Author: Alie Bittar @bittar32

by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Alex Bangura returns to Middlesbrough squad for Ipswich

On Saturday, Alex Bangura, an international player from Sierra Leone, was listed on the bench for Middlesbrough’s away game against Ipswich Town in week 43 of the English Championship. 

Bangura, 24, who has been out of action since January due to an injury he sustained while playing against Chelsea in January – made his debut for Boro in their 2-1 loss against Blackburn Rovers at Edwood Park in September 2023. 

The team’s manager, Michael Carrick, expressed his satisfaction with the performance of Alex and a few other players, including Hackney, Van den Berg, Fry, McNair, and Coburn.

Boro has only four games left in the season, and their chances of making it to the playoffs are slim. 

However, they are still in contention for a playoff spot, with Norwich City just six points ahead of them in sixth place. 

Therefore, it is beneficial to have a large pool of players to choose from, especially players as significant as Hackney and Van den Berg.

Sierra Leone's Mustapha Bundu nets winner for Plymouth Argyle
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sierra Leone’s Mustapha Bundu nets winner for Plymouth Argyle

Mustapha Bundu from Sierra Leone scored the only goal of the game, helping Plymouth Argyle to a 1-0 win over Championship leaders Leicester City. 

The win dealt a blow to Leicester’s hopes of automatic promotion and gave Plymouth a huge boost in their fight for survival.

Leicester is currently on top of the Championship table, level on points with Ipswich Town. 

Although Leicester dominated the first 20 minutes, it was Argyle who took the lead thanks to an excellent counter-attack finished off with a calm right-footed strike by Bundu.

Leicester’s Patson Daka had two fantastic chances in the second half to level the score, but the hosts held on doggedly to frustrate the Foxes and deny them any goals.

Argyle keeper Michael Cooper made a great save to deny substitute Jamie Vardy a goal in the 87th minute, as Leicester failed to turn their late pressure into a goal.

Leicester suffered another away defeat, remaining on top of the table with 88 points, level with Leeds and one point ahead of Ipswich. 

Plymouth Argyle won their third game under temporary leadership and moved up to 16th place, securing five points clear of the relegation zone.

Emmanuel Smart snatches a late equaliser for Real Republicans
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Emmanuel Smart snatches a late equaliser for Real Republicans

Real Republicans left it late to snatch a 1-1 draw against Wusum Stars at the Sierra Leone Football Association’s newly renovated playing turf on Thursday. (Photo Credit Lamin Tarawalie)

Wusum Stars, also known as the Northern Rock team, based in Makeni, took the lead through Saymah Kamara in the 47th minute. However, they were unable to hold onto their advantage as substitute Emmanuel Smart scored a last-gasp leveller in the 90th minute for Freetown-based club Real Republicans.

As a result, both teams had to settle for a point each in match-day 21 of the Sierra Leone top-tier men’s football league. 

Wusum Stars will be particularly disappointed with the result as they seemed to be on the verge of securing a win and will now sit in the 8th position.

In other news, Diamond Stars started strongly in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone, scoring a goal in the seventh minute through Momoh Conteh. 

The visitors fought back to draw level after Joseph Kallon scored Khoilifa’s equalising goal five minutes before the first-half break, ending the match in a 1-1 draw.

Real Republicans were a highly accomplished football club in Sierra Leone. They won the Premier League in 1981, 1983, and 1984 – they also clinched the Sierra Leone FA Cup in 1986. 

So far, they’re two points adrift of the relegation zone after playing twenty-one matches this campaign. 

READ NEWS, SEE FIXTURES, RESULTS AND TABLE OF THE SIERRA LEONE PREMIER LEAGUE HERE 

Six arrested over Kaizer Chiefs' Luke Fleurs killing
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Six arrested over Kaizer Chiefs’ Luke Fleurs killing

Six suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder of South African soccer player Luke Fleurs, who was shot and killed during a carjacking at a petrol station in Johannesburg last week.

Fleurs, who was 24 years old and had previously played for SuperSport United, passed away on April 3rd, 2024. He had also represented South Africa at the Tokyo Olympics.

