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Mazembe Aims To Conquer Africa

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It may be too early to start counting their chickens but Democratic Republic of Congo giants TP Mazembe look like a team that will yet again pose a threat in this year’s African Champions League.

The four-time African club champions have recruited one Ugandan, a Zambian, five Ghanaian and three Malian players as they aim to conquer the continent again this year.

The overhauling of the squad has seen new arrivals in almost every department, except the goalkeeping area that will still be anchored by Congolese international Muteba Kidiaba.

Ghanaian defenders Yaw Frimpong and Richard Boateng have taken up the space left by Congolese Pamphile Mihayo and Kasongo Ngandu who have been dispatched to the coaching bench of Mazembe’s sister club Don Bosco.

In the middle of the park, Congolese midfielder Guy Lusadisu retired and new recruits Malian Alou Bagayoko, Ghanaians Gladson Awoko and Daniel Adje Nii and Uganda Mike Mutyaba will compete for places.

The striking department has seen the arrival of Zambian Jonas Sakuwaha, Malians Diarra Boubacar and Ousmane Cisse and Salomon Asante from Ghana.

However, some of the new recruits have been loaned to Don Bosco.

“Defensively, TP now has more options”, club owner Moise Katumbi told Tidesports source.

“On the right and left flanks, Kasusula (jean) and Nkulukuta (Eric) are both over 30 years and the team needed some players who could play straight away hence the arrival of the Ghanaians.

“In the middle we  needed

more variationa nd creativity, while up front we lacked height, so we have brought in new players to offer us aerial threat and physical stature”.

Katumbi believes that with the new recruits Mazembe can now effectivly rotate their squad to cope witht he demands of local and international fixtures.

It is a statement of intent that is already bearing fruit for a team that reached the semi-final stage of the competition last year.

Mazembe, who are based in the mineral-rich Katanga province, last weekend demolished Botswana side Mochudi Centre Chiefs 6-0 to qualify to the next round of the competition via a 7-0 age gregate victory.

“We are re-building the team”, added Katumbi.

“Building a team sometimes takes a long time but we hope we can get better and better.

“I am somebody who doesn’t get carried away easily with the result of a match.

We still have a lot of work to do”.

“The competition is good and we think we cna win the Chamions League this year”, says Zambian striker Given Singuluma.

Andre Mtine, a member of the TP scouting network, thinks the arrivl of the new players, especially the Ghanaians, will add a different dimension to the team.

he is particularly happy that this year Mazembe have a blend of both  young and experienced players.

“The Ghanaians  have very good temperament and are focused”, he says.

“The Pan-African nature of the is a big plus to the team because every player is competing for places regardless of where they come from.

“The non-Congolese players know they are being paid because they have a job to do while the Congolese understand there is competition if they are to be selected to play”.

Mazembe’s victory against Chiefs last weekend has booked them a glamour tie with South African side Orlando Pirates, who boasts the likes of UEFA Champions League winner Benni McCarthy.

But Mazembe, who in 2010 made history by becoming the first African side to reach the final of the World Club Championships, are not scared to face Pirates.

“Every president of a club, just like myself, is expecting their team to do better this year but we are determined to bring joy to Congo and Africa this year”, Katumbi said.

“Orlando Pirates is a good team and I have a lot of respect  for them.

“Pirates are a very good side with a lot of players that have played in Europe but our team is also determined to show what local African players can do”.

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Inter Best Juventus To Maintain Serie  A Lead

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Andrea Cambiaso scored at both ends during the first half of Saturday’s Derby d’Italia, before Pierre Kalulu’s red card forced Juventus to play the entire second half a man light.

Substitute Francesco Pio Esposito got Inter back in front with a bullet header, then Manuel Locatelli’s pinpoint finish looked to have salvaged a point for the Bianconeri, before Zielinski struck on the cusp of stoppage time.

Juventus made the brighter start, but they were masters of their own downfall in the 17th minute, when Cambiaso deflected Luis Henrique’s cross beyond Michele Di Gregorio.

Cambiaso atoned within nine minutes, catching Henrique on his heels when Weston McKennie’s cross squirmed through to the back post and applying a side-footed finish.

But after Bremer cleared Zielinski’s dinked effort off the line, Juve’s hopes were damaged when Kalulu received his second yellow card for a 42nd-minute pull on Alessandro Bastoni, though the Inter centre-back appeared to go down theatrically.

Di Gregorio made a remarkable stop to thwart Hakan Calhanoglu, but as Juventus dropped ever deeper, they were punished when substitute Esposito guided Federico Dimarco’s searching cross into the far corner with 76 minutes on the clock.

