coming under serious threat if the 47-year-old can't turn the team's fortunes around after the international break.

"Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has taken some criticism recently, I can understand why the odds say he is the most likely manager to leave his post, especially if they continue down this road," the former United frontman told Betfair.

"The pressure on him will only continue to grow, and if they continue to fail to win points, the point will likely come where action is taken. I believe he is still fine for the job personally, and we will have to see.

"To me, it is amazing that Mauricio Pochettino is available for this job, one of football's finest coaches in my opinion.

"You can say maybe he waited for this job, but that is very risky for a manager to do, and I cannot believe another club hasn't snapped him up.

"Pochettino may be 'the man', but at some stage, they were all 'the man' - [David] Moyes, [Louis] van Gaal, [Jose] Mourinho, all were the next saviour at one stage.

"For United fans, I would say that every single person connected to the team in any way are all suffering.

"The ones that will express their feelings the loudest will be the fans, and I can understand this. United are led by people who want success for the club, and the glory days will return, of that there is no doubt - just when that is, is the question."

Tanzania Premier League Board (TPLB) has confirmed changes to the Mainland Premier League pitting rivals Young Africans (Yanga SC) and Simba SC.

The Kariakoo derby which was the first meeting between the two giants in the 2020-21 campaign, has now been moved from October 18, 2020, to November 7, 2020, and will still be played at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.

TPLB has confirmed through a signed statement the change of date has been necessitated by the fact the two giants have key players turning out for their respective countries during the international break, and will thus have problems arriving back in Tanzania in readiness for the derby owing to strict Covid-19 measures.

“TPLB has done changes to match number 61 in the Mainland Premier League between Yanga SC and Simba SC moving it from October 18, 2020, to November 7, 2020, starting at 5 pm at Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania,” read the statement obtained by Goal on Wednesday.

“The changes have been necessitated by the fact that there are strict travel rules in different countries after players travelled to honour international assignments might affect the squads of the two clubs because of late arrivals.

“Several counties are still adhering to the strict Covid-19 measures they put in place since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and as such we cannot risk playing the derby on October 18.”

Last season, the two giants met three times, with the first round ending in a 2-2 draw before Yanga turned on the screw to win the second round fixture 1-0, but they again faced off in the semi-finals of the FA Cup where Simba won 4-1.

Simba then went ahead to seal a season double – winning the Community Shield, the league, and the domestic cup – after beating Namungo FC 2-1 in the final played in Sumbawanga, Rukwa.

The Kariakoo derby is among the best derbies in the East African region with Kenya also having the Mashemeji derby which pits rivals Gor Mahia against AFC Leopards.

While Simba will have their coach Sven Vandenbroeck for the derby, Yanga will have a new man in charge after they fired Belgian Luc Eymael at the end of the last campaign and later Zlatko Krmpotic after 37 matches in charge of the club.

Both teams have started the season well, winning their first four matches and drawing one.

Football fans’ overly reactionary nature never gets old. One minute everything is well and rosy and the very next moment, the sky may be falling...well, according to them.

Alex Iwobi, not for the first time in his career, has been on the receiving end of both sides of observers' fickleness in the last month or thereabouts. After the signings of James Rodriguez — the Colombia playmaker, who’s raised the level at Everton exponentially — Abdoulaye Doucoure and Allan in the summer, many immediately claimed the Nigerian would be sidelined by Carlo Ancelotti.

This prognosis seemed odd because: James predominantly operates in the hole, Doucoure as a box-to-box midfielder and the former Napoli man in a blue-collar role in the middle of the park. On first viewing, these signings weren’t direct competitors for Iwobi’s place in the side, so where were the Chicken Little opinions originating from?

Regardless, these alarmists seemed overjoyed when the Nigerian was left out completely in the Toffees’ hugely impressive 1-0 success over Tottenham Hotspur in gameweek one. The knives were already out, so, unsurprisingly, they twisted it pre and post-match, making the West African the butt of their jokes.

When the former Arsenal man was then left out of Everton’s EFL Cup clash at Salford City three days later, with 19-year-old Anthony Gordon preferred in the XI, the handwriting looked to be on the wall.