The police have stated that the suspects were apprehended in Soweto on Wednesday morning, and they believe that they are part of a syndicate responsible for car hijackings in Gauteng province.

The authorities are still actively searching for additional suspects. The officers recovered the footballer’s car, which had been stripped, on Monday. 

Mr Fleurs, a football player for Kaizer Chiefs in South Africa, was fatally shot in an attack while waiting at a petrol station. The suspects have been arrested and will appear in court soon.

The South African football community is mourning the loss of Luke Fleurs, a promising talent who was fatally shot during a car hijacking in Johannesburg, leaving the nation in shock and grief.

New NSA boss Dr Saffa Abdulai aim to transform sports in Sierra Leone
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

New NSA boss Dr Abdulai aim to transform sports in Sierra Leone

Dr Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai Esq, the CEO of Luawa FC, expressed his delight at the prospect of revamping the National Sports Authority (NSA) as he looks forward to his new challenge.

After confirming his appointment as the new Executive Director of the National Sports Authority (NSA), succeeding Dr. Kenneth Brima, who served for over five years, Saffa has stated that he is excited about this opportunity. 

He aims to focus on the entire project of the NSA, making it more effective and ensuring that sports benefit young people.

The former Premier League Board Chairman plans to create job opportunities for the youth and put Sierra Leone back on the map in terms of winning Internationally. These were his first words to FootballSierraLeone.Net.

In 2019, supported by the government of Sierra Leone, H.E Julius Maada Bio invested Le 2 billion to jumpstart football development in the country.

The move was highly celebrated as it aimed to revive football, which had been absent for over five years. 

Football is not just a sport in Sierra Leone – but also a source of entertainment and inspiration for people of all ages. The large turnouts in football matches under Saffa’s leadership created a significant financial boost across the country, bringing joy to families.

Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai is a versatile individual who is a lawyer, a media CEO, a civil rights activist, and a club owner. 

He is highly respected for his role in reviving Sierra Leone football in 2019, as the country’s top-flight football league had been inactive for over six years. He also served as the chairman of the Premier League club Old Edwardians in a capacity of over ten years.

Nigeria pick Paris Olympics ticket after eliminating South Africa
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Nigeria pick up Paris ticket after eliminating South Africa

Nigeria’s Women’s Football Team has qualified for their fifth Olympics, securing their place at the Paris 2024 event after drawing 0-0 in Pretoria, South Africa on Tuesday, 9th April. 

The Super Falcons required only a draw to qualify for the Olympics, having won the first leg in Abuja by 1-0. Nigeria’s strong defense prevented South Africa’s current African champions from scoring, despite Thembi Kgatlana coming close to scoring in the 48th minute.

Amogelang Motau missed a chance to equalize in the 85th minute, but Nigeria’s defence held on to secure the win. 

After the match, South Africa’s Lebohang Ramalepe was awarded her 100-cap milestone jersey by the South African Football Association, having been part of the winning squad in the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and the team that reached the Round of 16 in the recent FIFA Women’s World Cup™.

The Super Falcons have been grouped with world champions Spain, former world champions Japan and Brazil in Group C at the Olympics. Their first match is against Brazil, scheduled for July 25th in Bordeaux.

Zambia, the other African nation in the tournament, will play in Group B alongside former champions the United States and Germany and World Cup semi-finalists Australia. They are set to play their first match against the USWNT in Nice, also on July 25th.

Future Eagles of Nigeria denied visas to play in Spain
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Future Eagles of Nigeria denied visas to play in Spain

Players and officials of the Nigeria U-15 team also known as the Future Eagles, have been denied visas by the Spanish Embassy to take part in the UEFA U-16 Development Tournament starting on Friday.

The Nigerian Football Federation confirmed the news via Twitter that members of Nigeria’s junior football team have been denied visas to attend a UEFA U16 Development Tournament in Spain.
The reason for the visa denials for the under-15 football team is currently unknown, and the Spanish authorities have not yet commented on the matter. Both players and officials were affected.

