Author: Alie Bittar @bittar32

Senegal striker Ismaïla Sarr is Crystal Palace's latest acquisition
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Senegal striker Ismaïla Sarr is Crystal Palace’s latest acquisition

Crystal Palace has signed Senegal’s forward Ismaïla Sarr on a five-year deal, making him the club’s third summer transfer window signing.

The 26-year-old forward has extensive experience in English football, playing for Watford and Marseille. He also played in France for Metz and Rennes.

Ismaïla Sarr has 64 appearances for the Senegal national team, scoring 13 goals. He won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2021. He received Goal of the Season awards in the Football League and the Europa League.

Crystal Palace’s management has expressed belief in Sarr’s abilities. Manager Oliver Glasner highlighted Sarr’s successes and expressed confidence in his potential contribution to the squad.

Sarr expressed delight in joining Crystal Palace and his commitment to making a valuable contribution. Crystal Palace extends a warm welcome to Ismaïla Sarr and best wishes for his upcoming career with the team.

Yayah Kallon joins Serie B Salernitana on loan from Hellas Verona
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Yayah Kallon joins Serie B Salernitana on loan from Hellas Verona

Sierra Leone’s Yayah Kallon has sealed a season-long loan transfer from Hellas Verona to Serie B outfit Salernitana.

During his loan spell at Bari last season, Kallon made 14 appearances and scored two goals. He is hopeful to continue performing well on the field.

In 2018, Kallon made a significant move by signing for the Italian Serie D side, Savona. This opportunity came after he had undergone a trial with Virtus Entella in the Serie C.

Fast forward to 22nd May 2021 and Kallon had his debut for Genoa in a thrilling 1-0 Serie A victory against Cagliari.

Then, on 13th August 2021, Kallon showcased his skills by scoring his first goal for Genoa in a spectacular 3-2 win over Perugia in the Coppa Italia.

Moving on to 26th August 2022, Kallon seized another exciting opportunity by joining Hellas Verona on loan, which included an option to buy and a conditional obligation to buy.

This move was followed by a loan to Bari, adding further experience to his journey.

Yayah Kallon unveiled by new Italian side U.S. Salernitana 1919
Yayah Kallon unveiled by new Italian side U.S. Salernitana 1919
Gabonese Yannis M'bemba joins Dordrecht to strengthen defense
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Gabonese Yannis M’bemba joins Dordrecht to strengthen defence

Yannis M’bemba, a French-Gabonese player, has joined the Dutch Eerste Divisie club Dordrecht to strengthen the team’s defence.

He is transferring from FC Nantes in France and will not require a transfer fee. The 1.94-meter-tall centerback has signed a two-year contract with an option for a third year at the Krommedijk.

During his time at Nantes, he played two matches in Ligue 1 and mostly featured for the club’s second team. M’bemba made his international debut earlier this year in the Gabon vs. DR Congo match.

Having trained with Dordtenaren for several weeks, M’bemba has already played in several practice matches.

General Director Hans de Zeeuw expressed his satisfaction with M’bemba’s decision to join FC Dordrecht, noting, “Yannis is a very complete defender who can play in both centre positions.

In addition to his height, he is also very comfortable on the ball. We are delighted that Yannis chose to join us!”

Egypt advance to Olympics football quarter finals undefeated
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Egypt advance to men’s Olympic quarter-finals undefeated

Egypt’s national football team, winners of Group C, stayed undefeated after their first three matches in the group stage. They beat Spain 2-1 on Tuesday and made it to the Paris 2024 Olympics quarter-finals.

The North Africans advanced to the knockout phase as Group C winners – They scored just before halftime when Zizo passed to Ibrahim Adel, who scored from the edge of the area.

Zizo scored again just after the hour mark, taking advantage of a loose back pass. Samu Omorodion got one goal back for Spain in the final minute of normal time, but it was too little too late.

The Pharaohs’ triumph over Spain secured their place in the quarter-finals. The Dominican Republic and Uzbekistan have been eliminated from the tournament.

Egypt will likely face Paraguay, Mali, or Israel in the quarter-finals, while Spain is expected to face Japan in their next match as they continue in their pursuit for the gold medal.

