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Gor Mahia defender Frank Odhiambo has stated he did not feel pressure when he featured for the team for the first time this season, against Nairobi City Stars in an FKF Premier League match on Sunday.

The 19-year-old youngster, who was part of the Kenya U20 team, has explained he did not feel any pressure while making his debut against City Stars in a match K’Ogalo won 1-0 on their return to football.

Odhiambo, who joined Gor Mahia from Bongonaya FC last year, was handed a starting role by coach Carlos Manuel Vaz Pinto and he partnered with experienced Harun Shakava in the heart of defence, as the team needed a 31st-minute goal from Burkina Faso forward Karim Nikiema to beat the Simba wa Nairobi.

“It was ecstatic…the joy that comes with that is all any footballer would wish for. I just wanted to play and having played the full match with a clean sheet to it was great – so it was a good one for me,” Odhiambo told the club’s official website.

“I didn’t feel any sort of pressure…I had been waiting for such a moment and when you are partnering with a player like Harun [Shakava], who is loaded with experience, you know you will be well guided.”

Odhiambo is now eyeing a chance to play in the Caf Champions League by stating: “The system of play is different…different energy and no room for mistakes in the top league, playing at the top tier had always been a moment I looked forward to and hoping to go on to play in Caf matches.

“I can promise you to expect more if given more chance, more clean sheets top the list of targets and helping Gor Mahia to achieve more. Getting to represent the U23 and national team when the opportunity arises will also be among my aims.”

Gor Mahia’s assistant coach Sammy Omollo admitted he was delighted to see the young player fit in well into the club’s backline, insisting he made it look stable against City Stars.

“The boy has arrived in style, I told him not to look back. He made the defence look stable [against City Stars] resulting in a clean sheet. He is on the right team that will propel him to great heights. He simply has a bright future ahead of him,” Omollo told the same portal.

Odhiambo will be keen to keep his place when Gor Mahia take on Sofapaka in another league match on Thursday.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer does not share the same opinion as Jose Mourinho when it comes to runner-up finishes with Manchester United, with the club's current coach pointing out that second place is "not an achievement".

The Norwegian's predecessor once claimed that ending the 2017-18 campaign as the closest challengers to champions Manchester City - despite being 19 points off the pace - was one of his finest moments as a manager.

Solskjaer appears set to emulate that feat three years on, with United once again the best of the rest behind title-winning neighbours, but ambition at Old Trafford means the current regime will take no pride from missing out on the ultimate prize.

What has been said?

Solskjaer, who claimed six top-flight crowns in his playing days, has told reporters ahead of a Premier League clash with Fulham on Tuesday: "The competition now is a lot harder than when I was a player. Three, four, maybe five teams that can challenge for the top two positions.

"For the last few years they have been taken by the same two teams and for us to go into them and divide them it’s good, it’s a good performance but we can’t say it’s an achievement, it’s not an achievement.

"We’ve taken steps as a team but we’re not where we want to be, we know we have some deficiencies as a group, there’s parts of the game that we need to improve on, but I’ve felt we’ve made strides in most places and I’ve been very pleased with the players and I’ve got to say I’ve been impressed by them, but we want to take the next step as well."

What did Mourinho say?

Back in January 2019, shortly after he had been relieved of his duties in Manchester and replaced by Solskjaer, a Portuguese coach well versed in the art of trophy collecting told beIN Sports: "If I tell you, for example, that I can see that one of the best jobs of my career was to finish second with Manchester United in the Premier League.

"You say ‘this guy is crazy. He won 25 titles and he’s saying that second position was one of his best achievements in football’.

"I keep saying this because people don’t know what is going on behind the scenes. And sometimes we, on this side of the cameras, we analyse things with a different perspective."

The bigger picture

Victory over Fulham will see United wrap up second place for 2020-21 with one game remaining.

They are already assured of a top-four finish and Champions League qualification for next season, which was the ultimate target before a ball was kicked.

Attention at Old Trafford is now set to shift from domestic matters to continental ones, with major silverware still up for grabs.

United have brought their semi-final hoodoo to a close this term, but now need to see off Villarreal in the Europa League final on May 26 in order to bring a four-year wait for tangible success to a close.