Despite the omissions from the squad, there was always a feeling that Iwobi was good enough to play in Ancelotti’s side, albeit intermittently. Being left out was strange, largely due to the fact the 24-year-old featured heavily at the backend of last season, having recovered from an injury that saw him lose ground in trying to impress Marco Silva’s replacement.

The schadenfreude that accompanied the Nigeria star’s initial lack of game time seem to have been overreactions, evidenced by the swift change in fortunes since an encouraging cup showing at Fleetwood Town on September 23.

Iwobi’s pair of goal contributions stood out — particularly the back-heeled assist for Richarlison’s second of the night — but his low-key involvement in two of Everton’s other three goals in that 5-2 success didn’t get mentioned.

Having had to bide his time in the Premier League — first being out of the side totally and then making do with cameos here and there — an injury to Richarlison in the 25th minute in Saturday’s entertaining 4-2 success over Brighton & Hove Albion presented the ex-Arsenal man with an opportunity to feature for an hour.

It’s safe to say that he took his chance, assisting Rodriguez's first of the afternoon and playing in Doucoure brilliantly in the build-up to the South American’s second. The Nigerian was involved in two goal-creating actions, tied with James, and as many shot-creating actions, only the former Real Madrid and Watford stars had more.

With two passes into the penalty area, Iwobi was joint-highest on the Everton side — level with Tom Davies and Lucas Digne, despite playing 66 minutes to the pair’s 90 — while he sat joint-fourth having attempted three progressive passes at Goodison Park — the three players with a higher volume except for James (77) played the entirety of the encounter.

For those interested in raw numbers, Iwobi’s assist at the weekend was his first in the Premier League since moving to Merseyside. He’s now equalled his meagre goal contribution of one from 19/20 and, barring injury or a lack of games should outdo last term’s league return.

Even though — for the umpteenth time — the playmaker will probably never rack up goals and assists, the paucity of last year’s return was striking and disappointing.

If the recent performances are anything to go by, it only confirms what was already known. Iwobi might never be a key star in a side, a la James, neither is he likely to raise the level of a team and lead them to titles...and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

He’ll not get tonnes of goal contributions as what he does is more subtle. In 19/20 the Nigerian ranked third for in-play passes leading to shots in the Everton side and was sixth for shot-creating actions per 90.

Furthermore, the attacking midfielder was sixth for volume of progressive passes played, the only wideman or attacking midfielder in that top bracket, and played the second-highest passes into the penalty area. Also, the fact that he ranked fourth for total key passes played, too, indicated some promise going into his second season.

Given the injection of quality into the Toffees this season, Iwobi’s likely to thrive especially alongside someone of James’ presence and ability. After a topsy-turvy maiden campaign at the blue half of Merseyside, the West African star certainly has a role to play in this Everton side, even though appearances could be in fits and starts.

It’s a scenario detractors of the Nigerian probably never imagined when they went extreme on the wisecracks after the initial non-appearance at the start of the season. Following the reinstatement of the former Arsenal prodigy, it’s largely gone quiet from the fault-finders in the last few days.

Hello naysayers, the deafening silence since Saturday has been convenient, if not laughable!

Simba SC midfielder Clatous Chama has revealed why he will not be part of the Zambia squad for friendly matches during the international break.

Chipolopolo have planned a tough October where they will return to action after a seven-month Covid-19 lockdown with a home friendly against Malawi on October 7, travel to Kenya to face the Harambee Stars on October 11, and then finish against South Africa on October 13 in Rustenburg.

But Chama, who was voted the best player and midfielder of the year in the Tanzania league last season, and was named in the squad for the three matches has now explained what transpired.

“Good evening lads,” Chama wrote on his social media pages. “I wish to state my side of the story over the national team call up saga in relation to reporting dates and travel arrangements.

“I didn’t want to speak out on this but I feel like there’s a need to do so. First and foremost, you all need to know and understand that I and the coach together with the football association of Zambia, FAZ are on good terms.

“I didn’t have time to listen to the coach today on his press briefing but I did talk to the team manager about all this.

“The truth is I didn’t miss two flights and I talked to the coach before our game in Dodoma and explained to him that it wasn’t possible for me to make it on the first flight that I got because it was at 3 am on Monday and our game was at 4 pm on Sunday in Dodoma.

“The distance from Dodoma to Dar is eight hours. and either way the team had no arrangements for us travelling all the way back to Dar after the match.”