Spain 1-2 Egypt Goals Egypt scorer: Adel (42, 62) Spain scorer: Omorodion (90)

Marseille confirm Ivorian-born Ismaël Koné's arrival to Ligue 1
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Marseille unveil Ivorian-born Ismaël Koné

Canadian international Ismael Kone, who was born in Ivory Coast, has been unveiled by Marseille. His arrival was announced by the French Ligue 1 side on Tuesday.

The midfielder, who has earned 22 caps for his country, transferred to Watford from CF Montreal halfway through the 2022/23 season. During his time with the Hornets, the 22-year-old made 63 appearances in all competitions and scored four goals.

On 28th June 2024, Ligue 1 club Olympique Marseille announced the permanent signing of Koné for a reported transfer fee of £15m, including add-ons.

In June 2023, Kone was called up to the Canadian national team for the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League Finals. He scored a goal in the second leg of the quarterfinals against Jamaica.

Additionally, in June 2024, Kone was named to Canada’s squad for the 2024 Copa América. He scored an impressive overhead kick to level the score in the third-place match against Uruguay, 22 minutes into the game.

Turkish side Ankara Keciorengucu unveil Steven Caulker
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Turkish side Ankara Keciorengucu unveil Steven Caulker

Sierra Leone captain Steven Caulker has been unveiled after signing a one-year deal with the Turkish second-tier side Ankara Keciorengucu of the TFF First League, with an option for another year.

In a recent post, Caulker expressed his happiness at finally getting an opportunity after struggling to find a club following a year away from playing.

In December last year, Caulker, a former defender for Tottenham and Liverpool, had to cut short a player/coach deal with Spanish club FC Malaga City due to work permit issues.

Ankara Keçiörengücü Sports Club, located in the Keçiören district of Ankara, competes in the TFF First League.

Caulker joined Alanyaspor in the Turkish Süper Lig on January 15, 2019, and later signed with Fenerbahçe in June 2021, spending the 2021–22 season on loan at Gaziantep.

In August 2022, Caulker joined Fatih Karagümrük but left in December 2022. In January 2023, he joined Wigan Athletic.

Aged 32, Caulker represented Sierra Leone in AFCON 2021 and plans to continue supporting the national side in the World Cup and 2025 AFCON qualifiers.

Emergency Appeals Committee reverse Freetown City's judgement
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Intriguing twist in Sierra Leone Premier League relegation battle

Freetown City and Wilberforce Strikers have been granted a replay by the Premier League Emergency Appeals Committee, overturning the previous decision.

However, no date was mentioned to replay the remaining minutes of June’s 30th top-tier football contest, which was later abandoned due to chaos.

The issue began on June 30, the second-to-last day of the league. A disputed penalty was awarded to Wilberforce Strikers in the 52nd minute while FCFC was leading 1-0. This resulted in the match being stopped and eventually called off by the referee.

A replay win for Freetown City will mean Real Republicans are relegated from the Sierra Leone top-tier men’s football league.

The previous Ruling – On July 19, 2024, the Disciplinary Committee awarded three points and two goals to Wilberforce Strikers, claiming that FCFC fans, officials, and players had behaved improperly. FCFC denies this claim.

A recap of the Emergency Appeals Committee’s decision

The Emergency Appeals Committee’s report states that the remaining minutes of the match between Freetown City Football Club and Wilberforce Strikers should be played according to Rule 23.2 to Rule 23.2.8 of the SLFA Premier League Rules and Regulations 2023.

The report recommends lifting the fine imposed on Abdul K. Turay, the captain of Freetown City Football Club. The Committee did not find evidence supporting the claim that he assaulted the referee, besides the referee’s report.

New Premier League Emergency Appeals Committee ruling in full in case between Freetown City and Wilberforce Strikers
First win for Egypt as Guinea & Mali suffer defeats at the Olympics
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

First win for Egypt as Guinea & Mali suffer defeats at the Olympics

A hard-fought 1-0 victory for Egypt against Uzbekistan. Egypt aims to advance to the Men’s Olympic football quarter-finals if they can avoid defeat against Group C leaders Spain in their upcoming match on Tuesday.

Uzbekistan 0-1 Egypt – Egypt scorer: Koka (11)

Uzbekistan was the first country to be eliminated from the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament after a narrow defeat against Egypt. Egypt scored the only goal of the game in lucky circumstances when the ball deflected off Ahmed Koka and into the net. Egypt now only needs one point against Spain to secure a spot in the quarter-finals.

