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Sports journalists from the region give their views on who will carry the day when the Lions of Teranga take on the Pharaohs at Olembe Stadium on Sun…

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  Senegal or Egypt?

  Senegal and Egypt will face off in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations at Olembe Stadium in Yaounde on Sunday.

  The Lions of Teranga will feature in their second straight final after losing 1-0 to Algeria in the last edition held in Egypt in 2019. Senegal, under former captain Aliou Cisse have made 16 appearances in the African competition but are yet to win the trophy.

  Meanwhile, Egypt, who will miss the services of their suspended coach Carlos Queiroz, are the most successful nation in the cup’s history, winning the tournament seven times. They also won an unprecedented three consecutive titles in 2006, 2008, and 2010.

  GOAL sought to know if the Lions of Teranga will end their wait to lift the title or whether the Pharaohs will stop them? Below is what journalists from East Africa had to say.

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  Seth Willis

  It will be a tight game, bringing together two teams that have been defensively solid. They have both conceded two goals from the group stage all the way to the final.

  However, Senegal have been impressive especially from the last 16 round, after a rather slow start. Their midfield is quite strong as opposed to Egypt and their front line is also better. Having lost two finals, the Lions of Teranga will be highly determined to win.

  I don't think Egypt stand a chance.

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  Milton Nyakundi

  The Afcon final is an interesting one and very hard to predict because both Egypt and Senegal have the quality to carry the day, the game will be decided on very fine margins.

  The teams have quality in all departments and really it will be the unlucky side that will lose the game so for me going by recent history I think Senegal have been unlucky twice and this should be the time lady luck smiles on them at the third time of asking.

  Surely, they can’t be that unlucky?

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  Vincent Voiyoh

  It will be a tough encounter for both sides in the final. Of course, the two teams are powerhouses in the continent in matters of football. Egypt have bragging rights based on the number of titles they have won with Senegal still struggling to win the diadem.

  Since their first outing, Egypt have been compact defensively and in midfield, to go through to the final. They are not really dependent on their star forward Mohamed Salah meaning; they are in good shape psychologically to play as a unit.

  Going into the final, Senegal should ensure they score early to keep Egypt out of control but failure to do so; and it will be a tall order for them against the seven-time winners.

Celtic were unable to keep their unbeaten winning streak going yesterday as they lost in a rather weak manner.

The Hoops fell at the hands of a plucky Ross County having arrived at Victoria Park off the back of a strong five games prior, scoring 13 goals in that time and conceding just two. However, they wouldn’t be celebrating their sixth victory.

Just the one goal was scored last night, coming in the 71st minute as Jordan White managed to find the back of the net and snatch the points away from a wounded Celtic.

The reigning league champions will be disappointed with an overall lacklustre performance. Jonjoe Kenny, in particular, was off his game, but there was one man who managed to shine, despite the poor result.

Callum McGregor vs Ross County

Callum McGregor has been an integral part of Neil Lennon’s squad this season. Talks have emerged about the idea of him taking the captain’s armband from Scott Brown, who is out of contract in the summer.

With big boots to potentially fill down the line, the midfielder has been solid in the engine room this campaign and he was one of the few positive takeaways against Ross County.

According to Sofascore, he took a mammoth 124 touches of the ball, which was more than any other player on the pitch. This just goes to show how much of a feeder player he operates as in midfield – he is always giving and receiving the ball to try and make some magic happen.

McGregor also made an impressive 101 accurate passes, completing 90% of those attempted, as well as putting in 11 accurate long balls and making one key pass.

Neil Lennon is also a huge fan of McGregor’s and recently waxed lyrical about his influence. The boss described him as a “metronome” in the middle of the park, which is a huge compliment for someone awaiting to take charge of his club as future captain.

Celtic did lose the game, but captain-in-waiting McGregor can still be proud of his performance.

In other news, Celtic must keep starting Ryan Christie this season…

There's plenty of Aussie talent that could be tapped into this month

With most A-League squads boasting their full quota of foreigners, finding Australian talent will be the priority for many clubs in January.

Already this month, Kwame Yeboah has returned from Germany to sign for Western Sydney Wanderers, while Melbourne Victory have offered NPL star Elvis Kambosa a deserved deal.

So who else is out there and where could they end up?

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  1Kerem Bulut

  No, that's not a joke, I'd love to see Bulut given one final crack in the A-League.

  A free agent after being banned from playing in Turkey for reported drug use, the former Wanderers striker would certainly add some colour to the A-League. 

