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
Sierra Leone champions to join by Mogbwemo Queens FC by other WAFU-A Zone nations to compete
by FSL News

WAFU to Inspect facilities ahead of Women’s CL Qualifiers

Executive members of the West Africa Football Union have safely arrived in Freetown, Sierra Leone. They are preparing to inspect Southern Arena Stadium for the upcoming CAF Women’s Champions League Qualifiers.

Sierra Leone champions  Mogbwemo Queens FC will be join by other WAFU-A Zone Women’s Champions to compete in this year’s qualifiers, which will be held in from August 2 to 11 at the Southern Arena in Bo City.

In preparation, WAFU Zone-A Executive Director Mapathe Gaye from Senegal and Finance Officer Balamin Ceesay from The Gambia are in Sierra Leone for a facilities inspection.

The SLFA team warmly welcomed the Wafu delegates at the Home Suites Hotel in Freetown. Acting General Secretary Mohamed Benson, Head of Finance Ibrahim Bah, Director of Competitions Sorie Ibrahim Sesay, and a cross-section of the Local Organizing Committee met the delegates as they planned for a successful tournament.

Acting General Secretary Mohamed Benson, stated, “We are committed to hosting a fantastic tournament that will showcase the talent of our women footballers and the capacity of Sierra Leone to host significant regional sporting events.”

Facility inspection is crucial to ensure that all venues and amenities meet the high standards for this international competition. The tournament will feature the top female football clubs for a week of competitive matches.

The SLFA team warmly welcomed the Wafu delegates at the Home Suites Hotel in Freetown. Acting General Secretary Mohamed Benson, Head of Finance Ibrahim Bah, Director of Competitions Sorie Ibrahim Sesay, and a cross-section of the Local Organizing Committee met the delegates as they planned for a successful tournament.
The SLFA team warmly welcomed the Wafu delegates at the Home Suites Hotel in Freetown. Acting General Secretary Mohamed Benson, Head of Finance Ibrahim Bah, Director of Competitions Sorie Ibrahim Sesay, and a cross-section of the Local Organizing Committee met the delegates as they planned for a successful tournament.
CAF set to name 2024 African Nations Championship hosts
by FSL News

CAF set to name 2024 African Nations Championship hosts

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Executive Committee is expected to name the host nation for the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) after today’s virtual meeting of the Executive Committee, Africa Soocer reports.

This prestigious tournament provides a platform for showcasing the talents of home-based players across the continent.

The highly anticipated announcement is scheduled for Friday, June 21, 2024, following the Executive Committee’s virtual meeting, where various important matters will be deliberated.

The CHAN tournament is pivotal in CAF’s development strategy by promoting competitiveness and growth among member associations.

The selected host nation will bear the responsibility of ensuring a successful tournament. CAF’s decision will be based on various factors, including infrastructure, logistics, and commercial viability.

Expectations are high for this announcement, as the CHAN tournament has garnered increased popularity and reputation, providing a noteworthy platform for African football to shine.

CAF’s unwavering commitment to delivering a world-class event will further solidify the 2024 CHAN tournament as a resounding success, securing its place in the African football calendar.

It’s worth noting that Kenya was initially slated to host the 2024 CHAN tournament.

Sierra Leone up four places in latest FIFA World rankings
by FSL News

Sierra Leone up four places in latest FIFA World ranking

Sierra Leone rose to 122nd from 126th in the latest FIFA men’s world rankings after securing four points in World Cup qualifiers in June.

A slow improvement also saw them move from 35th in Africa to 34th place.

Neighbours Liberia has made the biggest climb in the latest FIFA Rankings, jumping 10 spots from 152 to 142.

After a 2-1 win over Djibouti and a 2-2 draw against Burkina Faso in June’s 2026 World Cup qualifying matches, the team moved up to 122nd, just behind Camoross, Togo and Sudan, respectively.

During the June international break, Coach Amidu Karim’s team secured a win and a draw in their last two qualifying games.

Sierra Leone achieved their best-ever ranking in August 2014 when they gained 14 places, entering the top 50 for the first time in their history.