Further reading

The Football Kenya Federation has come out to clarify the team that will be on top of the FKF Premier League table by the end of June 30 will only represent the country in the Caf Champions League, but will not automatically be the champions for the 2020-21 season.

On Monday, in a statement obtained by Goal, the FKF confirmed the team leading the table on June 30, the deadline provided by Caf for submission for representative clubs, will be given the slot to represent Kenya in the 2021/22 Champions League.

The statement left football stakeholders in shock, others wondering what will happen to the remaining matches after June 30, and if the league will not be played to a conclusion.

FKF president Nick Mwendwa has since told Goal they have been forced to take the route to save the country from missing out on the Champions League, but clarified the league will afterwards be played to the end and the deserved winner will walk away with the golden trophy and prize money.

“The team that will be at the top of the table by June 30 will only get a ticket to represent the country in the Champions League but the overall winner for the 2020-21 season will be decided at the end of the season, and they are the ones who will receive the golden trophy and prize money,” Mwendwa told Goal on Tuesday.

“It doesn’t mean whoever is at the top by June 30 will be the outright champions for the season, that will not be the case, after June 30 the league will continue and teams will have to fight to win the golden trophy and also the prize money, maybe the team at the top [by June 30], will be crowned if they keep the spot to the end of the season.

“So what we have only done is to make sure we beat the Caf deadline of June 30 and send a name of a team as requested by the African body, another option that we had was not to send a representative, meaning Kenya to miss out completely on taking part in Champions League.

“It is the reason as a federation we opted for the top team by June 30 to go for the competition, and this is well stipulated in rules governing FKF if we have played second leg matches and anything happens to the league, then the team at the top is crowned the champions, we have not violated any rules, that is the way it is.”

On whether Kenya will have a representative in the Confederation Cup, Mwendwa said: “We will be ready to beat the deadline since we want to resume the domestic cup in the first week of June, and so we will automatically have a winner and who will represent us.”

The statement by the FKF means Kenya’s regular representatives at the competition, Gor Mahia, risk missing out this season as they are placed sixth on the 18-team table behind Tusker, AFC Leopards, Kariobangi Sharks, KCB, and Bandari.

Tusker have been at the top for the better part of the ongoing season and stand a good chance to grab the slot while among the top five teams, only KCB have not participated in the continental competition as Kariobangi Sharks, AFC Leopards and Bandari have been there in the last four seasons.

The Brewers last played on the continental stage in 2016, after they won the league title and the Shield Cup under Ugandan coach Paul Nkata.

From 2017 to 2021 Gor Mahia have been representing Kenya although their performances have not been convincing, especially in the Champions League.

Just a week after the club had announced it would strike "Crew" from much of its branding, Columbus co-owner Dr. Pete Edwards told MLS supporters through a video posted to social media on Monday night that "we're going to be the Columbus Crew forever".

The organization will now return to its original name and add "Crew" back to a reformatted crest. It will also add "96" within the the outline of the Ohio state flag in a nod to its status as a founding MLS member.

It has been a difficult beginning to the 2021 campaign for Columbus, with the off-field branding controversy introducing unwanted in-fighting amid a wobbly 11th-place start in the Eastern Conference through five matches.

What has been said?

The Columbus Crew issued two statements through social media on Monday night indicating their change in direction. One of the statements was delivered in video form by Edwards and co-owner Dee Haslam.

They were the culmination of meetings with fans over the past week.

"The importance of keeping the Crew as the Club's primary identifier was clear," said the written statement. "The decision that came from the discussion was that Columbus Crew will remain the team's official name moving forward.

"The Crew received Nordecke's support of the name, which will include Columbus Crew as a part of the new crest. In addition, '96' will be placed inside the outline of the Ohio state flag, recognizing the club's status as the founding member in Major League Soccer."

How have Columbus fans responded?

Fans presented a mix of emotions on social media in response to the announcement, with the majority generally pleased at the walk-back and some hoping a revised crest aligns closer to its traditional appearance.

The club is expected to reveal more exact information about its crest following further meetings with supporters about the best way to proceed.