  At 26, he'd be hoping he still has plenty of goals left in him too and would be eager to redeem himself after his last stint with Western Sydney ended poorly.

  A club would have to take a considerable gamble on him first though and perhaps a side with not much left to lose, like the Mariners, could profit from a roll of the dice. 

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  2Chris Herd

  After showing so much promise, it's been a painful few years for the midfielder, who is a free agent after a short stint in Thailand.

  Herd failed to impress across his one season stint with the Wanderers, but is just 29 and surely still has something left to offer. 

  A move to Brisbane Roar could make sense with Brett Holman and Stefan Mauk struggling with injuries. 

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  3Liam Rose

  Yet another former Mariner, who is a free agent after a short stint in Armenia.

  Only 21, Rose has 71 A-League appearances to his name so is no stranger to the demands of the competition. 

  A defensive midfielder by trade, he'd be a handy addition for any A-League side in need of some depth in the middle of the park. 

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• 4Alex Gersbach

  Desperately short of game time over the past year in Norway, the left-back was lucky to make the Socceroos Asian Cup squad.

  Unlikely to start for Australia in the UAE, Gersbach must secure more minutes at club level sooner rather than later.

  With his contract at Rosenborg expiring in a few months, a short spell in the A-League could be what he needs to rejuvenate his hopes of European football. 

  While Sydney FC don't need him back, the Mariners and Wanderers could use him on their left flank. 

The Covid-19 pandemic has seen the European Championships delayed by a year, after a number of top players had been set to miss out

The coronavirus outbreak has thrown the world of sport into disarray, and football has been no different.

In March, it was decided that Euro 2020 would be postponed by a full year, until the summer of 2021.

While it may be far down the list of players' priorities as the virus spreads, the delay will nevertheless have a big impact on players and teams alike – particularly those coming toward the end of their careers, who may now miss the tournament.

However, plenty of others may have been given a second chance by the delay, after suffering from injuries, bad form, or competition for places.

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  Eden Hazard

  Hazard is one of the undisputed stars of Belgium’s ‘Golden Generation’, but looked like missing out on the tournament after suffering a fractured ankle in February.

  Now, he has the chance to regain his fitness and discover some consistent form at Real Madrid.

  With him, Belgium will be looking to make amends for their semi-final exit at the 2018 World Cup.

  Hazard will be 30 by the time the tournament is scheduled to begin. He already has more than 100 senior international caps to his name, as well as 32 goals for his country.

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  Robert Skov

  Hoffenheim’s 23-year-old winger Skov is one of the leading talents in Danish football right now, but he is still short of international experience.

  In his final season at Copenhagen, he broke the Danish Superliga’s goalscoring record with 30 goals.

  Since moving to the Bundesliga, the flow has been slowed. He has three goals to his name in 18 league games for Hoffenheim.

  Another year of development could see Skov hit his peak by the time the Euros start, and add to his three goals from four appearances for Denmark so far.

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  Marcus Rashford

  Rashford was in the form of his life for Manchester United, and looked set to lead the line for England when Harry Kane was injured.

  Then, Rashford was ruled out too. And, while he was adamant that he was aiming to make the Three Lions’ squad, Gareth Southgate would have had a difficult decision to make.

  With time to recover his fitness, Rashford will be a near certainty to start, and he will be hoping to have another few months of deadly form for United under his belt.

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  Marco Asensio

  The 24-year-old Asensio would likely have been looking at the 2019-20 season as an opportunity to kick his game onto the next level, developing into a regular match-winner for Real Madrid.

  Instead, his season ended before it began. He scored in a pre-season game against Arsenal but went off with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.

  With Euro 2020 looming, it was a huge ask for Asensio to recover fitness and show enough form to make Spain’s squad, but the postponement has given him every chance of staking a claim.

GOAL gives you the best 25 Arab Players of 2017.

Arabian Football has never been in a better state after four nations qualified for the 2018 World Cup and three Arabian clubs out of four reached the Asian and African Champions League Finals in 2018. We have also seen Arabian players excel in one of the strongest, if not the strongest league in the world, the English Premier League and the leagues around it. 

Hence, we at GOAL welcome you to the 2017 GOAL Best 25 Arab Players Award, where we give you the best players in and out of the Arab World across the last 12 months.

• 25 | Ali Mabkhout – Al Jazira – UAE

  The talented Emirati striker led Al Jazira to the UAE Arabian Gulf League, scoring 33 goals in the league to win the top scorer award. 