Chama continued: “I got my second ticket for today [Tuesday] and the departure time was 8:45 pm in the morning and while I was preparing for my trip, I was told that I should not travel around 3 pm.

“I don’t agree with many Zambians who believe that I don’t have discipline, but I didn’t miss any of the two flights that I got.

“Thank you so much. I wish the Zambia national team nothing but the best and success.”

Zambia are using the friendly matches to prepare for their 2021 Afcon qualifiers as they are scheduled to face Botswana in a Group H double-header on November 9 and 17.

Virgil van Dijk has predicted that Liverpool have "challenging times" ahead of them, insisting "everyone wants to see you fall when you reach the top".

Liverpool's long-awaited return to English football's summit finally came to fruition back in June as Jurgen Klopp delivered the club's first league title in three decades.

The Reds blew away their main domestic rivals last season, but have since had to adjust to being the hunted rather than the hunters.

The likes of Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester United all have eyes on Liverpool's throne, while a few surprise title contenders have also emerged at the start of the 2020-21 campaign.

Everton, Aston Villa, Leicester City and Leeds United look set to upset the established order amid the continued absence of supporters in stadiums, with consistency suddenly proving elusive for the top clubs.

Klopp's men have also been unable to stave off complacency, as evidenced by a shocking 7-2 defeat away at Villa on Sunday.

That result has sparked suggestions of an open race for this season's Premier League crown, and Van Dijk acknowledges the fact that Liverpool will have to face new obstacles in their bid to usher in a sustained period of dominance.

"I think trying to stay at the top is the hardest thing to do," he told Eddie Hearn's 'No Passion No Point' podcast on BBC Sounds. "Everyone wants to see you fall when you reach the top.

"That is what life is about, especially these days. For me, I want to give everything I have got until I retire and then have no regrets after.

"I don't want any regrets afterwards, I think that would be the worst feeling you can have. It is going to be challenging times coming up. We are champions - something that took a while.

"We should enjoy the moment and go for it."

Van Dijk went on to admit that he misses the famous Anfield atmosphere, as well as the extra motivation that used to come with trying to silence rival supporters in away games.

"The fans can play a massive part in difficult times during games and also at good times in games," the Liverpool defender added. "When you concede the fans will lift you and when you score they make the opponent go further away from you.

"It's the same case for everyone, but for us in particular everyone knows how difficult it is to play at Anfield with the fans behind us. Hopefully, things can change as soon as possible because we need fans.

"It lifts our performances at home but when you play away and the home fans turn against you - I like that.

"It gives you that motivation sometimes to do better. It's something I definitely enjoy and that I miss."

Manchester United are not expecting any more changes to their squad before the domestic transfer deadline on October 16, Goal can confirm, ending speculation over a move for Watford star Ismaila Sarr.

The international transfer deadline, which allowed Premier League sides to do business with each other, ended on Monday but clubs have another 10 days should they want to make signings from the EFL.

There were four deadline-day arrivals at Old Trafford, with Edinson Cavani, Alex Telles, Amad Diallo and Facundo Pellistri all being announced.

Despite the latter two both being right-wingers, the club failed to land the senior right-sided attacker they were after.

With a move for Jadon Sancho not coming to fruition, attentions turned to plan B as the club tried to land Ousmane Dembele on loan from Barcelona.

There were also conversations with Watford over Sarr, with the Red Devils keen to take the Senegalese on a loan. The Championship club are, however, only interested in a permanent deal.

United could theoretically still sign the 22-year-old before the October 16 deadline although it is understood to be unlikely that any more deals will be negotiated before that date.

One of the primary reasons behind the stance on Sarr is that United have to register their Champions League squad on Tuesday, with anyone arriving after that date not eligible to play in Europe.

Indeed, a move for Sarr only came about after it was clear the club were not going to land first-choice target Sancho.

Throughout negotiations United and Borussia Dortmund remained far apart on their valuation, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side adamant they would have to stick to their budget due to the current economic climate.

Sources have informed Goal that the combined cost of wages, the agent fee and the finance required for the actual transfer itself was unrealistic due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Despite not landing Sancho it is understood that Solskjaer is happy with the forwards at his disposal as he believes he has a variety of options in attack.