Shabab Al Ahli capped off a fantastic season with a win in the President’s Cup final and thereby, ended with three trophies since the appointment of Mahdi Ali in December 2020.

The Red Knights registered a 2-1 win over Al Nasr and are now unbeaten in their last 25 competitive matches.

“I’m very happy for the club, for the players, for the management. It is a result of all the hard work to get us to this point.

“We didn’t start very well in the league, but we ended in good shape and we won three trophies out of four. That’s very good for the club and for the players.

“Hard work, hard work and hard work; that is the secret behind this. There is nothing else. And the team spirit, from the players’ committee, the officials, the fans and all the staff. This is the main reason,” said Ali.

Under Ali’s tutelage, the club won the Super Cup in January followed by the Arabian Gulf Cup last month apart from the President’s Cup triumph. They also managed to finish third in the UAE Arabian Gulf League.

Since the time Ali took over the reins at Shabab Al Ahli, the club have suffered a mere three defeats in 31 matches. Interestingly, those defeats came in the AFC Champions League last month.

Shabab Al Ahli will certainly look to clinch the league next season after finishing seven points adrift of the league champions, Al Jazira.

“We have to review all our work for the past five months and see all the advantages, disadvantages, problems, weaknesses, strong points, and try to prepare for the next season from now,” Ali was quoted saying.

“The expectation for the club is always… it’s a big club, always you have to be at the top. So, we have to work hard, maybe harder than this season and prepare the team well to start in the beginning in good shape,” he mentioned.

Stephane M’Bia was given the marching orders as Wuhan FC suffered a 2-1 defeat to Tianjin Tigers in Monday’s Chinese Super League encounter.

The 34-year-old was handed his fourth start of the 2021 campaign; however, he did not complete the encounter after he was punished for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.

M’Bia lost possession of the ball to Ba Dun while trying to dribble the Beijing Guoan loanee. With Dun heading for goal, the Cameroonian wrestled him down to prevent him from scoring.

That action prompted referee Jing Wang to show the African star the way out.

The African star has now been sent off nine times in his career, receiving his first red card on January 14, 2007, against Olympique Marseille during his time at Rennes.

Despite playing with a man down, the visiting side matched the Tigers in every department of the game.

Notwithstanding, the hosts took the lead a minute before the halftime break as Zihao Yang beat goalkeeper Zhifeng Wang from close range.

Profiting from a well-taken cross by Yumiao Qian, the defender took advantage of Wuhan’s shambolic defending to head past Wang.

Four minutes into the second half, Honglue Zhao levelled matters for the Han Army with a stunner. Receiving a pass from Tian Yinong outside the goal area, the onrushing left-back drilled a long-range beauty past goalkeeper Shangkun Teng.

Nine minutes after the hour mark, Jules Iloki restored the lead for Xiaopeng Li’s men via the penalty mark.

Following Ye Chongqiu’s challenge on Zhao Yingjie inside the box, Wang pointed to the spot after VAR replays.

Illoki converted the ensuing kick despite the goalkeeper guessing the right direction.

Even at their late rally, the visitors returned home with heads bowed low – to extend their unimpressive run.

Since the commencement of the new season, they are yet to win any of the five games losing thrice and settling for a draw on two occasions.

With their latest result, they sit at the base of the Super League table with just two points. Whereas, the Tigers climbed to the sixth spot after amassing four points from the same number of outings.

Pep Guardiola hopes that Sergio Aguero will recover from injury in time to say farewell to Manchester City fans on the final day of the Premier League season.

The Argentine striker, who has missed much of the campaign recovering from a knee injury before testing positive for coronavirus, was unavailable for the victory over Newcastle on Friday night.

Aguero, 32, will leave the club at the end of the season on a free transfer and is in a race to be fit for the final home match against Everton, when 10,000 fans are expected at the Etihad Stadium.

What’s been said?

“He has niggles. He’s a little bit disturbed in his leg, his adductor,” Guardiola said ahead of Tuesday night’s trip to Brighton. “He felt something before the Newcastle game. Today he’s still not fit. Hopefully he’ll be ready to play against Everton.”