Guinea lost 1-0 to France in Paris 2024 their second defeat in opening two matches. Kiliann Sildillia’s second-half header secured the win for the host team. Despite the win, France must wait for confirmation as one of the quarter-final qualifiers, as their six-point haul can still be matched by Group A rivals, the USA and New Zealand.

In Group A – France 1-0 Guinea – France scorer: Sildillia (75)

In Group B, Morocco, after their thrilling win over Argentina, lost 2-1 to a ten-man Ukraine team. Ukraine grabbed a late victory over Morocco when substitute Ihor Krasnopir scored in the eighth minute of added time.

Ruslan Rotan’s team took the lead when Maksym Braharu played a low ball that Dmytro Kryskiv converted from close range. Morocco equalized after the break when Volodymyr Saliuk fouled Soufiane Rahimi, resulting in a penalty that the No. 9 converted and Saliuk receiving a red card after a VAR check.

The game seemed headed for a draw before Oleh Fedor’s pass allowed Krasnopir to secure an unlikely victory for Ukraine.

Ukraine 2-1 Morocco Ukraine scorers: Kryskiv (22), Krasnopir (90+8) Morocco scorer: Rahimi Pen (64)

Japan’s team secured a spot in the quarter-finals at Paris 2024 with a narrow win over Mali at Stade de Bordeaux. They scored the winning goal in the 82nd minute, and Mali missed a penalty in added time.

Group D Japan 1-0 Mali Japan scorer: Yamamoto (82)

New Japanese J-League challenge striker Amadou Bakayoko
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

New Japanese J-League challenge for striker Amadou Bakayoko

Japanese J-League team Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo have confirmed the arrival of a new acquisition, Sierra Leone’s striker Amadou Bakayoko.

“We are pleased to announce that Amadou Bakayoko has joined us on a permanent transfer from Dundee FC (Scotland). He will wear the number 20 jersey. He will undergo a medical examination and is scheduled to sign a formal contract.”

The former Bolton player spent the 2023/24 season on loan at Dundee FC in Scotland. He played a crucial role in Dundee’s run to a top-six finish in the Scottish Premiership after joining on loan from Forest Green.

Bakayoko’s impact as a striker led Dundee manager Tony Docherty to express his desire for the player to stay at Dens Park beyond the summer.

However, Bakayoko became a free agent after being released by Forest Green on July 10. This came after the 28-year-old made 19 appearances for the club since joining in January 2023.

While there were talks of interest from four English clubs, Bakayoko sought a new challenge outside of Europe.

Morocco and Mali eye Olympic football tournament knockout phase
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Morocco and Mali eye Olympic football knockout phase

A victory for Morocco and Mali would place them in a favourable position in the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament at Paris 2024 on Saturday.

Group B – Morocco could advance to the knockout stages by defeating Ukraine on Saturday at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, following their dramatic victory over Argentina. Kick-off at 17:00. – Ukraine v Morocco.

Valentyn Rubchynskyi scored Ukraine’s first-ever goal in the last tournament, in their 2-1 loss to Iraq. Morocco has never defeated a European team in 11 previous attempts at the Games.

“I watched highlights of the Argentina vs. Morocco game, and both teams are outstanding and very dangerous. We will try to analyze the mistakes they made in the previous game and use that knowledge to our advantage on the pitch.” – Maksym Talovierov, Ukraine defender.

Group D – West African team Mali could put themselves in a strong position with a win over Japan at the Stade de following their 1-1 draw with Israel.

Japan’s 5-0 victory over Paraguay last time out was their biggest win at the Olympics. Mali are undefeated in normal time at the Games. Their only defeat to date came in extra time against Italy in the quarter-finals of Athens 2004.

“We did well to win our first match but that counts for nothing if we lose the next one. We’re preparing now as well as we can for this next match (against Mail),” Shota Fujio, Japan forward.

Japan v Mali – Stade de Bordeaux Kick-off: 21:00
Africa's representatives have crucial encounters today in Paris for Match Day Two of the football tournament.
Africa's representatives have crucial encounters today in Paris for Match Day Two of the football tournament.