Author: FSL News

* Established in 2014 © 2021 FSL MediaFootball Sierra Leone - all you need to know about the game in Sierra Leone and Sierra Leonean footballers at home and abroad.Founded by Alie Ahmed Bittar in 2014, Bittar is one of the leading journalists from Sierra Leone with over 25 years covering football.The award-winning website also covers football from across the continent.We aim to continue pursuing up-to-date reports for our readers in Sierra Leone and across the globe.FSL Media is always informative, accurate and consistent. Make Football Sierra Leone Your daily news feed.Follow our social media pages on Twitter @football_sierra, Instagram, Linkedin and Facebook. Permission to use our content is granted subject to crediting our website as the source.Contact: Managing Editor Alie Ahmed Bittar - Email: bittar@footballsierraleone.net - Tel: +44 (0) 7861141119
Abu Kamara's Hull City away to Burnley in the English Championship
by FSL News

Abu Kamara’s Hull City travel to face Burnley in the English Championship

Abu Kamara has not scored since his two goals against Leeds United and will look to change that in the match against Burnley on Wednesday night.

Kamara joined Hull City from Norwich City on the summer deadline day in 2024 and has been important for the team this season.

High flying Burnley unbeaten in their last six league games against Hull City, with two wins and four draws, and they have conceded one goal or fewer in each of those matches.

Hull City has lost 10 of their last 14 away games against Burnley, though their last two visits to Turf Moor ended in 1-1 draws. Burnley has kept nine consecutive clean sheets in the Championship, with no team ever achieving 10 in a row.

Hull City has won their last three away games without conceding, following five straight losses. They have never won four away games in a row while keeping a clean sheet.

In the 2024-25 season, Burnley has scored 37 goals and allowed only 9 in 31 games, averaging 1.48 goals per game, the lowest in Football League history.

Striker Amadou Bakayoko looking forward to new J League 2 campaign
by FSL News

Striker Amadou Bakayoko looking forward to new JLeague 2 campaign

Sierra Leone striker Amadou Bakayoko is excited about the upcoming season in JLeague 2.

On July 28, 2024, Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo announced they signed Bakayoko. He made his debut on August 16 and scored his first goal from a penalty in a 5–3 win over Sagan Tosu. Unfortunately, the team was relegated to JLeague 2 last season.

Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo will start their campaign away against Oita Trinita next Sunday, and Bakayoko is looking forward to it.

He is counting down the days until the season starts again. Bakayoko told FSL News, “I can’t wait for the new season to start.

With the new manager, we have a new style of play that suits me well, and I hope the team has a strong season. Our first game is on February 16, but because of the cold and snowy weather in Sapporo, we will play our first three games in Kumamoto. We will return for our first home game on March 9.

I’m happy with my preseason form, having scored three goals in three games, which is good preparation for the start of the season.”

Midfielder Yayah Kallon signs for Serie C club Casertana on loan
by FSL News

Midfielder Yayah Kallon signs for Serie C club Casertana on loan

Casertana officially announced the loan signing of Sierra Leone’s Yayah, following the approval of Hellas Verona, the club that currently holds his registration rights.

Kallon, 23, began his football journey in Italy at Savona, where he quickly showcased his talent. His skills earned him a move to Genoa’s Primavera team, where he continued to develop as a player.

In January 2024, Kallon was loaned to Bari, where he had the opportunity to gain further experience. Last summer, he joined Salernitana, and during the first part of the current season, he appeared in 11 matches in the second division.

His impressive performances caught the attention of scouts, and in the summer of 2022, Kallon was signed by Hellas Verona. He made an instant impact at Verona by scoring his first Serie A goal on his debut against Empoli, showcasing his potential on one of the top stages of Italian football.

On May 22, 2021, he made a significant step in his career by debuting in Serie A with Genoa in a match against Cagliari, marking a milestone achievement for the young athlete.

Just a few months later, on August 13, he scored his first professional goal in the Coppa Italia, helping his team secure a victory against Perugia.

Midfielder Yayah Kallon signs for Serie C club Casertana on loan
Midfielder Yayah Kallon signs for Serie C club Casertana on loan
Burkina Faso international Nasser Djiga ready for Premier League
by FSL News

Burkina Faso international Nasser Djiga ready for Premier League

Wolverhampton Wanderers has strengthened its defense by signing Burkina Faso international Nasser Djiga on a contract that runs until 2030.

Djiga, 22, joined Wolves from Red Star Belgrade, where he spent 18 months in the Serbian SuperLiga. He began his career at Vitesse FC in Burkina Faso and later moved to FC Basel in Switzerland, winning the Swiss Super League.