The City boss also admitted Aguero could be a doubt for the Champions League final against Chelsea if he is unable to prove his fitness.

“If Sergio is fit he is going to help us, that is for sure,” he added. “If he is going to help us score goals he is going to play, but it’s the final of the Champions League. 

“I have to take the decision that gives us the best chance of winning that game.”

The bigger picture

Guardiola admits he is facing a selection dilemma for the game against Chelsea, with the rest of his squad now fully fit after Kevin De Bruyne returned to full training.

“This is the toughest moment,” he said. “That is why the relationship between the players and the manager has to have a little bit of distance, because you cannot have too close a relationship when you have to make decisions that [affect their] careers.

“Sometimes I am unfair to them but it is what it is. I don’t have another solution. That is why they are lucky to find a manager who rotates a lot.”

While he has settled on a successful line-up in recent months, playing without an orthodox striker, Guardiola says he has not decided on his team to play in Portugal.

“Right now I am not clear on the way we are going to play and with [which players] we are going to play, so that’s why I have to take a look over these 10-11 days and after that we have to make the decision,” he said.

Further reading: 

Newly promoted Premier League side Watford has announced the signing of Kwadwo Baah from English League Two side Rochdale.

The English U18 star of Ghanaian background penned a five-year contract with the Vicarage Road giants and will join the rest of Xisco Munoz’s squad ahead of the 2021-22 English elite division campaign.

Baah, 18, who can play as a forward or on either wing contributed three goals and two assists in 13 League One starts. Nonetheless, Brian Barry-Murphy’s Dale got demoted to the English football league’s fourth tier.

He was due to be out of contract with Rochdale this summer, and was offered an improved deal to stay at the Crown Oil Arena, albeit, he indicated his desire to join the EPL team.

“Watford FC is delighted to confirm the signing of highly-rated youngster Kwadwo Baah,” a statement from the Hornets’ club website read.

“The 18-year-old, who is capable playing as a forward or on either wing, joins from Rochdale off the back of a 2020/21 season which saw him rack up three goals and two assists in 13 League One starts.

“Baah was born in Germany to Ghanaian parents but was raised in south London and spent four years in Crystal Palace's academy from 2013-17.

“He joined Rochdale in 2019 after a brief spell with non-league side Whyteleafe.”

On the back of an impressive performance for Rochdale in January 2021 – which included his brace against Charlton Athletic, the teenager was named English Football League’s Player of the Month for that month.

Also, his stunning first strike from the edge of the box was voted the club’s Goal of the Month.

Throughout his time at the Spotland Stadium, he scored three goals in 44 appearances for Barry-Murphy's side.

Having joined the Hertfordshire based side, he becomes the seventh African in Watford.

Others include Achraf Lazaar (Morocco), Ismaila Sarr (Senegal), William Troost-Ekong (Nigeria), Adam Masina (Morocco), Tom Dele-Bashiru (Nigeria), and Isaac Success (Nigeria).

On the international scene, he made his debut for England U18s during a 2-0 triumph over Wales in Cardiff.

Notwithstanding, he is eligible to represent either England, Germany or African side Ghana at the senior level.

Mason Greenwood admits to having endured "difficult" days at Manchester United this season after facing criticism for the first time in his career.

Having been nurtured through the academy system at Old Trafford, the 19-year-old forward is now trying to unlock his full potential as a senior star.

Greenwood is learning quickly how to deal with detractors and avoid allowing them to become a distraction.

What has been said?

After seeing his attitude and output questioned amid a barren run in front of goal and being dropped from the England squad for breaches of Covid-19 protocols, Greenwood told Sky Sports: "It was difficult.

"You know how it is, it was obviously going to come. It was a mental challenge but you have to block it all out really. If you play for United, one of the biggest clubs in the world, you have to overcome that. I have pushed that to one side just to concentrate on my football. I have overcome it now. I am happy to be back playing my best football."

Where has Greenwood improved?

Greenwood earned senior international recognition after 17 goals across all competitions last season.

Bettering that tally has proved tricky this term, but he still has 12 efforts to his name - with an impact role from the bench - and believes he has improved other areas of his game.

