Month: September 2024

Hindolo Mustapha makes Sierra Leone debut in draw with Chad
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Crystal Palace’s Hindolo Mustapha makes Sierra Leone debut against Chad

Crystal Palace Under-21s midfielder Hindolo Mustapha made his international debut for Sierra Leone in the goalless match against Chad during the 2025 African Cup of Nations qualification.

The 18-year-old entered the game in the 87th minute, replacing Alu Koroma at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium.

On Tuesday, he may have the opportunity to make his second appearance in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers against Zambia in Group G.

Sierra Leone’s coach Amidu Karim’s team did not secure a win in their first match on the road to Morocco, a game that many believed they could have won.

Mustapha is known for his strong and intelligent midfield play and impressive ball control. He has already scored two goals in his first two games for the U21s side against Blackburn Rovers and Leeds United in the Premier League 2.

AFCON is scheduled to take place in Morocco from December 2025 to January 2026, and Mustapha could play an important role in helping his country qualify for the tournament.

  • Tue, 10th Sep: Zambia v Sierra Leone (20:00)
Senegal missed out on three points when Burkina Faso scored a dramatic late equalizer to earn a 1-1 draw at the Diamniadio Olympic Stadium on Friday, September 6.
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Ousseni Bouda’s late goal denies Senegal securing victory

Senegal missed out on three points when Burkina Faso scored a dramatic late equalizer to earn a 1-1 draw at the Diamniadio Olympic Stadium on Friday, September 6.

Sadio Mane’s sixth-minute goal seemed to ensure victory for the Lions of Teranga in Dakar – but Ousseni Bouda scored from a free-kick deep into stoppage time to secure a draw for the Stallions in their first match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Aliou Cisse’s team aimed to maintain their momentum after drawing 1-1 with DR Congo and defeating Mauritania 1-0 in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in June.

The hosts threatened early, with Mane taking a shot at goal in the eighth minute, and they celebrated just eight minutes later as the Al-Nassr winger capitalized on a defensive mistake to score.

The West African rivals tried to regain momentum before half-time, but the home defence held strong. Senegal’s goalkeeper made significant interventions early in the second half but was beaten by a well-executed free-kick in added time.

Jean Philippe Krasso brace sink Zambia's Chipolopolo in Bouaké
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Jean Philippe Krasso brace sinks Zambia’s Chipolopolo in Bouaké

Cote d’Ivoire made an impressive start in the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2025 qualifiers by defeating Zambia’s Chipolopolo 2-0 on Friday night.

Substitute Jean Philippe Krasso scored two late goals to secure the win for the African champions at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké. As a result, they go top of Group G ahead of Tuesday’s second matches.

After a goalless first half, Jean-Philippe Krasso broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute and added his second goal 11 minutes later.

The result gives Cote d’Ivoire a strong start as they seek to defend their Africa Cup of Nations title.

Cote d’Ivoire 2-0 Zambia: J. Krasso (73′, 84′)

In an earlier Group G match, Sierra Leone and Les Sao of Chad played to a goalless draw at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium in Liberia.

Sierra Leone 0-0 Chad

On matchday two, Sierra Leone will face Zambia at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, while Chad will host defending champions Ivory Coast. Both matches will take place on Tuesday.

Full Friday's AFCON 2025 qualifying results
Full Friday's AFCON 2025 qualifying results
Chad snatch valuable point as Sierra Leone sleep at home
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Chad snatch valuable point as Sierra Leone sleep at home

In Friday’s match, Sierra Leone missed an opportunity to secure a win as they settled for a goalless draw against Les Sao of Chad in the Group G opener at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium in Liberia.

The visitors put up a solid fight in the Liberian capital as Sierra Leone failed to create decisive chances in the opening hour of the tie.

The Leone Stars in most of the game, struggled to assert themselves, facing relentless pressure from Chad. Chad maintained a persistent offensive, repeatedly testing Sierra Leone’s goalkeeper Mohamed Kamara, who made several outstanding saves.

A missed opportunity arose for Sierra Leone when substitute Musa Noah Kamara’s presence led to a promising chance, only for Charlton Athletic striker Daniel Kanu to falter late in the game.