At the time, the Leone Stars ranked 50th globally and was in the continent’s top seven places in 2014. 

Meanwhile, In Africa, Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Tunisia, Algeria, Cameroon, Mali and South Africa make the top ten. 

In the global rankings, the top three remain the same, with Argentina (1st), France (2nd), and Belgium (3rd) maintaining their positions.

However, the rankings behind them have shifted, as Brazil (4th, up 1) and England (5th, down 1) swapped places.

Portugal (6th), the Netherlands (7th), and Spain (8th) retained their spots in the top ten, while Croatia (9th, up 1) surpassed Italy (10th, down 1), who still hold onto a place among the leading teams.

For the full FIFA Men’s Rankings click here.

Kenya’s Junior Starlets set for FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup debut
by FSL News

Kenya’s Starlets set for FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup debut

Kenya’s Junior Starlets will camp in Spain for three weeks before heading to the Dominican Republic for the Women’s U17 World Cup in October and November.

On Sunday, they made history by becoming the first Kenyan side to qualify for a World Cup after a 5-0 aggregate win against Burundiat Ulinzi Complex, Nairobi.

The team will have a three-week camp in Marbella, Spain in September to prepare for the global tournament taking place between October 16 and November 3.

The draw for the tournament is scheduled for this month and Kenya will face strong teams from Asia, such as Japan and Korea.

Recap

The FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup™ will occur in the Dominican Republic from October 16 to November 3, 2024.

This will be the first time the Dominican Republic has hosted a FIFA tournament.

Spain won the tournament in 2022 and achieved the remarkable feat of holding the U-17, U20, and senior women’s titles simultaneously, becoming the first nation to do so.

Sixteen teams will compete to win the trophy and join the ranks of former champions DPR Korea, Korea Republic, France, Japan, and Spain.

Nigeria & Zambia secure tickets to FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup
by FSL News

Nigeria & Zambia secure tickets to FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup

Nigeria and Zambia have officially secured their spots in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, which will occur in the Dominican Republic from October 16 to November 3, 2024.

 

Nigeria became the first African team to qualify for the women’s youth competition after defeating Liberia 6-1 on aggregate. They won 4-1 in the away match and then secured a 2-0 victory in the home leg in Abuja.

 

Zambia returned to the tournament after a 10-year absence by securing their spot on June 15. They won 3-1 in their first match in Ndola and then played to a goalless draw in the return leg in Morocco, which was enough to secure their place in the finals.

The third and final African spot in the tournament will be determined in the match between Kenya and Burundi on June 16. Kenya holds the advantage after winning the first leg 3-0 at home.

Crystal Palace have made their first summer signing with the arrival of Morocco centre-back Chadi Riad, in a deal worth £12m plus £2m in add-ons.
by FSL News

Morocco’s Chadi Riad joins Premiership side Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace have made their first summer signing with the arrival of Morocco centre-back Chadi Riad.

The 20-year-old, who moved to Real Betis on loan from Barcelona last summer before making the move permanent, has joined the Eagles, external on a contract until June 2029.

Riad made 30 appearances for Betis in all competitions during the past campaign and helped them finish seventh in La Liga.

“As a full international at just 20 years old, Chadi is an exciting young player who we are delighted to be able to welcome to the club,” said Palace chairman Steve Parish.

Riad added: “I was interested in coming here because of the history of the club, and the league in which it plays.

“The club has high-level players who are young and I have come here to follow their same trajectory, to grow as they have grown.”

Riad was selected for the senior Morocco national team at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. He made his debut in a 3–1 pre-tournament friendly win over Sierra Leone on 11 January 2024.

Sierra Leone to know AFCON 2025 qualifying opponents in July
by FSL News

Sierra Leone to know AFCON 2025 qualifying opponents in July

Sierra Leone will find out their group opponents for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 on Thursday, July 4th, 2024. (Photo Credit SLFA)

The draw will take place at SuperSport studios in South Africa at 14:30 local time (15:30 Cairo time, 12:30 GMT).

The Leone Stars did not qualify for the AFCON in Ivory Coast as they finished third in Group A behind Nigeria and Guinea-Bissau.