The teenager added: "My hold-up play has improved. I don't think I give the ball away as much as I used to do when I was younger and just coming into the team. 

"I know the game a bit more and the pace of the Premier League a bit more. It has all come together."

The bigger picture

Greenwood has the full support of United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in his development, as shown by the offer of a new contract, and Europa League glory could yet be savoured.

Positive showings across remaining Premier League fixtures and the continental clash with Villarreal should aid Greenwood in looking to earn favour from Gareth Southgate once more.

Asked if he could force his way into England's 26-man party for this summer's European Championship, Greenwood said: "It would be nice to go to the Euros but I just want to be fully focused on United for these two games and the Europa League final.

"What happens, happens. I have not really been thinking about it too much. I have just been going out there thinking about my performances for United, how to score and help the team score. I have just been focusing on my football."

Further reading

U.S. women’s national team (USWNT) duo Sam Mewis and Rose Lavelle have left Manchester City and returned to the United States after a year in the Women’s Super League.

Mewis will play for the North Carolina Courage again, the club where she won five trophies before her move overseas last summer, and has signed a contract until 2023.

Lavelle will join up with her new OL Reign team-mates after Washington Spirit traded her to the Tacoma-based club last August.

What has been said?

“I’m so grateful for my time here in Manchester,” Mewis, who scored in City’s Women’s FA Cup triumph at Wembley in November, said.

“To the fans - thank you so much for your undying support. I have loved representing this club and wish that we could have played in front of you all this season.

“I would like to thank the coaching staff and front office for making my time here so enjoyable and beneficial. I would be honoured to return to the club someday in the future.

“Thank you for believing in me, supporting me, and bringing me here to Manchester during such an uncertain time in the world. I’m a Man City fan for life!”

“I’d like to thank the front office and coaching staff for the opportunity to compete and grow in a world class environment,” Lavelle added. “It’s been an honour to work alongside some of the best players and teammates in the world.

“For everything soccer has given me, one of my favourite things is the friendships and I’m leaving City having met some of the best friends I could have ever asked for. I wish the club endless success in the future and will be a City fan for life now.”

Returning to the NWSL

The 2021 NWSL season started over the weekend, while Mewis and Lavelle were playing their final games for City in the FA Cup, a 5-1 triumph over West Ham.

Incidentally, the Courage and the Reign started their season against each other, playing out a goalless draw.

Mewis is expected to make her return to action in North Carolina on Friday 28 May, against Racing Louisville. The midfielder heads back home having made a serious impression in England, imposing herself on the WSL and playing a key role in City’s second-placed finish, as well as their FA Cup success. She was named in Goal’s 2020-21 WSL team of the season.

Lavelle, meanwhile, is expected to make her debut for OL Reign on May 20 against her former club, Washington Spirit.

The 26-year-old had a difficult time with City, the first half of her season in particular plagued by injury. However, her talent is unquestionable, with OL Reign CEO Bill Predmore saying: “We believe Rose has the ability to be the best player in the world. She is an extraordinary talent that is the perfect fit for our long-term vision for the team.

“From the moment the trade became a possibility last year we have been focused on finding a way to bring her to the club. We are thrilled to add her to the squad and believe she can play a key role in our efforts to compete for a championship this season.”

The Reign will pay $100,000 to Spirit in conjunction with Lavelle’s return to the league, as part of the trade made last year.

Further reading

Harry Kane has reiterated his stance that he wants to leave Tottenham this summer.

The 27-year-old has grown frustrated over the club's inability to compete at the highest level, having seen his side fall out of contention to secure Champions League football for next season.

Spurs have long been reluctant to entertain bids for their talisman but the England captain is hoping that they will soften their stance after his long service to the club.

State of play for Kane's future

Daniel Levy will demand a huge fee for Kane - who prefers a move within the Premier League – as he is on a long-term deal until 2024.

Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea are potentially viable destinations, although it is still unclear as to whether a move will materialise.

All three of the aforementioned Premier League giants have significant financial might and are looking for attacking signings, even with the coronavirus pandemic causing monetary problems. 

In Man Utd's case, however, they have renewed Edinson Cavani's contract after a good run of form and are thought to have switched focus to signing a right-winger – potentially Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho.