The Future Eagles were set to play against Belgium, Italy, and England in the Uefa Under-16 Youth Development Tournament. Nigerian athletes often face visa denials even when they fulfil all the requirements. 

This is not the first time Nigerian footballers faced visa issues; previously, Nigeria’s national football team withdrew from a friendly match against Argentina in the US.

Dreams FC to face tricky Zamalek's CAF Confederation Semis
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Dreams to face Zamalek in tricky Confederation Semis

Dreams FC will represent Ghana in the CAF Confederation Cup Semi-Finals after defeating Stade Malien of Mali on Sunday, April 7.

The Ghanaian side will face a tough challenge against the Egyptian team, Zamalek. 

Zamalek will host the first leg of their match in Cairo on April 21, while the second leg will be played on April 28 at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.

In their previous game, Dreams FC won an impressive 2-1 victory in Mali. They came from behind to secure a 1-1 draw in their most recent match, which secured their place in the next stage of the CAF Inter-Club competition. 

This is the first time that Dreams FC has participated in the CAF Interclub semi-finals, making them the first Ghanaian club in 20 years to reach the knockout stages of a CAF Interclub competition.

Despite their 2-1 away win in their previous match, Dreams FC approached the game cautiously, allowing the 2009 champions to have more possession in the hopes of catching them on the break. This is a historic moment for Dreams FC, as they are now near continental glory.

Dreams FC became the first Ghanaian club to reach the CAF Confederation Cup semi-finals since 2004 when Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak achieved the feat in the tournament’s inaugural edition.


Cairo’s Zamalek drew 1-1 with Modern Future FC to reach Confederation Cup semi-finals.

 

https://twitter.com/bittar32/status/1777404092563767412

Abu Komeh's brace helps Bo Rangers maintain top spot
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Abu Komeh’s brace helps Rangers maintain league lead

Bo Rangers, the reigning champions of Sierra Leone, won their 13th match of the Leone Rock Premier League against Kholifa Stars with a 3-0 victory, maintaining their position at the top of the league table.

In their pursuit of another championship title, Coach John Keister’s team knows that only a win will secure their spot – two points ahead of their closest rivals, FC Kallon with a game at hand.

Striker Abu Komeh scored two goals and Mohamadu Lamin scored one during the first half, which proved crucial in securing their victory at the Southern Arena on Sunday.

The hosts dominated the game from the start, and their efforts paid off in the 8th minute when Abu Komeh scored the first goal. Four minutes later, Mohamadu Lamin doubled their lead.

Komeh’s second goal came in the 20th minute, which helped Bo Rangers preserve their position two points ahead of FC Kallon and seven points ahead of Bhantal FC.

In other matches, East End Lions won 4-1 against Lamboi FC at the Sierra Leone Football Association playing turf – while FC Kallon secured a 2-0 victory against Kahunla Rangers as they keep tabs with league leaders.

FC Kallon secured a 2-0 victory against Kahunla Rangers as they keep tabs with league leaders.
FC Kallon secured a 2-0 victory against Kahunla Rangers as they keep tabs with league leaders.
Blackpool beat Sullay Kaikai's Cambridge at Bloomfield Road
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Blackpool beat Sullay Kaikai’s Cambridge at Bloomfield Road

Blackpool kept their slim hopes of reaching the League One play-offs alive with a 1-0 victory over Cambridge at Bloomfield Road. 

Sonny Carey’s goal in the first half proved decisive, leaving Neil Critchley’s men six points away from the sixth-place position. 

Blackpool started the game very aggressively, taking the game to their opponents and almost scoring early on as Cambridge defender Mamadou Jobe almost put the ball into his net, and Ryan Bennett blocked a shot from Carey. 

the home side took the lead when Carey scored with a curling shot into the bottom corner, assisted by Karamoko Dembele. Cambridge almost equalized in the second half, but Dan Grimshaw made a great save to deny Gassan Ahadme’s header from a free-kick.

Sierra Leone’s Sullay Kaikai played for 67 minutes before he was substituted.

Elias Kachunga had a great chance to equalize late on after Macauley Bonne slipped him through, but he hit the inside of the post.