It looked like Inter would have to settle for a point when Locatelli whipped a wonderful finish into the bottom-left corner in the 83rd minute, but Zielinski had the final say as his 20-yard drive fizzed through Locatelli’s legs and beat Di Gregorio.

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Szoboszlai’s Real Madrid Dream Sparks Concern At Liverpool 

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A cloud of uncertainty has settled over Liverpool after comments from Hungary head coach Marco Rossi reignited speculation about Dominik Szoboszlai and Real Madrid.

Rossi, who has worked closely with Szoboszlai since his teenage years, revealed that the midfielder’s lifelong ambition is to play for the Spanish giants.

“Because of the very close and direct relationship I’ve had with Dominik since he was a child, Real Madrid has always been his dream,” Rossi said.

For a Liverpool side building around Szoboszlai as a centerpiece of Arne Slot’s project, those words landed hard.

Within hours of Rossi’s remarks, Szoboszlai interacted on social media with two Real Madrid players, applauding posts from Vinicius Junior and Trent Alexander-Arnold following Madrid’s win over Real Sociedad.

His reaction to Vinicius’ post drew particular attention. The exchange with Alexander-Arnold, his former Liverpool teammate, was seen as less surprising.

Still, in the hyper-connected world of elite soccer, even a digital thumbs-up can carry weight. On Merseyside, fans and pundits quickly began dissecting the meaning behind the interactions.

Szoboszlai, Hungary’s captain, has become one of Liverpool’s most influential players. That status is precisely why Rossi’s comments triggered such an intense reaction in England.

The midfielder had just delivered on the field as well, scoring in Liverpool’s 3-0 FA Cup fourth-round victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield.

After the match, Mohamed Salah heaped praise on his teammate, calling Szoboszlai “the best player in the world.” Slot struck a slightly more measured tone but echoed the sentiment.

“I think there are many elite players in the world, but I definitely agree with Mo that he is one of them,” Slot said. “He is very important for us.”

Szoboszlai is under contract at Liverpool through 2028. However, the club is reportedly eager to open extension talks in the coming months to secure his long-term future.

The player himself addressed the situation recently with notable candor.

“There’s nothing yet, to be honest. Nothing from now on. It’s not in my hands. That’s how it works,” he said. “There’s no progress, but if the right offer comes, we’ll see.”

He was equally clear about his affection for Liverpool.

“We’ll see what happens. Hopefully everyone will be happy in the end. Of course I want to stay. I like the city, I like the club, I like playing with these guys. I love Anfield, I love the fans. Let’s see what the future brings. It’s not my fault. I’d love to stay. We’ll see.”

 

Inter’s dramatic victory boosted their lead over rivals AC Milan to eight points, ahead of the Rossoneri hosting Como on Wednesday. Juventus, meanwhile, could drop out of the top four as Roma visited Napoli last night.

The last four Serie A matches between Inter and Juventus have produced a total of 21 goals (an average of 5.25 per game), compared to just nine in the previous six (1.5 per game).

Cambiaso became the first player in Derby d’Italia history to score and put through his own net in the same match between these old rivals, but it was Zielinski’s fifth Serie A goal of the season that proved decisive.

Inter will argue they were deserved victors after amassing 21 shots and 1.88 expected goals (xG), while Luciano Spalletti’s visitors mustered 10 shots and 0.92 xG – though the Bianconeri actually attempted six of their shots while down a man in the second half.

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Wolves Beat Man Utd Conquerors

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Premier League strugglers Wolves overcame resolute Grimsby Town in challenging conditions at Blundell Park to reach the FA Cup fifth round at the expense of the side that eliminated Manchester United in the last round.

Santiago Bueno scored from Wolves’ only shot on target with an hour played, diverting Joao Gomes’ cross past goalkeeper Jackson Smith with his thigh to end the League Two club’s resistance.

Unrelenting rainfall caused heavy ground underfoot and one penalty area in particular- that of Grimsby’s Smith in the first half – was already a quagmire before kick-off.

Charles Vernam shot narrowly wide from the edge of the box with just 43 seconds on the clock as Grimsby sought to catch their top-flight visitors cold.

Wolves had to wait until the 17th minute for their first opportunity of note, forward Tolu Arokodare firing over with a first-time attempt.

The white paint of the pitch markings soon blended and blurred with the mud as the surface rapidly deteriorated, and both sides struggled to stitch together cohesive attacks as passes travelled unpredictably across the sodden ground.

 

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