Djiga had a loan spell at Nîmes in France before a successful loan at Red Star last season, where he helped the team win the Serbian SuperLiga and the Serbian Cup. He also played in the Champions League against Manchester City.

Wolves’ chairman, Jeff Shi, said, “We’re happy to welcome Nasser. Many worked hard to make this happen, and we are excited to see him become part of the Wolves family. This signing is a great investment for the club. Nasser has huge potential, and we look forward to seeing him develop.”

Sporting director Matt Hobbs added, “We wanted to strengthen our central defense, and Nasser can help the squad now and in the future. He is the quick and aggressive center-back we need, and we’re eager to see him compete for his spot.”

Moroccan Hakim Ziyech pens Al Duhail deal in qatar
by FSL News

Moroccan Hakim Ziyech pens Al Duhail deal in Qatar

Moroccan international football player Hakim Ziyech has officially joined Qatari club Al Duhail. The club announced the news today, stressing that its “management succeeded in obtaining the signature of the Moroccan international player Hakim Ziyech in order to join the first football team.” 

“Al Duhail Sports Club Management succeeded in obtaining the signature of the Moroccan international player Hakim Ziyech to join the first football team,” the club noted

Signing Ziyech is considered a strong addition to the team’s offensive line, given his long experience after a career full of participation with his country’s national team, which began in 2015, in addition to playing for Chelsea, Ajax, Twente, Heerenveen, and finally with Galatasaray before joining Al Duhail.

Ziyech had tough experiences with his former clubs, particularly Galatasaray and Chelsea. The Atlas Lion faced the challenges of being benched with Chelsea and also spoke of experiencing personal issues with the Turkish club’s coach.  

Nigeria's Akor Adams joins Sevilla from Montpellier
by FSL News

Nigeria’s Akor Adams joins Sevilla from Montpellier

On Monday, Akor Adams, aged 24, officially signed with Sevilla in a transfer deal valued at approximately €7 million, as reported by L’Équipe.

The Nigerian striker has departed from Montpellier HSC and has entered into a contract with the La Liga club that extends until 2029.

Adams’ transfer occurs during a challenging time for Montpellier, which is currently positioned second-from-bottom in Ligue 1 with 15 points, putting the club at risk of relegation to Ligue 2.

They trail behind Stade Rennais, who occupy the relegation playoff position by two points, and are three points adrift of AS Saint-Étienne, which holds a guaranteed place in the top flight for the upcoming season.

Furthermore, this exit comes amidst speculation regarding Téji Savanier’s potential departure. Savanier, who was the club’s leading goalscorer last season with 11 goals, has attracted interest from the Saudi Arabian club Al-Taawoun.

Montpellier has recently achieved victories in their last two league matches, equalling the number of wins they secured in the first 17 matches of the current domestic campaign.

In these recent encounters, Adams did not participate, as Jordanian forward Musa Al-Taamari excelled, scoring a brace in the 2-1 victory over AS Monaco.

Adams joined Montpellier in August 2023 from Lillestrøm, where he had an outstanding season, netting 15 goals in 15 appearances in the 2023 Norwegian top-flight season.

Egyptian Omar Marmoush was pleased with his Premier League debut
by FSL News

Egyptian Omar Marmoush was pleased with his Premier League debut

Egyptian international Omar Marmoush made an “amazing” debut for Manchester City after they won 3-1 against Chelsea in the Premier League. (Photo Credit Man City)

Marmoush joined the team just two days ago and started the game at the Etihad Stadium. Chelsea took the lead early with a goal from Noni Madueke in the third minute.

Josko Gvardiol equalized for City before halftime. In the second half, Erling Haaland and Phil Foden scored to give City the win.

Marmoush played 74 minutes before Kevin De Bruyne replaced him. He showed good skills during the game, having a goal disallowed for offside and demonstrating confidence with the ball.

“Yeah, it was an amazing debut,” Marmoush said after the match. “I’m really happy to be here. The debut was really nice. We won the game, and the atmosphere was crazy. I’m so happy to be part of this.”

He added, “I hope to keep playing well. This is just the beginning, and I look forward to more wins.” Marmoush also thanked the City fans for their great support and mentioned fellow new signing Abdukodir Khusanov’s debut.

Read Related – Omar Marmoush proud as first Egyptian player to join Manchester City
Dango Ouattara becomes first from Burkina Faso to score Premier League hat-trick
by FSL News

Dango Ouattara becomes first Burkina Faso player to score Premier League hat-trick

Burkina Faso International Dango Ouattara’s impressive performance made him the first player from the West African nation to score a hat-trick in the Premier League. On Saturday, he led Bournemouth to a 5-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at the Vitality Stadium.