That includes Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood, Anthony Martial, Daniel James, Odion Ighalo and new additions Cavani and Pellistri - the latter, despite being just 18 years old, is likely to link up with the first team straight away.

Harambee Stars defender Brian Mandela has maintained a cautious approach as they prepare to face Zambia in a friendly on Friday.

The Chipolopolo are due in the country on Thursday in readiness for the friendly set to be played at the refurbished Nyayo Stadium.

Mandela who was part of the Kenya squad that lost 2-1 to Zambia in Nairobi in 2015, has now called on his teammates to be wary of the side and cautioned that they can “simply hurt you if you are not ready for the task.”

“We are enjoying good morale in the camp and we all know it has been long since we played but all the players are looking forward to a good game,” Mandela, who plays in South Africa, told Goal after a training session.

“I respect Zambia very much because the last time we played against them, they gave us a hard time, that is why we are training very hard to capitalize on what we did not do right the last time out and do well this time. If you are not ready they can hurt you, so you must be ready and very careful.

“I also ask the fans to give us the support [from home and elsewhere] now that they will not be allowed to come and cheer us playing live.”

Kenya’s record against the Cosafa nation is poor as only six wins and seven draws have been registered from their previous 37 matches.

During the 2015 encounter which was an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, played at the same venue, Kenya had taken a deserved lead through striker Michael Olunga in the 11th minute -  before Winston Kalengo’s 29th-minute strike and Collins Mbesuma's effort on the stroke of half-time ensured Zambia carried the day.

The last time the Cecafa nation and the Cosafa member met was in 2016 in the Afcon second leg qualifier with a 1-1 Lusaka draw being the end result.

Out of the 34 players called up to the squad for the friendly, only 22 will make up the team with captain Victor Wanyama of Montreal Impact and striker Michael Olunga of Kashiwa Reysol set to miss the clash.

In the absence of Wanyama and Olunga, Mandela is likely to captain the side assisted by former Gor Mahia defender Joash Onyango, who currently features for Tanzanian giants Simba SC.

The boys at African Football HQ just keep on giving, and it’s another bonus episode this week as Ed Dove and Malek Shafei dive into deadline day and review the transfer window from an African point of view.

Of course, Thomas Partey’s transfer to Arsenal—a move which got over the line just before the deadline passed—is a major focus of this week’s episode.

Malek isn’t happy that the Gunners took so long to get this one over the line, although perhaps his concerns are more linked to a worry that Partey’s arrival spells the end of Mohamed Elneny’s time in the Londoners’ first team.

While Dove has no doubts that Partey is destined to be a success story at the Emirates Stadium, he also has some unanswered questions about the move.

Can this really be considered a step up for the central midfielder, to swap a team regularly competing in the latter stages of the Champions League for a team who are unlikely to even reach the UCL next season?

Similarly, is he really what Arsenal need right now?

The Gunners have ample midfield brawn in the form of Granit Xhaka and Elneny, but without Houssem Aouar, can Dani Ceballos offer enough creativity in the heart of the park?

Perhaps the Franco-Algerian, rather than Ghana’s Partey, should have been a priority for the Gunners.

Elsewhere, the pair disagree about Bayern Munich’s decision to sign Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting; for Dove, it’s a potential masterstroke, while Shafei can’t understand why the German giants have opted to move for the Paris Saint-Germain cast-off.

Also on the agenda, we debate whether Mbwana Samatta’s escape from Aston Villa to Fenerbahce might see Tanzanian supporters and Turkish fans kick off on social media, while Dove is also concerned about Habib Diallo’s move to Strasbourg.

On paper, Racing might have pulled off a superb move, but Diallo’s revelation on deadline day that he didn’t want to move to the club---and would have preferred to stay with their rivals Metz—may be a hard one to swallow for Thierry Laurey’s side.

We also look, finally, at the players who didn’t get a move away from their current employers during the transfer window; what will that failure mean for the likes of Yannick Bolasie, Victor Moses and Abdul Rahman Baba.

Edinson Cavani will score "lots of goals", but Manchester United have made a mistake by not signing a new centre-back, according to Dimitar Berbatov.

United wrapped up four last-minute deals on deadline day, with former Paris Saint-Germain star Cavani arriving at Old Trafford on a free transfer and Alex Telles joining the club for €17 million (£15m/$20m) from Porto.