Musa struck another shot in the final two minutes of extra time, but it was an easy save for the Coton Sport keeper, Allabatina Allamtana Gabin

Crystal Palace Under-21s midfielder Hindolo Mustapha, who received his first International call, made his Sierra Leone debut.

This outcome makes it imperative for both Sierra Leone and Chad to pursue a win in their next matches: Sierra Leone will face Zambia, while Chad will host defending champions Ivory Coast, both on Tuesday.

Sierra Leone has failed to secure victories in their last three opening recent Cup of Nations qualification matches against Lesotho and Nigeria, the 0-0 result against Chad.

In the meantime, the other teams in the group, Ivory Coast and Zambia, will confront each other at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké later this evening.

Sierra Leone 0-0 Chad

Chad snatch valuable point as Sierra Leone sleep at home
Confirmed Sierra Leone Line up for Les Sao of Chad
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Confirmed Sierra Leone Line up for Les Sao of Chad

Sierra Leone head coach Amidu Karim has named his starting squad for the African Cup of Nations Group G qualifying opener against Chad at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium.

Crystal Palace Under-21s midfielder Hindolo Mustapha, who received his first International call, is starting from the bench.

The Gaffer has opted for experience in defence with Ankara Keçiörengücü‘s defender Steven Caulker, Dinamo Brest centre-back Jarju Kabia, Hartford Athletic‘s Emmanuel Samadia and Osman Kakay as his back four.

First start for Huddersfield attacker Jose Koroma, who will team up with Italy-based Augustus Kargbo, Mustapha Bundu and Daniel Kanu to find goal access over 90 minutes of football.

In Midfield, Twin brothers -Alusine and Alhassan Koroma must create cover and process attacks for the team.

The Leone Stars – ranked 56 places higher than their opponents, must lay down an early statement against the Central African nation at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium on September 6th.

A win will significantly increase the squad’s belief when they engage Zambia’s Chipolopolo on the 9th for the second match day at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium.

Confirmed Sierra Leone Line up for Les Sao of Chad
Confirmed Sierra Leone Line up for Les Sao of Chad
Algeria open AFCON 2025 qualifier with win over Equatorial Guinea
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Algeria open AFCON qualifier with win over Equatorial Guinea

Algeria started their AFCON 2025 qualifying campaign with a 2-0 win against Equatorial Guinea in Oran. Houssem Aouar and Amine Gouiri scored the goals, securing three points for their team.

Algeria began the game aggressively, pressuring Equatorial Guinea’s defence from the start. The trio of Baghdad Bounedjah, Saïd Benrahma, and Riyad Mahrez created several chances but didn’t score early on.

Equatorial Guinea had a chance with a powerful shot in the 17th minute, narrowly missing the target.

In the 23rd minute, Algeria won a penalty after Bounedjah was fouled in the box, but captain Riyad Mahrez missed the opportunity by sending his shot over the bar.

Benrahma came close to scoring in the 27th minute, but his shot was saved by the visiting goalkeeper Jesús Lázaro. Despite Algeria’s dominance, the first half ended 0-0.

In the 69th minute, Aouar headed home a rebound after a powerful shot from Mahrez was saved by Lázaro. Amine Gouiri added a second goal deep into stoppage time (90+5), leading to a 2-0 win for Algeria.

Thursday's AFCON 2025 Qualifying results in full
Thursday's AFCON 2025 Qualifying results in full
Angola stun Ghana in Kumasi Group F AFCON qualifier
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Angola stun Ghana in Kumasi Group F AFCON qualifier

Angola surprised Ghana’s Black Stars with a 1-0 victory in Kumasi to top Group F during the CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2025 qualifiers’ second day at Baba Yara Stadium on Thursday. (GFA Photo)!

Felicio Mendes João Milson only proved to be the decider in a tense Baba Yara Stadium.

The Black Stars controlled much of the match but didn’t take advantage of their chances. Antoine Semenyo missed an early opportunity, sending a shot wide after five minutes.

Mohammed Kudus came close to scoring in the 36th minute, but the Angola goalkeeper, Neblu, saved his powerful strike.

In the second half, Ghana continued to apply pressure, but Angola scored an unexpected goal in stoppage time to win the match. Substitute Milson secured all three points for Angola.

This was a disappointing start for Ghana’s coach, Otto Addo, while Angola will be thrilled with their surprise victory away from home.