This win boosts Bournemouth’s hopes for a top-four finish and a spot in the Champions League. It marks Forest’s first loss since December.

Bournemouth has extended their unbeaten streak in the Premier League to 11 games and is just one point off the top four. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest is now nine points behind leaders Liverpool.

The Burkinabe scored three of his four shots on target and has significantly stepped up for Bournemouth, especially with strikers Evanilson and Enes Ünal injured.

This season, Ouattara has 10 goal involvements (six goals, four assists) for Bournemouth, surpassing his total from his first two seasons combined (two goals, five assists).

Ouattara is in his third season at AFC Bournemouth, where he was the first signing under Bill Foley in January 2023. He plays mostly as a left-back and scored a memorable late winning goal against Tottenham in a 3-2 match.

Ouattara, born in February 2002 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, started with Majestic FC and joined FC Lorient in 2020, initially playing for their reserve team.

He made 25 appearances and scored his first goal in April 2022. His strong performance earned him a spot on the Burkina Faso national team, where he scored a key goal in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals.

In the 2022/23 season, he was vital for Lorient, scoring six goals in 18 matches before joining Bournemouth in January 2023, despite interest from other teams.

Ivorian star Wilfried Zaha set for Charlotte FC MLS debut
by FSL News

Ivorian star Wilfried Zaha set for Charlotte debut in friendly

Wilfried Zaha could make his appearance with new outfit Charlotte FC after joining on loan from Turkish champions Galatasaray.

Charlotte will face Nashville SC today in a friendly match as they prepare for the upcoming MLS season. Zaha may join the squad for his first appearance in new colours at the Oxbridge Academy.

Zaha will play for Charlotte until January 2026, with an option to extend the loan until June 2026. The firmer Crystal Palace attacker will occupy a Designated Player spot and international roster slot on the Club’s 2025 roster.

The Ivory Coast international played 10 seasons in the Premier League with Crystal Palace, Manchester United and Cardiff City, where the forward scored a total of 68 goals in 305 appearances.

For the past six months, Zaha was on loan at Olympique Lyonnais in France, where he made six appearances but did not score or assist.

“Wilfried is a world-class player who has shown his skills as a top goal scorer and creator of chances. His performances in the Premier League and on the international stage speak for themselves, and we believe he can make an immediate impact in MLS,” said Zoran Krneta, the general manager of Charlotte.

“He adds versatility to our attack and brings that extra magic that can help us win more games. We are excited to welcome a player of Wilfried’s talent and experience to our team.”

Zaha changed his national team to Ivory Coast before the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Gabon. He debuted in a friendly against Sweden in January 2017, where he provided an assist. Since then, he has earned 33 caps, scoring four goals and providing six assists.

Belouizdad's Noufel Khacef goal ends Al Ahly unbeaten record
by FSL News

Belouizdad’s Noufel Khacef goal ends Al Ahly’s unbeaten record

Algerian club Belouizdad achieved a notable 1-0 victory over Egyptian powerhouse Al Ahly in a highly competitive CAF Champions League match held at the 5 July Stadium in Algiers on Friday night.

The decisive goal came from Noufel Khacef in the first minute of stoppage time, marking the end of Al Ahly’s impressive 27-match unbeaten streak in the competition.

This victory represents Belouizdad’s first win against the Egyptian champions in their six encounters, significantly enhancing their prospects in the group stage.

The match commenced with both teams demonstrating caution as they sought to establish control over the midfield. Al Ahly had an early opportunity when Yahya Attiat Allah’s free-kick narrowly missed its target.

Belouizdad believed they had taken the lead in the 14th minute, with Khanyisa Mayo finding the net, only for the goal to be disallowed for offside.

In the second half, the hosts elevated their level of play, creating multiple scoring opportunities that tested Al Ahly’s defensive resolve. The introduction of substitute Islam Slimani infused new energy into Belouizdad’s performance, culminating in a well-deserved goal in the waning moments of the match.

Khacef capitalized on a rebound following an initial save by Mohamed El-Shennawy, eliciting an enthusiastic response from the home crowd.

Despite a late effort by Al Ahly, which included the introduction of Percy Tau and Mahmoud ‘Kahraba’, they were unable to secure an equalizer.

Following this defeat, Al Ahly remains at the top of Group C with seven points, while Belouizdad ascends to second place with six points, surpassing Orlando Pirates, who have a game in hand.

This outcome not only concludes Al Ahly’s unbeaten streak but also sets the stage for an exciting conclusion to the group stage, with all teams still vying for qualification.