Another €10m was spent on Uruguayan wonderkid Facundo Pellistri, while a €41m (£37m/$48m) agreement was also put in place with Atalanta which will see Amad Traore become a Red Devil in January.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did not, however, deem it necessary to invest in a new centre-half, despite seeing his side concede 11 goals in their first three Premier League matches of the new season.

The Norwegian insisted he had enough quality at his disposal in the heart of the defence following a fortunate 3-2 win at Brighton on September 26, but United followed up that result with a shocking display against Tottenham on Sunday.

Harry Maguire and Eric Bailly were both guilty of several basic errors as Spurs ran out 6-1 winners at Old Trafford, leaving the Red Devils languishing down in 16th in the Premier League standings.

Despite that performance, Telles was the only new defender to make his way to Manchester on Monday, while Chris Smalling completed a €15m (£14m/$18m) move to Roma after a successful loan spell at Stadio Olimpico last season.

Berbatov thinks Smalling could still have been a useful asset for Solskjaer, and although he is confident that Cavani will add a new dimension to United's attack, he has questioned the club's decision not to bring in some fresh blood at the back.

"The disappointment amongst United fans will be deeper now than it was in recent weeks even," the ex-United striker told Betfair. "I see they picked up Cavani and Telles, and now the window is closed without signing a centre-back.

"I have said for weeks that I think they need a centre-back, and this is a show from Ole that he trusts the guys he has there already, but I feel like they should have signed someone.

"I wonder if they really should have kept even Chris Smalling, who has had a fabulous time at Roma, but often when you loan a player, it is a sign that they are done anyway.

"I am a huge fan of Cavani, however, he brings lots of goals and plenty of experience, and that can only be a benefit. It's a fair question to ask why maybe United didn't sign him sooner, but probably they were working at something else that fell through, and he was a brilliant alternative."

Berbatov went on to express his belief that Cavani can follow in the footsteps of two former cult figures at Old Trafford, and predicted the 33-year-old will enjoy a prominent role in the first team.

"The likes of [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic and Henrik Larsson had huge impacts late in their careers at United, and Cavani can do the same," he said. "He can be a great help to [Anthony] Martial, [Marcus] Rashford, and [Mason] Greenwood. 

"He is sure to have had a good talk with Ole before signing, and while he won't have demanded to play every game, he isn't coming to sit on the bench either.

"Some will say this is a panic buy, but with the speculation of players that didn't sign, it's clear they wanted an attacking player.

"[Jadon] Sancho may not have worked out, so they get Cavani instead, and he can score goals. The really interesting question is how it affects the young boys, and what this means for [Odion] Ighalo."

Berbatov added on the addition of Telles: "I don't know a huge amount about Telles, but it is good to have cover for Luke Shaw, and also Brandon Williams can learn from him. Hopefully, he can get straight into the team and be competitive for a spot.

"To me though, the mistakes seem to come from the centre of defence, and hopefully this vote of confidence from Ole will help those central defenders to improve."

Chelsea centre-back Antonio Rudiger “tried everything” to leave the club in search of regular playing time, the player's national team coach has said, with Joachim Low revealing that the 27-year-old had several offers before the transfer window closed on Monday.

Rudiger, who moved to Stamford Bridge from Roma in 2017, had been earmarked for a prominent role under Frank Lampard but has recently fallen down the pecking order in the Englishman's plans for the Premier League club.

Indeed, the signing of 36-year-old Thiago Silva further increased competition for places in Lampard's starting XI and Low is hopeful that Rudiger will be afforded some minutes before he ultimately tries to secure a move elsewhere in the January transfer window.

“I've been keeping an eye on things the last few days, what happened in the final hours [of the transfer window], how many changes there were at the last minute. I think a lot of players will get game time this season – 11 players can't get you through a whole season,” the Germany boss told a press conference.

“I was in constant contact with Toni Rudiger, he was keeping me in the loop. He had three or four options over the weekend but unfortunately, nothing materialised – he can try again in the winter.

“He can put in a great performance even without a few weeks of match practice. I've been walking the path with him over the past few years and we've had a dialogue since the very beginning. His development over the past four or five years has been great.

“He has established himself as a top international player. In terms of athleticism, dynamism and tough duels, he maintains his top level for a few weeks even without match practice.