Kane is keen to resolve his situation ahead of the European Championship but it is likely to rumble on throughout the summer.

What has Kane actually said?

In a host of recent interviews, Kane hasn't sought to sugar-coat his unhappiness in north London and vocalise his desire to represent a club that challenges for major honours.

“Individual awards are great, they are fantastic achievements,” the striker said . “When I look back at the end of my career, I will go over it and take in a little bit more. The goal right now as a player is to win team trophies.

“As much as this [London Footballer of the Year award] is great, I want to be winning the biggest prizes that there is to offer as a team, and we are not quite doing that.

“It is one of those [situations], it is bittersweet. I would rather be winning team trophies than this award. It is what it is. I am proud to win it. It means it has been a good season on the pitch, so I have just got to try and continue what I am doing.”

What have Tottenham said?

In a brief statement released to various media outlets, Spurs' commented: “Our focus is on finishing the season as strongly as possible. That’s what everyone should be focused on.”

Kane's stats this season

With 22 premier League goals, Kane is level with Liverpool's Mohamed Salah in the race for the golden boot. 

Furthermore, he has 32 goals and 16 assists in 47 games in all competitions, ranking him among the world's best strikers.

Further reading

Isaac Success will score between one to seven goals for Watford during the 2021-22 Premier League campaign, according to most Goal readers.

Success, 25, was part of Xisco Munoz’s team that helped the Hornets return to the English elite division after a second-place finish in the English second tier.

Due to injury worries, the Nigeria international played just 10 games for the Vicarage Road giants, with a goal to his credit – which he achieved in the team’s last game of the Championship against Swansea.

That effort against Andre Ayew’s Swans ended his 30-month goal drought.

With the striker back to full fitness, we asked our readers how many goals the former Malaga and Granada man would turn in for Munoz’s men.

In a poll conducted on the Goal Africa Twitter handle, a huge 48.4% percent of total votes cast predicted he would score between one to seven goals for Watford.

Meanwhile, 25% of voters think the Super Eagle would find the net between eight to 14 times.

Success scored one goal in 19 appearances for the Hornets in his maiden English top-flight season. And with Munoz likely to bank on Senegal’s Ismaila Sarr and Troy Deeney for goals, 18.1 percent conclude that the African star would never get a single goal next time.

Lastly, 8.5% feel he will score at least 15 goals for the Hertfordshire based outfit. This mark looks unlikely having in mind that the 2013 Fifa U17 World Cup winner’s highest margin ever remains six goals – a mark he achieved in 2015-2016 at Spanish elite division outfit Granada.

Though his manager is not shy about the quality the African star possesses.

“Everybody knows about the quality of Isaac,” Munoz told media after his goal against Swansea.

 “I think Isaac is a very good player. He had bad luck because he was out for one year with an injury.

“After he came back, it’s important that everyone understands the process when a player is out for a long time without playing.”

In 2016, Success joined Watford on a five-year deal worth £12.5 million – a record transfer fee at the time.

Football fans have swamped social media asking Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane to team up with Chelsea.

According to Sky Sports, the English international echoed to his London team that he wants to leave the club.

For Spurs, they are going so far as to make inquiries about potential replacements, leaving Manchester City and Manchester United on high alert.

Kane would prefer to stay in the Premier League and is looking to have his future club sorted before heading to the European Cup this summer.

This piece of news has sent African football fans into a frenzy and they are asking the 27-year-old to join Thomas Tuchel’s side. 

Memphis Depay is taking charge of his own future negotiations, amid talk of a move to Barcelona.

The Dutch forward has revived his career at Lyon since joining the club in 2017, but he is in the final weeks of his contract and no breakthrough over a new deal has been found.

With his future up in the air, the former Manchester United forward has revealed he will be representing himself in negotiations.

What has been said?

“It is time for me to take control of my career,” Depay wrote on Twitter. 

“As I have come to a point where I need to make important choices about my future, I have decided to negotiate my future deals together with my team of trusted confidants, backed by legal experts.

“I will decide about my destination myself. You will be the first to know.”

What next for Depay?

