Author: Football Sierra Leone

Guinea's Syli National ready for DRC and Tanzania deciders
by Football Sierra Leone

Guinea’s Syli National ready for DRC and Tanzania deciders

Guinea’s national football team, known as Syli National, is currently in second place in Group H after four qualifying matches.

After defeating Ethiopia 4-1 and Guinea 3-0 at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan, the Syli National team looks set to qualify for Morocco 2025.

Coach Michel Dussuyer has called up 23 players for the upcoming matches on the 5th and 6th days of the TotalEnergies Maroc 2025 qualifiers.

The team will host the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on November 16, 2024, at the Stade Alhassane Ouattara Ebimpe for the fifth qualifying match.

Then, they will travel to Dar es Salaam to face Tanzania on November 19, 2024, for the sixth and final match of this qualifying campaign.

In Group H, Guinea sits in second place with six points, while Tanzania is in third place with four points. Ethiopia is at the bottom of the table with just one point, and the DRC is leading with twelve points.

CHAN: South Sudan, Sudan, Togo and Eswatini secure progress
by Football Sierra Leone

CHAN: South Sudan, Sudan, Togo and Eswatini secure progress

The first round of the 2024 TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifiers concluded this weekend, with several teams progressing to the next stage, according to CAF.

South Sudan v Kenya – South Sudan qualified after a 1-1 draw with Kenya, finishing the tie with an aggregate score of 3-1 following a 2-0 victory in the first leg. They will face Rwanda in December.

Sudan v Tanzania – Sudan progressed after a tense penalty shootout against Tanzania. They won the first leg 1-0 but conceded in the second leg, levelling the aggregate score. Sudan won the shootout 6-5 to advance.

Eswatini Dominates Zimbabwe

Eswatini eliminated Zimbabwe with a 4-0 aggregate score. After a 3-0 win in the first leg, they secured a 1-0 victory in the return leg.

Togo Survives Against Benin  

Togo advanced after a 1-1 draw with Benin, finishing with a 3-1 aggregate following a 2-0 first-leg victory.

Namibia vs. Lesotho

In a tied aggregate of 1-1, Namibia was eliminated by Lesotho after a 4-3 penalty shootout loss.

Second Round Qualifying Dates

The second qualifying round is scheduled for December 20-22 and December 27-29, with the tournament hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania from February 1-28, 2025.

Cape Town to host South Africa AFCON qualifier against South Sudan
by Football Sierra Leone

Cape Town to host South Africa AFCON qualifier against South Sudan

Bafana Bafana will return to Cape Town for the first time in nine years, as South Africa’s final qualifier for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations finals is set to take place there.

The crucial match will take place on Tuesday, November 19, at Cape Town Stadium, coinciding with the final day of qualifiers for the 2025 finals.

South Africa has not yet qualified for the finals in Morocco but is in a good position with two matches left in Group K. A win against Uganda on Friday, November 15, in Kampala would secure their spot. If they lose, they can still qualify by facing South Sudan in Cape Town.

This match will mark South Africa’s twelfth international game in Cape Town and only the third qualifying match. They previously won a World Cup qualifier against the Central African Republic in 2013 but lost 3-1 to Zambia in a Cup of Nations qualifier in 2007.

Countries that cannot host matches will use South African stadiums for qualifiers. Namibia and Zimbabwe will play at Orlando Stadium in Soweto, and Lesotho has moved its match against the Central African Republic to Bloemfontein.

Madagascar will host Tunisia at Johannesburg Stadium, while Eswatini will face Guinea-Bissau at Mbombela Stadium on November 15.

Nigerian defender Ola Aina nets stunner as Forest down West Ham
by Football Sierra Leone

Nigerian defender Ola Aina nets stunner as Forest down West Ham

Nigerian defender Ola Aina scored as Nottingham Forest achieved their third consecutive win in the Premier League, triumphing 3-0 over West Ham United at The City Ground.