“He tried everything to leave Chelsea because the European Championship is very important to him. I think he'll try to leave again in the winter. He's doing everything he can to stay in his best form.”

Rudiger will hope that Low's faith sees him land a spot in the starting XI for Wednesday's friendly clash with Turkey before the Germans return to UEFA Nations League action with match-ups against Ukraine and Switzerland.

Former AFC Leopards midfielder Francis Xavier has stated Harambee Stars must fight hard regardless of the advantages for Zambia.

Kenya will welcome Zambia on October 9 at the newly-refurbished Nyayo National Stadium and the past statistics indicate Chipolopolo have dominated the fixtures since the two nations first met in 1964.

Additionally, Zambian players are understood to be fitter than Kenyans because their leagues resumed after it was initially suspended. Although not all matches were played after the resumption, most Harambee Stars players have not been in action since March.

Zambia will face Kenya after another friendly match against Malawi on Wednesday, whereas the Friday tie will be the first for Francis Kimanzi’s men.

“From my own reasoning, Zambia have a slight advantage based on the resumption of their leagues because at least their players have kicked a ball, unlike our own who have been out of the pitch since March,” Xavier told Goal.

“For that reason, I am giving them an upper hand especially that our professional stars, who have been a bit active, are not going to show up.

“But the boys must fight in order to help the coach gauge their level of fitness and preparedness. I have a feeling that we are slightly disadvantaged.

“But one good thing is that we are at home but let us wait and see how the players will respond during training.

“There is nothing much to expect given the aforementioned factors, and that is my honest opinion but again the team must fight.”

Xavier pointed out the absence of Michael Olunga, the current J1 League top scorer with 19 goals, Victor Wanyama, Ayub Timbe, Arnold Origi and Johana Omollo may end up affecting the national side in a big way.

“The availability of professional players would have given us a competitive edge simply because they have been engaging in a number of actions,” added the former Vihiga United assistant coach. “Their level of fitness is higher compared to the other ones.

“They would have played critical roles and even helped cover the others who lack match fitness.”

As Kimanzi would miss foreign-based players, Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic will have Kings Kangwa, Edward Chilufya, Lubambo Musonda, Evans Kangwa, Fashion Sakala, and Gampahni Lungu all available to boost the local-based stars.

Zambia head coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic has revealed why he left Clatous Chama and Obrey Chirwa out of the squad for the Kenya and South Africa friendlies.

Simba SC’s Chama and Chirwa of Azam FC were excluded from the final squad after they failed to link up with the team before Tuesday. Although Chama has come out to defend himself for his failure to join the rest of his teammates, Micho has sent a new warning.

“We are having a situation where I have always looked like a nice guy in front of you. I have always tried to be a generator of positive energy,” Micho said in a statement on Faz Facebook page.

“However, all life and I am living 20 years in Africa under the four pillars of my survival in African football.

“The first pillar is iron discipline, second pillar absolute order and organisation, fanatical work followed by science and fourth pillar is family atmosphere based on the good, in this case, Zambian tradition based on respecting and being respected.

“We have two players in Tanzania, the players in Tanzania were supposed to fly on Monday morning, and however they missed the flight.

“We have been flexible and set the flights for Monday evening, they missed the flight and now they are asking to come on Wednesday and whatsoever.”

The former SC Villa coach further stated why he could not take the excuses from the Mainland Premier League duo.

“When someone comes from Russia 10,000 kilometres away and someone is here bordering with us, with all due respect based on that first pillar that I told you, iron discipline, I could not allow,” he added.

“With my unilateral decision supported by this institution, I have decided that I remove from these matches until further notice is given to gentlemen whose name is [Chama] Clatous and [Chirwa] Obrey.”

Micho will, however, have other stars from the African leagues that include Kabaso Chongo and Tandi Mwape both of TP Mazembe and Gampani Lungu of SuperSport United.

The coach revealed Black Leopards striker Mwape Musonda was excused to go and seal a big-money move in the United Arab Emirates.

Evans Kangwa and Kings Kangwa both of Arsenal Tula, Edward Chilufya of Djurgardens, K.O Ostende’s Fashion Sakala and Lubambo Musonda of Slask Wroclaw are players who are available from European leagues.