Sport
Ayunga “Fires” Blanks In Celtic Defeat, Mason Greenwood’s Reaction After Draw
Joseph Okumu impresses in Reims’ draw against Mason Greenwood’s Marseille as Ayunga fires blanks in Celtic defeat
Celtic’s impressive start to the season continued with a comprehensive 3-0 win over St. Mirren at the SMISA Stadium on Sunday evening.
Ayunga was part of coach Stephen Robinson’s starting eleven but was substituted at the start of the second half to make way for Mikael Mandron
Although the lanky striker has featured in all three of St. Mirren’s matches this season, he has yet to play a full game and has struggled in front of goal, failing to score or assist since the start of the campaign.
Celtic captain Callum McGregor fired the visitors ahead inside three minutes, and his fellow midfielder Reo Hatate added a second in the 33rd minute.
Defender Alistair Johnston swept in a third in the 71st minute, completing a convincing victory for the champions.
Brendan Rodgers’ side has won all four games this season, scoring 12 goals and conceding just one, heading into next Sunday’s Old Firm game against Rangers at Parkhead with supreme confidence.
Despite their effort, St. Mirren fell short and have now lost four games in a row.
Saints were knocked out of the Premier Sports Cup last week by Dundee United and will need to improve before their next match.
The defeat leaves St. Mirren eighth in the league on three points after three games, having won one match and lost two.
In France, Joseph Okumu featured prominently at the heart of Reims’ defense as they settled for a 2-2 draw against Roberto De Zerbi’s Marseille
Mason Greenwood salvaged a point for Marseille with his third French league goal of the season in a 2-2 draw against Reims at the Vélodrome on Sunday.
Despite taking an early lead through Amine Harit, Marseille’s defense faltered as Reims went ahead with goals from Yaya Kader Fofana and Sergio Akieme.
Greenwood had scored twice in his debut for Marseille in a 5-1 victory over Brest in their league opener. The former Manchester United forward made a controversial move to Marseille this summer.
In Sweden, Timothy Ouma played no part in Elfsborg’s 3-1 win over Goteberg as he was serving a suspension after receiving a red card in their previous league clash against Mjalby
Gor Mahia and Kenya Police face acid tests in their CAF inter-club competitions after making it to the second preliminary round where Egyptian giants Al Ahly and Zamalek await.
Gor Mahia thrashed El Merreikh of South Sudan 5-1 on Sunday, and 5-2 on aggregate, in the first preliminary round of the CAF Champions League while Kenya Police beat Ethiopian Coffee 1-0 on aggregate in the Confederation Cup to seal their places in the next round.
However, it is not an easy task that await them as K’Ogalo face the reigning champions Al Ahly of Egypt while Police also take on cup holders of Zamalek
Both Kenyan teams will have home advantage in the first leg, Al Ahly visiting Nairobi between September 13 and 15 while Zamalek also come to the country between the same dates.
“Our CAF Champions League campaign starts with a trip to face Gor Mahia,” Al Ahly posted on social media once the tie was confirmed
It is a tough outing for Gor Mahia against Al Ahly, the record 12-time winners of the competition, who have also claimed the last two titles.
The Egyptian giants have no equals on the continent and K’Ogalo have their work cut out if they have to avoid a hiding.
Gor Mahia ran riot on Sunday when they silenced their South Sudanese opponents but will have to find a fine balance between defence and attack to have any chance against Al Ahly.
A positive result will be needed at home before the return leg in Egypt between September 20 and 22.
K’Ogalo have faced Egyptian opposition before but it ended in disappointing fashion despite a positive home result. Gor took on Zamalek in the 2018-19 season, losing 4-0 away before winning 4-2 at home, and will pray that they have another victory on home soil this time around.
Meanwhile, it is new territory for Kenya Police who are featuring in the continental competition for the first time.
The law enforcers have work to do against Zamalek, who are the Confederation Cup champions, a competition they have won twice, and are also the second most successful club in the Champions League with five titles.