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• 24 | Muaiad Ellafi – Al Shabab (KSA) – Libya

  The Libyan was excellent with Ahli Tripoli in Libya and contributed to their qualification to the quarter finals of the CAF Champions league.

• 23 | Abdulla Al-Mayouf – Al Hilal – Saudi Arabia

  The Al Hilal goalkeeper was a key player for the side that won the league and reached the final of the AFC Champions League alongside earning qualification to the FIFA World Cup with Saudi Arabia.

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• 22 | Rachid Ghezzal – Lyon – Algeria

  The Algerian midfielder helped Olympique Lyonnais to a 4th placed finish in the French League and the semi final of the UEFA Europa League.

A lot of Liverpool fans have flocked to Twitter to slate Reds right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold over his performance in the Merseyside club’s latest Premier League clash with Southampton. 

The 22-year-old played a notable role in Danny Ings’ opening goal of the game, which came in just the second minute. Per The Liverpool Echo, the £99m-rated man produced some ‘pathetic defending’ from the set-piece which allowed the former Reds striker to get onto the end of the ball from James Ward-Prowse and score. 

Later on in the contest, the right-back was on the receiving end of a telling off from Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, with Alexander-Arnold said to have been ‘having a bit of a nightmare’ versus The Saints. 

So, what have these Liverpool fans had to say about Alexander-Arnold?

Many Liverpool fans took to Twitter to criticise the England international for the role he played in the game’s opening goal, while others shared that they believe his role in the goal was just the latest error in what has been an overall poor season from the Reds academy product.

“Some finish that you know. However, it’s never a free-kick and TAA defensive wise is absolutely shocking there.”

Credit: @Pallen19_6

“Weak from TAA. His first poor run.”

Credit: @MiddleEarthLFC

“Alexander-Arnold is such a terrible defender. Complete liability this year with the shape of this back line.”

Credit: @ItsOkBud

“Alexander-Arnold needlessly gave the ball away just before Thiago committed that foul. There’s no hiding his poor form of late #SOULIV”

Credit: @Hickory92

“Awful that from Alexander-Arnold, why is he trying to control that with his chest instead of just clearing it?”

Credit: @adam_canavan

“He’s been pretty poor all season long”

Credit: @JonesJones4Life

“Been horrendous lately”

Credit: @LFCzach_8

“Trent Alexander-Arnold has been sleepwalking through the entire season and it’s infuriating”

Credit: @lead_farmerxx

In other news, many Liverpool fans have been fuming over The Liverpool Echo’s January transfer claim.

Many Crystal Palace fans were not pleased with the performance of Christian Benteke during the match against Leicester City on Monday afternoon.

The South London side managed to pick up a 1-1 draw and this point will have pleased Roy Hodgson massively as his side had lost their last two games, having conceded ten goals in the two matches.

Benteke looked to have been turning things around at the Eagles, as he scored two against West Bromwich Albion and one against West Ham (Transfermarkt). However, his performance against the Foxes was not one that many fans were happy with. One even called him ‘anonymous’.

The Belgian picked up a 6.6 rating and it is easy to see why it was so low (SofaScore). He only managed one shot, which was off target, and he failed both of his dribble attempts. He also lost nine aerial duels, five ground duels and lost possession 23 times.

Hopefully, Benteke will soon be back to his goalscoring ways and in the December period, it is easy to get back on form as the fixtures come around thick and fast.

Here is what Palace fans said about the performance of Benteke:

“Been so poor since their goal. Benteke practically anonymous today and often out-muscled #cpfc”

Credit:@Olimite

“Further confirmation, if ever it was needed, that Zaha isn’t a centre forward, Townsend isn’t a premier league player, and Benteke shouldn’t even own a pair of boots! #cpfc”

Credit: @jonnysell

“Has Benteke actually won a header today?”

Credit: @Wheddsta

“Why did we bring Batshuayi in when he’s become 3rd choice? Not Benteke’s best game so should be bringing Michy on!”

Credit: @tgh316

“Benteke would be second to the ball in a one man race. Not only a terrible player technically but a lazy one too #cpfc #CRYLEI”

Credit: @PJeevesie

“We do look more defensively solid today. But it is at the expense of any attacking threat at all. Wilf and Benteke may as well not be on the pitch. Vardy comes on and it’s 0-1. #cpfc”

Credit:@MarkyP7

In other news, CPFC fans were fuming at one-star following the loss on Boxing Day. Have a read who it was here!