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas said earlier this year that he was confident of persuading Depay to commit to a new deal with the Ligue 1 club.

There has been no breakthrough in talks, and links with Barcelona have grown stronger.

It was claimed over the weekend that a deal with Barca was close to being struck, but the Catalans could soon be in a state of flux with the future of coach Ronald Koeman in some doubt.

Depay and Koeman have a strong bond after working together for a couple of years with the Netherlands.

With Koeman’s future in doubt, Depay could well hold fire on any decision until there is clarity about the situation at Camp Nou.

Further reading

Gor Mahia risk missing a Caf Champions League slot for the 2021/22 season after Football Kenya Federation adopted a new method to select the country's representative.

In a statement in possession of Goal, the team that shall be leading as of June 30, 2021, - deadline provided by Caf for submission for representative clubs - shall be given the slot according to FKF.

"The federation is in receipt of communication from Caf directing that FKF submits Kenya's representative for the Caf inter-club competitions, latest June 30, 2021," the statement, signed by the FKF Chief Executive Officer Barry Otieno, read.

"Consequently, and in consideration that the FKF Premier League calendar may not be concluded before the aforementioned date, due to the disruption occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic, the FKF Leagues and Competitions Committee in a meeting held on May 7 2021, resolved that FKF PL representative shall be the team at the top of the table, as at June 30, 2021."

Gor Mahia, who have played 15 games, are sixth on the log behind Tusker, AFC Leopards, Kariobangi Sharks, KCB and Bandari. Tusker have been at the top for the better part of the ongoing season and stand a better chance to grab the slot.

Among the top five teams, only KCB have not participated in the continental competition as Kariobangi Sharks, AFC Leopards and Bandari have been there in the last four seasons.

The Brewers last played at the continental stage in 2016; after they won the league title and the Shield Cup under Ugandan coach Paul Nkata. From 2017 to 2021 Gor Mahia have been representing Kenya although their performances have not been convincing, especially in the Champions League.

FKF has not clearly stated how the Caf Confederation Cup representative will be selected. Kenya is always represented by the winner of the Shield Cup, a tournament that was set to hit the quarter-finals stage before soccer activities were suspended in March.

In the 2020/21 season, Kenya was not represented as the domestic competition did not naturally end last season due to the coronavirus disruption.

FKF Premier League is expected to proceed beyond June 30 after it resumed on May 14 following a suspension that was effected in early March due to the rising Covid-19 cases.

Simba SC have outlined five key areas they want to be addressed before they face Kaizer Chiefs in their return leg of the Caf Champions League on Saturday.

The Msimbazi giants suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat against Amakhosi in the first leg at FNB Stadium on Saturday and will require a massive victory of at least 4-0 to advance to the semi-finals of the competition.

A double from Samir Nurkovic and a goal apiece courtesy of Erick Mathoho, and Leonardo Castro inspired the home side to victory in the first leg, and the deserved win also saw the PSL giants maintain their unbeaten home record in this season’s Champions League.

Ahead of the return leg set for Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Saturday, Simba Information Officer Haji Manara has outlined key areas he wants the team to address before they face the South African giants.

“First of all, we must accept as a team we lost the first leg, and we lost by a huge goal margin,” Manara wrote on his social media pages.

“Secondly, our players and the entire technical bench must sit down and discuss what was the real problem in the away game, why did we lose by a huge margin and what should we do to rectify the mistakes before the return leg and win the tie to reach the semi-finals.

“Thirdly, we should all keep the faith, we should not lose hope, we should keep the faith and remain confident that it is possible to turn the tables and progress.”

In his fourth point, Manara said: “We should have the belief if we lost 4-0 away and because football is unpredictable, then we can also win at home with a margin of 4-0 and above.”

“And lastly, our togetherness as a team and working together should be our key weapon on Saturday, we want everyone to rally behind the team, we want everyone to pray for the team and by Saturday afternoon, we will have a good result and we will be in the semi-finals.”

The 4-0 loss is the biggest Simba have suffered in the recent past despite facing big sides. In the group stage, Simba picked up surprising wins against Al Ahly and AS Vita and finished as the winners of the group.