Aina, 28, netted an impressive goal, marking his first of the season in ten appearances. Manager Nuno Espírito Santo made one change from the previous match, bringing back Morgan Gibbs-White from injury to replace Elliot Anderson.

Gibbs-White was key to the first goal in the 27th minute. He passed the ball to Alex Moreno, who crossed it for Chris Wood to score with a header. This was Wood’s eighth goal of the season.

Before halftime, West Ham lost a player when Edson Álvarez received a second yellow card for fouling Anthony Elanga.

In the second half, Forest took advantage of playing with one extra player and scored again. Callum Hudson-Odoi curled a shot into the far corner after a quick free-kick, making it 2-0.

Forest then scored a third goal with a stunning shot. Ola Aina struck a left-footed half-volley from the edge of the area into the top corner.

Ramón Sosa had a chance to score in added time, but his shot was saved. Despite that, it was a great day for Nottingham Forest.

Liberia knockout Sierra Leone in CHAN first round qualifiers
by Football Sierra Leone

Liberia knocked Sierra Leone out of CHAN first round qualifiers

On Friday, the home-based national team of Liberia advanced to the next round of the CHAN qualifiers after achieving a 3-2 aggregate victory against Sierra Leone.

In the second leg, Lawrence Kumeh scored the equalizer for Liberia in the 52nd minute after the home-based Leone Stars took an early lead with a goal from Momoh Lappo Dumbuya in the 22nd minute at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium.

Sierra Leone, striving to improve their poor record in this tournament, was unable to overcome the deficit from the first leg and was consequently eliminated from the competition.

Liberia will face Senegal in the second round, which is set to take place in December.

In the first leg, Liberia defeated Sierra Leone 2-1. Lawrence Kumeh opened the scoring early for Liberia, but Sierra Leone equalized through Kalokoh Suffian in the 22nd minute.

However, an own goal by Alhpa Kabia of Sierra Leone in the 58th minute secured the victory for Liberia. The tournament is scheduled to be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania in February 2025.

The most recent tournament was held in Algeria, where Senegal defeated the host team in the final to claim their first-ever title.

Senegalese Pape Sarr nets in Spurs Carabao Cup win over City
by Football Sierra Leone

Senegalese Pape Sarr nets in Spurs Carabao Cup win over City

Senegalese International Paper Matr Sarr scored as Tottenham Hotspur won 2-1 against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday in North London. This victory gave Manchester City their first loss of the season.

With this win, Tottenham advanced to the quarter-finals of the tournament. Their manager, Ange Postecoglou, is one step closer to his goal of winning a trophy in his second season.

Manchester City made seven changes to their team, resting star player Erling Haaland. Spurs took advantage of this early, getting past City’s defence.

Dejan Kulusevski passed the ball to Timo Werner in the box, and Werner scored his first goal of the season.

Pape Matar Sarr scored the second goal for Tottenham in the 25th minute. After a well-executed corner, he received the ball outside the penalty area and curled it into the right corner of the net.

City got one goal back just before halftime. Matheus Nunes scored from a cross by Savinho, marking their first shot on target.

Tottenham draw Manchester United in the quarter-final set for December. 

On January 2, 2024, following a series of impressive performances, Sarr signed an extension with Tottenham that lasts until 2030.

Nigeria awarded three points and three goals as Libya penalized
by Football Sierra Leone

Nigeria awarded three points and three goals as Libya penalized

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has awarded Nigeria three points and recognized three goals in relation to the match against Libya.

CAF President Patrice Motsepe announced an investigation into Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Libya, stressing that unsportsmanlike behaviour will not be accepted.

On Saturday, Ousmane Kane, chair of the CAF Disciplinary Board, stated that Nigeria would be awarded the points after finding Libya guilty of mistreating the team. The Libyan Football Federation was also fined for this incident.

CAF determined that the Libyan Football Federation violated rules concerning the Africa Cup of Nations and the CAF Disciplinary Code. As a result, the match scheduled for October 15, 2024, in Benghazi has been declared a 3-0 win for Nigeria.

CAF stated that Libya violated Article 31 of the AFCON regulations, as well as Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF disciplinary code.

