| 7 | St. Johnstone | 12 | 3 | 5 | 4 | -4 | 14 |
| 8 | St Mirren | 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | -8 | 14 |
| 9 | Motherwell | 12 | 3 | 3 | 6 | -6 | 12 |
| 10 | Aberdeen | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | -2 | 11 |
| 11 | Hibernian | 12 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 9 |
Manager Alfred Johansson says keeping a level state of emotion within the building is important, as he wants his players to be too high or too low.
Johansson has been impressed by Jim Goodwin’s Dundee United side, and speaks about he thinks the match on Saturday could unfold.
Jardell Kanga has made a habit of catching the headlines on all his career. Bursting onto the scene to become IF Brommapojkarna Academy’s youngest ever first-team player at the age of 15, being named amongst the Guardian’s top 60 players to look out for, born in 2005 alongside stars like Desiré Doué, now of PSG, Mathys Tel of Tottenham Hotspur, Antonia Nusa of RB Leipzig and Arda Güler of Real Madrid, and scoring a stoppage-time stunner at St Mirren on his debut for Motherwell.
He certainly announced his arrival in emphatic fashion, but now, a couple months into his stay in ML1, life has settled down for Kanga as he looks to fully establish himself as a Motherwell player.
“I found an apartment quite quickly,” he said.
“I’ve come into a good group of players who have helped me settle quickly. I chose to move out of Sweden and go somewhere new, as I’ve always wanted to be a professional footballer. Moving away from home is just part of that. I chose to come here and turn down other options, so I’m fully committed.
“The goal against St Mirren was amazing; it’s one of the top moments in my career so far. I played some friendly games for the Bayer Leverkusen first-team which is up there also. When I scored, I didn’t know what to do. It was just so nice that I could contribute in that way, as that’s a huge part of my game: getting goals and assists. I’ve now gone a few games without doing that where I’ve started or come on as a sub, so I’m looking for more.”
Alfred Johansson has stated publicly that since Kanga landed in Scotland, it’s been a case of building up. At the age of 20, the Motherwell staff have been working with Kanga to ensure he can compete at his optimum.
As such, the Swedish youth international believes there is a lot more to come from him and that everyone will see more.
“I’ve had some good games and some less good games,” he explained.
“Much more is still to come. I’m not satisfied with where I am at the minute.”
Football has always been a prominent part of Kanga’s life. His mother played football for teams in their local area, his dad, Kutshi Kanga played for Syrianska in the Swedish second and third divisions, and his cousin Joe Mendes currently plays for Samsunspor in Turkey, having previously turned out for Braga and Basel.
And with Kanga’s constant media spotlight and attention, having a support network of people who have been in the game has been pivotal for his development.
“For me, it’s always been football,” he stated.
“Even when I look at pictures of me as a young child, you always see me with a ball in my hand or at my feet; there’s even some of me meeting sleeping with a football. I don’t have memories where I didn’t play football.
“I started with Eskilstuna, then I went to Vasalunds if. They have very good academy teams. From there I went to IF Brommapojkarna. And the funny thing is, I was at Brommapojkarna earlier in my career. I didn’t play and just played in school instead and decided to join Vasalunds, as they were close to my home. We ended up playing Brommapojkarna, where I played well and scored, so they wanted me to come back.”
Kanga had been widely regarded as one of the hottest prospects to come out of Sweden, bursting onto the professional football stage with a bang. He became Brommapojkarna’s youngest-ever player in 2021 when he featured in a first-team match, having shown an abundance of excitement, maturity and professionalism at the age of just 15.
But this debut was part of a wider success story for Kanga. At the age of just 15, he went on to play 23 games in the Swedish third division, scoring five goals in just under 1000 minutes played and starting 11 games. His performances helped his team achieve promotion to the second tier of Swedish football, but Kanga caught wide-spread attention and subsequently joined Bayer Leverkusen.
“It was a crazy time, but to be honest with you, I didn’t care about the stuff off the pitch,” Kanga mentioned.
“My friends and family have always kept me humble. I was never, ever a superstar around my friends. They never hyped me up and the noise around me. This noise was outside, but the people I was around made sure I stayed humble. I was never a ‘wonderkid’, and I made sure I did good stuff. It was easier to handle everything with those people around me.
“Brommapojkarna” means everything to me. It’s going good for them just now, and that makes me happy. It’s a club that gave me everything and gave me a chance to play first-team football. I had incredible coaches that did everything and more for me, and I’ll always be grateful.
“It was an exciting time when I had to decide to leave Sweden, but it was so difficult. The hardest part was leaving my parents because they were very sad that I left at such a young age. I’d just turned 16, and seeing them sad was hard, but they were so happy for me also. But as I’ve said, this is what I wanted. But I would say I was more excited than nervous to join Leverkusen.”