This time, the Leone Stars are expected to be in Pot Three. A total of 48 nations, including four preliminary round winners, will be drawn into 12 groups, with each group consisting of four teams.

The qualifiers will begin in September 2024 to determine the initial 24 nations competing in Africa’s largest event.

The event will feature CAF legends, team representatives, and members of the Local Organizing Committee.

Gabon come from behind to defeat the Gambia in five-goal thriller
by FSL News

Gabon come from behind to defeat Gambia in five-goal thriller

Gabon completed an impressive comeback, defeating Gambia 3-2 in their World Cup qualifying fixture at Stade de Franceville.

The victory propelled Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s team to second place in Group F, just one point behind leaders Ivory Coast.

Despite falling behind in the first half, Gabon rallied in the second half with goals from Jim Allevinah, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Denis Bouanga.

The Gambia fought back with a goal from Ebou Adams, but Gabon held on for the win.

The result puts Gabon in a strong position in the group, while Gambia sits in fourth place.

Meanwhile, Burundi are two points further back after their 3-1 win away against Seychelles in neutral Morocco.

Tuesday’s African World Cup qualifying results

  • South Sudan 0-3 Sudan (Group B)

  • Lesotho 0-1 Rwanda (Group C)

  • South Africa 3-1 Zimbabwe (Group C)

  • Angola 1-1 Cameroon (Group D)

  • Cape Verde 1-0 Libya (Group D)

  • Congo 0-6 Morocco (Group E)

  • Zambia 0-1 Tanzania (Group E)

  • Gabon 3-2 The Gambia (Group F)

  • Kenya 0-0 Ivory Coast (Group F)

  • Seychelles 1-3 Burundi (Group F)

  • Mauritius 2-1 Eswatini (Group G)

  • Chad 0-2 Comoros (Group I)

  • Madagascar 0-0 Mali (Group I)

Nigeria stumbles to Benin Republic in Group C qualifier
by FSL News

Nigeria stumbles to Benin Republic in Group C qualifier

The Benin Republic made history on Monday by defeating the Super Eagles for the first time with a 2-1 win.

As a result, The Super Eagles’ World Cup qualification is now in jeopardy. With only three points from four World Cup qualification matches, Nigeria risks missing out on the next football tournament.

The Super Eagles were aiming for a victory after drawing with South Africa a few days earlier, and although the game started well for the Nigerians, they had to wait 25 minutes to take the lead.

Raphael Onyedika of Club Brugge gave the Super Eagles the advantage by calmly slotting the ball home inside the box.

The Cheetahs of Benin, led by former Nigerian manager Gernot Rohr, scored to tie the game in the 37th minute through Jodei Dossou after a defensive mistake from the Super Eagles. They then extended Nigeria’s troubles with a goal from Steve Mounie just before halftime.

In the second half, Nigeria made some changes to try to find an equalizer, but the Cheetahs defended well to secure one of the biggest wins in football. After Monday’s result, Nigeria is currently in 5th place in the Group C qualification standings for the 2026 World Cup.

Josh Koroma makes Sierra Leone's debut in World Cup qualifier
by FSL News

Josh Koroma makes Sierra Leone debut in World Cup qualifier

Josh Koroma, a striker for Huddersfield Town, made his debut for the Sierra Leone national team in a 2-2 draw against Burkina Faso in match day four of the FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Stade du 26 Mars in Bamako, Mali.

At 25 years old, Koroma was a late addition to coach Amidu Karim’s squad and was substituted into the match in the 78th minute, replacing Augustus Kargbo.

A fantastic goal by striker Amadou Bakayoko secured a point for coach Amidu Karim’s team at the Stade du 26 Mars in Bamako, Mali. Bakayoko came on as a late substitute and quickly equalized for the Leone Stars.

As a result, Burkina Faso secured third place, while Sierra Leone secured fourth place in the Group A standings.

Next up, Burkina Faso will host Djibouti when the 2026 World Cup qualifiers resume in March 2025, while Sierra Leone will play against Guinea-Bissau at home.