Libya is required to pay a fine of USD 50,000 within 60 days of this announcement.

The Nigerian team faced delays at a Libyan airport, lacking food and internet access while preparing for their match. They eventually departed after diplomatic and social media efforts.

With this CAF decision, Nigeria is well-positioned to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, having 10 points from four games—four points ahead of Benin Republic. Rwanda has five points, and Libya, with only one point, cannot qualify.

A win or draw against Benin Republic in Abidjan on November 14 will secure Nigeria a spot in the finals, set for December 2025 to January 2026 in Morocco.

CAF named Player of the Year Nominees for Award
by Football Sierra Leone

CAF named Nominees for African Player of the Year Award

The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has announced the nominees for the men’s categories of the #CAFAwards24, taking place on December 16, 2024, in Marrakech, Morocco.

The awards will recognize achievements from January to October 2024, with ten players shortlisted for the CAF African Player of the Year and another ten for the CAF Interclub Player of the Year. Notable nominees include:

– Amine Gouiri (Algeria / Rennes)

– Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso / Bayer Leverkusen)

– Simon Adingra (Cote d’Ivoire / Brighton)

– Achraf Hakimi (Morocco / Paris Saint-Germain)

– Ronwen Williams (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns), who is nominated in multiple categories.

The CAF Coach of the Year will also feature ten nominees, alongside awards for National Team of the Year, Club of the Year, and Young Player of the Year, all spotlighting emerging talent under 21.

Winners will be determined by a panel including the CAF Technical Committee, media professionals, and coaches from member associations.

The nominees for the Women’s categories will be announced soon. Last year, Victor Osimhen was named CAF African Player of the Year, while Asisat Oshoala took home the title for African Women’s Player of the Year. Read More

Opening defeat for Sierra Leone U17 in WAFU AFCON qualifier
by Football Sierra Leone

Opening defeat for Sierra Leone U17 in WAFU AFCON qualifier

Sierra Leone’s U-17 national team started their WAFU A U-17 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations qualifying tournament with a 1-0 loss to Mali. (Photo WAFU)

The only goal was scored in the eighth minute of the first half by the Malian wearing the number 10 jersey. He collected a clever pass and struck inside the area to beat the Sierra Leone keeper.

This loss puts Sierra Leone in a tough spot, but the team is determined to fight for a chance to advance.

Their next match is against Mauritania on Saturday, and winning is crucial for their hopes of moving forward in the tournament.

Senegal opened the tournament with a 2-1 victory over Liberia on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, in Thiès, Senegal. Group A now consists of three teams: Senegal, Liberia, and Gambia, after Guinea’s disqualification.

Senegal quickly took control, scoring early goals by Mouhamed Dabo in the 6th minute and El Hadji Sow in the 8th minute.

Liberia responded strongly in the second half, reducing the deficit with a goal from Moses Nyanfore in stoppage time (90th + 4 minutes).

Group B matches on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, featuring Mali’s win over Sierra Leone. Mauritania played to a goalless draw against Guinea Bissau in the day’s last game.

Sullay Kaikai nets in Cambridge's second league win of the season
by Football Sierra Leone

Sullay Kaikai nets in Cambridge’s second league win of the season

Sullay Kaikai from Sierra Leone helped Cambridge United win their second consecutive League One match, beating Stevenage 2-0. (Photo Cambrideg United)

Cambridge had also won against Wigan by the same score on Saturday, marking their first victory of the season after nine attempts.

Korey Smith scored the first goal for Cambridge in the 32nd minute at the Lamex Stadium. In the second half, the team focused on defending, blocking Stevenage’s attacks. Kaikai secured the win with a goal in the final minute.

Smith’s goal took a deflection, which helped the ball get past goalkeeper Murphy Cooper into the corner. Smith had a chance to score again, but Cooper made a good save on his shot from the edge of the box.

Stevenage struggled in the first half, and even after making three substitutions at halftime for more possession, they could not create good chances. Kaikai’s late goal ensured the victory for Cambridge.