Kanga joined the illustrious Leverkusen youth side but had ample experience training with the first-team under Xabi Alonso and also played in friendly matches.
But despite this wonderful and life-changing experience, there is one moment that stands out for him during his time in Germany that still resonates with him today.
“I remember I was sitting with the Transition Coach,” he recalled.
“And he told me that ‘your talent has taken you to Leverkusen, but it won’t take you further.’ That always stands out for me because he was saying that if I wanted to take the next step in my career, I would have to work really hard and sacrifice a lot. That was the best lesson I had there. The tactical stuff was amazing, and training under Alonso and everything, but this advice I received, it stuck with me.
“That’s why I can still hear his voice in my head all the time. I’ve had headlines and stories written about me for most of my career, and you can’t avoid that.
“At my age, we’re all on social media, and it’s hard not to see these things. You just have to stay focused and chase your goal. I had my mum, dad, uncle and friends who were like older brothers to me who all kept me grounded. I never got the chance to fly away and get carried away.”
Continuing his development with Bayer Leverkusen’s Under 17 and Under 19 sides, he joined De Graafschap on loan before returning to Sweden with Hammarby in 2024, signing a four-year contract with the Swedish outfit.
“I didn’t play so much when I returned to Sweden,” the Swede said.
“I learned a lot, but during my time at Hammarby, even though I didn’t play a lot and some things didn’t go my way. It taught me that I need to put in even more work to succeed. I had to trust the process, and I’m thankful for that experience. To not play and be benched helps me learn, and I didn’t complain.”
In 2025, Kanga joined Ilves, and this was where he really began to make his mark at the first-team level.
Across his almost two seasons with Ilves in Finland, Kanga has played 68 games for the Finns, scoring 18 goals and assisting 16 times. His maturity has been shown, having been given the captain’s armband on a number of occasions for matches.
“I think going to Finland was one of the best choices I’ve made in my career,” the 20-year-old added.
“It was exactly what I needed. In the beginning, things didn’t start off great, but it became so good for me there. I was able to captain the side for a while, which was amazing. It was an amazing team and amazing people around the club, and I’m so thankful for the memories I have from my time there.
“We played some European games against a good team, and it was the best decision I’ve made so far. I think I do have that leadership part of my game. People forget my age, I think. It’s always been like this; since I was 12 or 13 years old, people have forgotten. When I was 16, people thought I was 22. You have to live with it, and it will help me going forward.
“Right now, the most important thing for us is to trust what we do and stay together. That’s the most important thing we need to do. It’s not going our way all of the time, but we’re doing a lot of stuff away from matches to try and improve, and I really believe in this team. I see ourselves every day, and we have so much quality. Things will turn consistently very soon.”
Get ready for our annual Christmas Party Nights here at Motherwell Football Club.
Get into the festive spirit this December as Motherwell Football Club invites you to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year with our fantastic Christmas Party Nights at Fir Park!
Whether you’re planning a night out with friends, organising your work Christmas night out or simply looking for the perfect excuse to get together and celebrate, our Christmas Party Nights promise a fantastic evening of festive food, entertainment and Christmas cheer.
Taking place across selected dates in December, guests can enjoy a fantastic evening featuring a two-course meal, with a choice of main course, followed by Christmas celebrations with live entertainment and singer Barry Chisholm, who will provide the perfect soundtrack to your festive evening.
With a fantastic atmosphere, great food and plenty of opportunities to celebrate, it’s the perfect way to round off the year with colleagues, friends and family.
Our Christmas Party Nights will take place on the following dates:
Time: 7pm – 1am
Price: £45 per person
Each booking includes a two-course meal, with a choice of main course, alongside live Christmas entertainment and singer Barry Chisholm.
With one of our dates already sold out, availability is limited and we encourage anyone looking to join us to book NOW.
To enquire or secure your place at one of our Christmas Party Nights, contact the Motherwell FC Hospitality team:
Email: hospitality@motherwellfc.co.uk
Telephone: 01698 338011
Make this Christmas one to remember and join us at Fir Park for a fantastic festive celebration!
Aaron Thomson and Zander McAllister have both been named in the Scotland Under-19 squad.
Scotland have three key matches during this international break, taking on Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Belgium in Round Two qualifying for the European championships in 2027.
Scotland are in League A following their Round One performances. The top three teams in each group in League A stay in the league for the upcoming third round, with those bottom dropping down to League B.
Thomson and McAllister, both on loan at League Two Spartans, represented their country in the last squad.
It’s time to vote for your Lime Player of the Month for October.
Ibrahim Said, Emmanuel Longelo and Joe Hodge are all up for nomination.
To vote, head over to the Motherwell Facebook page.
Goalkeeper Alex Paulsen has been named in the November New Zealand squad.