The Black Stars face Niger next week in the race to Morocco as Angola host Sudan who won their opener against Niger.

Burundi beat Malawi in AFCON qualifier Group L opener
by FSL News

Burundi beat Malawi in AFCON qualifier Group L opener

The Intamba of Burundi were impressive against host Malawi’s Flames as they defeated the home team 3-2 at the Bingu National Stadium on Thursday.

Burundi’s opening goal came from Chimwemwe Idana’s own goal in the 22nd minute, which was then equalized by Chawanangwa Kaonga’s 31st-minute goal for Malawi.

Burundi took the lead again, through Jean Claude Girumugisha two minutes later, but Malawi fought back with a goal in the second half when Lanjesi Nkhoma capitalized on Kaonga’s assist, sending the fans into ecstasy.

In a competitive battle, Burundi sealed the win with a goal by Mokono Elie Eldhino in the 87th minute – making the score 3-2.

The game ended with no further goals during the additional four minutes of play. With this win, Burundi is currently at the top of Group L as Senegal prepares to host Burkina Faso on Friday.

The Flames will travel to Bamako, Mali for their second Group L match against Burkina Faso next week. Malawi will face Senegal back-to-back in October. On the other hand, Burundi will host Senegal at BNS.

We cannot underestimate Chad - Coach Amidu Karim
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Coach Amidu Karim: We cannot underestimate Chad

Sierra Leone head coach Amidu Karim has asserted that his team will not underestimate Friday’s opponent, Chad or any present-day African football team.

Karim is gearing up to kick off the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 qualifiers with a match against Les Sao of Chad in Liberia at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium on Friday.

A strong start is crucial for the Leone Stars to show their determination after missing out on the last AFCON in Ivory Coast.

The Leone Stars find themselves in Group G, which poses a tough challenge with the presence of the defending champions Ivory Coast, Zambia’s Chipolopolo, and the underdog Chad, all vying for two qualifying spots.

Sierra Leone has a chance to win if they improve their defense as they have conceded in five straight matches. Chad also needs to address their defensive problems after conceding in ten consecutive away matches.

Karim discussed his team’s aspirations for qualification in an interview with www.footballsierraleone.net.

“I have closely observed Chad’s gameplay, they are a formidable team. They are not to be underestimated. We have put every modality in place to secure a victory this Friday.

With regards to Zambia, we all know they are a top-notch team, but in African football, no team should be underrated. Football in Africa has moved to different heights.”

Last Meetings – FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Africa 1st round 1st Leg

Oct 10, 2015. – Chad 1 – 0 Sierra Leone

Oct 13, 2015, Africa, FIFA World Cup Africa 1st round 2nd Leg

Sierra Leone 2 – 1 Chad

Goalless in Dar es Salaam between Tanzania and Ethiopia
by @football_sierra

Goalless in Dar es Salaam between Tanzania and Ethiopia

Tanzania and Ethiopia began their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification with a goalless draw in Dar es Salaam. The match in Group H featured few clear chances due to physical battles and cautious play from both sides at Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium.

In the opening minutes, both teams lacked attacking urgency. Tanzania managed a few goal attempts, but Ethiopian goalkeeper Seid Habtamu Aregawi was largely untroubled.

In contrast, Ethiopia found space on the flanks but encountered formidable resistance from the Tanzanian defence.

The first half concluded with neither side able to breach the opposition’s defence, resulting in an unchanged scoreline of 0-0. At halftime, Tanzania made a substitution by bringing on Pascal Msindo, while Ethiopia introduced Binyam Fikre and Adis Giday.

Consequently, Tanzania dominated possession in the second half, exerting pressure on the Ethiopian defence. However, the Walyas remained resilient, thwarting the Taifa Stars’ attempts to score.

The match saw an increase in Tanzania’s tempo – which nearly led to a breakthrough, but their efforts lacked precision, culminating in a tense 0-0 draw.

In Tripoli, Libya and Rwanda tied 1-1 in their Group D opener. Libya’s Sobhi Al-Dawi scored in the 16th minute, but Rwanda’s Innocent Ntshwe equalized early in the second half.

Despite both teams trying to secure a win, the match ended in a draw, with each team earning a point.