West Ham United must flip their decision not to recall Felipe Anderson from his failing loan spell with FC Porto, amid reports that David Moyes has already decided the Brazilian’s future.

What’s the word?

According to reliable insider ExWHUemployee, the Irons have no interest in recalling Anderson from his season-long loan during the January window, despite Porto being far from impressed with the winger’s early efforts.

Anderson joined Sergio Conceicao’s side in October after the market for English clubs to sign players from abroad closed, having failed to start a single league game for the Hammers this season.

Moyes had favoured the £22.5m-rated Brazilian in each of the London Stadium’s EFL Cup ties, returning one goal and two assists, and did not expect to lose Anderson once the international market closed to English sides.

West Ham would have hoped to see Anderson revive his career with the Portuguese champions having been signed for a then-club-record £36m in 2018 but, instead, they have seen the 27-year-old feature for just 110 minutes across all competitions.

Anderson has started only once for Porto, coming in last week’s Tace de Portugal trip to third-tier G.D. Fabril, while Conceicao has also omitted the one-time Brazil international from three of his matchday squads – including his last two in Liga NOS.

Yet, despite Anderson being an outcast at the Estadio do Dragao, West Ham have no interest in recalling the forward this winter and as such, they will allow him to see out the season in Portugal.

U-turn needed

With Porto not overly impressed by Anderson’s performances and Conceicao showing a recent preference to omit the 27-year-old from his matchday plans, West Ham must make a U-turn on their decision not to recall the winger Moyes once lauded as a “technically gifted” player.

While the Irons’ deal with Porto saw the Liga NOS outfit pick up Anderson’s £85,000-per-week contract and pay a sizable loan fee to obtain his services for the season, West Ham will be in a far worse position next summer than they were this year with his current terms due to expire in 2022.

The east London club will be left in an awkward state of limbo were Anderson to stay away until the end of the campaign, as a torrid year in Portugal will see his market value continue its drastic decline that has seen TransferMarkt devalue the Brazilian by £18m since last December.

However, Anderson returning to the London Stadium this winter will afford Moyes and the Hammers hierarchy an opportunity to find a new home for the former Lazio star, one where he will be given the chances to find his best form again and hopefully help him maintain some of his value.

AND in other news, a pundit has exclusively claimed a 26-year-old ace would have been a “very good” West Ham signing.

West Brom picked up a pivotal first three points of the season on Saturday night as they won the battle of the Premier League’s bottom two at the Hawthorns.

The Baggies narrowly edged the end-to-end encounter with Sheffield United thanks to a first-half strike from Chelsea loanee Conor Gallagher, who fired home from range through a crowded penalty area in the 13th minute.

In reality, the visitors could’ve been two goals to the good before the midfielder bagged his first goal for Albion with both John Fleck and George Baldock going close.

Slaven Bilic should maybe count his lucky stars as the Blades attempted five more shots throughout the 90 minutes and enjoyed the majority of the possession.

The Croatian deployed a three-at-the-back system with veteran Branislav Ivanovic holding forte through the middle but it was an off-night for the three-time Premier League winner.

A better team would have certainly punished his troublesome presence.

The 36-year-old won just one of his seven duels (14%) and failed to record a single tackle, interception or block. He was also dribbled past three times, had only 19 touches all game and was dealt the Baggies’ lowest rating of 6.1, as per SofaScore.

BirminghamLive’s Joseph Chapman emphasised his disappointing display in his post-match ratings, he said: “Had a nightmare at the beginning when McBurnie matched him in the air and then was too quick for him, drawing a card from ref Dean. As expected, Burke had him in knots in a foot race.”

Had the rock-bottom Blades had any real attacking threat, then on another day, Albion may have lost this one by a few due to the performance of their defence and in particular, Ivanovic.

It very nearly cost them that maiden victory.

As one of the most experienced players in this Baggies squad, sitting among the high-earners on £38k-per-week, you’d expect better but perhaps at 36, the pace and speed of the English top-flight is getting away from him.

West Brom still hold the joint-worst defensive record in the Premier League, so a new centre-back should be on the agenda this January.

AND in other news, Forget Gallagher: £30k-per-week sensation was the star of the show in maiden win…

If this one video of Benrahma’s holiday has put Leeds off signing him they really need to rethink their transfer policy, as they’ve missed out on an extremely talented player who could have added a lot to their squad.