Day: August 17, 2025

Second League defeat for Tyrese Fornah's Northampton Town 
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Second League defeat for Tyrese Fornah’s Northampton Town 

Sierra Leone International Tyrese Fornah and his League One side have suffered their second defeat of the new campaign following a 2-0 defeat to Stevenage on Saturday.

Tyrese, who joined the club on a three-year contract in June, has been a pivotal player, but they are still struggling to find their first win of the new campaign, having lost two and drawn one from their opening three league matches.

Max Dyche replaced the injured Jordan Thorniley in the only change to the Cobblers team from their last league match. Charlie Goode, Dean Campbell, and Elliott List faced their former clubs.

Stevenage, who had won their first two league games, had the first chance of the match. Chem Campbell headed over from a cross by Luther James-Wildin. Cameron McGeehan had a long-range shot, set up by Sam Hoskins, which was deflected for a corner, marking Cobblers’ first attempt at goal. The cobbler gradually found their rhythm.

List had a shot blocked after cutting in well from the left, and Filip Marschall saved a shot from McGeehan. Kevin Nolan’s side had a stronger performance in the first half but couldn’t score.

Town started the second half well, with List’s shot deflected. He then made a good run forward, played in by Ethan Wheatley, but couldn’t keep his shot down.

Terry Taylor replaced McGeehan, marking the first change for the Cobblers. Carl Piergianni did well to head over a curled strike from Sam Hoskins.

Midway through the second half, Stevenage took the lead through Dan Kemp, who scored from close range after a failed clearance. Dyche almost equalised from a corner by Dean Campbell.

Nolan subbed in Nesta Guinness-Walker for List and moved Hoskins forward. Substitute Gassan Ahadme scored with his first touch to make it 2-0 in the 82nd minute.

Despite Wheatley hitting the post after a good run by Tyrese Fornah, the Cobblers couldn’t find a comeback on a frustrating day.

Guinea and Niger knockout of CAF African Nations Championship
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Guinea and Niger knockout of CAF African Nations Championship

Guinea and Niger were eliminated from the CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) on Friday after both teams ended their matches in draws against Algeria and South Africa, respectively, at the Namboole Mandela National Stadium in Kampala, Uganda.

Guinea finished their match with a 1-1 draw against Algeria, while South Africa was held to a 0-0 tie with Niger.

In the first match of the day in Group C, Guinea took the lead following a scoreless first half. Ismaël Camara, with options on either side, chose to shoot from long range in the 62nd minute, finding the bottom left corner of the net.

Algeria equalised in the closing moments of the match when Sofiane Bayazid managed to score a somewhat scrappy goal in the 88th minute to secure a point.

Despite having more possession, successful passes, and shots on goal than their rivals, the South African side could not convert their opportunities and had to settle for a draw against a determined Niger.

Guinea’s point in their final group match was insufficient to move the National Elephants from fourth place in group C. The team exits the tournament with a total of four points from their four matches.

As the tournament concludes, Niger remains at the bottom of the table, having suffered two losses and one draw. The Mena aim to finish their campaign positively as they prepare to face Algeria on Monday.

Bafana Bafana are equal with Algeria on five points, but the Desert Foxes maintain an edge in goal difference. Both teams are pursuing first-place Uganda, which has a one-point advantage as they head into the last round of group matches.

Kenya coach Benni McCarthy wants strong finish against Zambia
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Kenya coach Benni McCarthy wants strong finish against Zambia

Kenya’s national team head coach, Benni McCarthy, has expressed his determination to conclude their group stage of the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) with a victory against Zambia at Nyayo Stadium on Sunday.

Although the team has already secured a spot in the knockout stages, the South African legend emphasised that the Harambee Stars are aiming for a win against Chipolopolo to ensure they finish at the top of Group A.

“The game against Zambia is crucial. Many people believed we were in the ‘group of death’ and predicted we would finish with zero points, but here we are, at the top,” McCarthy explained to the media ahead of the match.

“So, this is a must-win game for us in order to claim the top position in the table. We want to make a statement with this victory, demonstrating that our good results in the previous matches were not due to luck.”

When asked if he plans to rotate his squad for the game, McCarthy replied, “I have great confidence in the players and their quality, so I try to give everyone a chance to get some playing time. However, it can be challenging, especially after playing two games with red cards.

It makes it extremely difficult to provide everyone with an opportunity to play, but we try to rotate the squad as much as we can so that every player can contribute. Ultimately, they earn their spots based on their performances in training sessions.”

Nonetheless, a win for the Harambee Stars against Zambia would not only secure first place in Group A but also keep their unbeaten streak alive as they advance to the quarterfinals.