Paulsen started three of the four matches New Zealand played during the September break, with the shot-stopped looking to establish himself as first-choice keeper for his country.
New Zealand are playing back home for the first time since March as they prepare for a double header against India. The All Whites play on Thursday 12 November in Auckland, before the second match on Sunday 15 November.
Paulsen now has 11 caps for his country.
Tawanda Maswanhise is set to represent his country once again next month, having been named in the latest Zimbabwe squad.
The forward has been included in the squad that will continue the Warriors’ AFCON qualifying campaign.
Zimbabwe kicked off their journey to AFCON last month, securing a win against Sierra Leone and tasting defeat against DR Congo. They face Equatorial Guinea in a double header in November, travelling to Malabo on Friday 13 November, before hosting on Monday 16 November.
It had been seven games since Motherwell had tasted victory, and after two strong performances that included coming within seconds of victory against St Johnstone earlier in the week, the stakes couldn’t have been higher when St Mirren visited North Lanarkshire.
The performance levels have been strong over the last few games, but manager Alfred Johansson wanted his side to tighten up in both boxes. Defensively, Alex Paulsen had very little to do, and the chances arrived for Ibrahim Said, Tawanda Maswanhise and Jake Girdwood-Reich, but nobody could convert.
As the game ticked closer to its conclusion, it looked like it could have been another near miss. But when Regan Charles-Cook chased down a ball in behind and the St Mirren defender used his arm to take the ball away, VAR had no choice but to intervene.
Lukas Fadinger dispatched the subsequent penalty, as a sigh of relief was blown around the stadium.
Looking ahead to what’s in store for November.
Motherwell kick off the month of November at Dundee United on Saturday 7 November. Kick-off is 3pm, and this is the final William Hill Premiership match before the November international break.
You can buy tickets online now by CLICKING HERE.
Following the international window, Motherwell will return to action at Fir Park against Rangers on Saturday 21 November, with kick-off at 8pm.
They round off the month against Hibernian on Saturday 28 November. That kick off is 5:45pm.
The Young Team have four fixtures this month.
Our under-17s will take on Celtic on Friday 6 November, in the CAS Elite Under-17s league.
The Under 19s are also in league action on Tuesday 10 November at home to Dundee United.
There are two more league fixtures for the Under 17s, facing Dundee United on Friday 13 November, before hosting Hearts on Friday 27 November.
The Women of Steel were denied a spot in the semi-final of the Sky Sports Cup on Sunday afternoon, despite a battling display against Hibernian.
They return to league action at the start of the month against Celtic on Sunday 8 November at K-Park. The kick-off is at 4pm.
The squad will then make the trip north to Aberdeen on Sunday 15 November in their final league fixture of the month.
It’s Scottish Cup action on Sunday 22 November, at Rangers in Cumbernauld. It’s then the international break, giving the women of steel a break before their return to action in December.
Motherwell play their final match ahead of the November international break, taking on Dundee United at Tannadice in the William Hill Premiership.
Kick off is 3pm.
You can buy tickets online now by CLICKING HERE.
| Away Stand | |
| Adults | £26 |
| Concessions | £16 |
| Under 12 | £6 |
| Ambulant | £16 / PA FOC |
Concessions are classed as 65 and over, Under 21 / Student.
Any wheelchair Users requiring tickets please contact the Ticket Office directly on tickets@dundeeunitedfc.co.uk or01382 833 166 option 1.
The seats available are in the Norman Jamieson / West stand (previously named Carling).
If you are outside the UK, you can watch the game via Motherwell TV.
Should you be in the UK, it will be live commentary only.
Saturday is to be dry in Dundee, with temperatures of around nine degrees at kick off.
The Steelmen ended their seven-game winless run with a 1-0 victory over St Mirren on Saturday. That rounded off a four-point week, with Motherwell playing three games in six days.
Lukas Fadinger slotted his penalty into the bottom corner for his fourth goal of the season. Ibrahim Said has also scored fourth of the season in the 2-2 draw with St Johnstone last week.
Aside from the positive result, Paul McGinn, Oscar Priestman and Callum Hendry all returned from injury against St Mirren, providing further options across the pitch for Alfred Johansson.
Motherwell have one defeat in their last visits to Dundee United, which came in Michael Wimmer’s first match in charge back in February of last year.
Dundee United weren’t in action last weekend, but Jim Goodwin’s side have been one of the in-form sides in the league, picking up 12 points from their last six matches.
In their most recent outing, United came away from Celtic Park with a point which has ensured they remain unbeaten since their last defeat, which came against Motherwell in September.
Zach Sapsford is United’s leading marksman on six goals currently, having scored two in his last two matches against Aberdeen and Celtic.
But it’s Zidane Iqbal in the heart of the side who has impressed in recent weeks with his flair and quality on the ball, with the midfielder yet to taste defeat in Dundee United colours.
