Author: Football Sierra Leone

by Football Sierra Leone

Co-hosts Tanzania to face an uphill task against Morocco in Dar es Salaam

Dar es Salaam is set to host a quarterfinal showdown as co-hosts Tanzania take on Morocco at the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium, one of the most successful teams in the history of the African Nations Championship (CHAN), in a highly anticipated match on Friday.

This encounter will mark the first-ever meeting between Tanzania and Morocco at CHAN, and it will also be Tanzania’s first match against a North African team in the tournament.

Tanzania will be playing their 11th game at CHAN, while Morocco will be their 10th different opponent in the competition.

Morocco has faced East African teams six times, with a record of three wins, two draws, and one loss. Their wins include victories over Uganda (3-0 in 2014, 5-2 in 2020) and Rwanda (4-1 in 2016), along with draws against Rwanda (0-0 in 2020) and Sudan (0-0 in 2018).

In this tournament, their only defeat was a 1-0 loss to Kenya. This match marks Morocco’s first knockout round encounter with an East African team and will be their 21st opponent at CHAN.

Morocco will face a tournament host for the fourth time, having previously beaten Rwanda (4-1 in 2014) and Cameroon (4-0 in 2020), but lost to Kenya this year.

Tanzania has shown strong defence, conceding only one goal—the fewest in the tournament—while Morocco boasts a powerful attack, scoring eight goals, the highest in the competition.

Morocco has an 18.6% shot conversion rate, scoring eight goals from 23 shots on target, while Tanzania has a conversion rate of 10.42%, with five goals from 17 shots. Additionally, Tanzania leads in defence with 45 tackles, compared to Morocco’s 29.

Ivorian Eric Bailly agrees with the Spanish La Liga side Real Oviedo
by Football Sierra Leone

Ivorian Eric Bailly agrees with the Spanish La Liga side Real Oviedo

On Monday, Real Oviedo confirmed that they are hiring Ivorian Éric Bailly on a two-year deal expiring in June 2027. The 31-year-old central defender joined the club on a free transfer upon the completion of his Villarreal agreement.

Bailly’s move to Real Oviedo comes after a failed endeavour to join the Saudi Premier League, the Al Najma Sports Club. Having made twelve appearances during the 2024–25 season, his Villarreal contract was terminated, and he became free.

Beginning at Espanyol, Bailly has played for a few European teams, including Villarreal and subsequently Manchester United, over his career.

He had his longest stint at Manchester United and served on loan at French Ligue 1 team Olympique de Marseille (OM) before joining Turkish club Besiktas. The seasoned defender returned to Villarreal subsequently.

Having 49 international caps for the Ivory Coast, Bailly’s most recent showing was a loss against Sierra Leone during the qualifiers for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in October 2024.

Burkina Faso International Dando Ouattara joins Brentford
by Football Sierra Leone

Burkina Faso International Dango Ouattara joins Brentford

Brentford has signed Dango Ouattara from Bournemouth for a club-record fee. He has signed a five-year contract with an option for an additional year.

The 23-year-old forward had 18 goal contributions in 81 Premier League matches for Bournemouth after joining in January 2023.

Brentford’s head coach, Keith Andrews, said, “We’re really happy to get Dango in. We were surprised he was available, and once we saw he might be possible to sign, we focused on getting him. We like his Premier League experience at such a young age.

He hasn’t found his rhythm yet due to inconsistent playing time. He fits the way we want to play and brings something we needed in our forward line. The fans will enjoy watching him.”

Phil Giles, Brentford’s director of football, stated, “After selling Bryan Mbeumo, we needed to add another attacking player, and we believe Dango is the perfect choice. Despite many changes at the club this summer, we have strong replacements, and Dango showcases that. We also have players like Aaron Hickey, Rico Henry, and Frank Onyeka ready to contribute, and I’m excited to see Dango’s unique skills on the pitch.”

Brentford finished last season in tenth, one place below the Cherries in ninth.

Yan Diomande nets as RB Leipzig beat Sandhausen in Cup win
by Football Sierra Leone

Yan Diomande nets as RB Leipzig beat Sandhausen in Cup win

Scoring on his RB Leipzig debut in Saturday’s DFB Pokal victory against Sandhausen, Yan Diomande immediately made an impact.

The 19-year-old winger, who moved from Spanish team Leganés to the Bundesliga side in a notable transfer, equalized for his new team in only six minutes. The Ivory Coast youth international coolly shot from close range after receiving a pass from Willi Orban inside the area.
 
RB Leipzig conceded another goal in the 18th minute, but Leipzig rallied back in the second half to win 4-2 as Diomande clocked 86 minutes on the field for his official debut.
 
Under German coach Ole Werner, he is expected to become a leading player for the 2025/26 season. Having represented Ivory Coast at the U17 and U23 levels, Yan Diomande is hailed as among the most promising talents to emerge from West Africa.
Antoine Semeyo's net brace in Bournemouth's defeat to Liverpool
by Football Sierra Leone

Antoine Semenyo’s nets brace in Bournemouth’s defeat to Liverpool

Liverpool began their Premier League title defence with a dramatic 4-2 victory over AFC Bournemouth at Anfield as Anooine Semeyo and Mohamed Salah were on the scoresheet.

Despite a strong performance from the Cherries, which included a brace from Antoine Semenyo to equalise at 2-2, late goals from Federico Chiesa and Mo Salah secured the win for Liverpool.

The match started with a moment of silence in memory of Diogo Jota and his brother, followed by goals from Hugo Ekitike and Cody Gakpo that put Liverpool ahead.

Semenyo’s impressive second half brought Bournemouth back into the game, with a stunning long-range shot for his second goal.

However, Chiesa and Salah’s late strikes dashed Bournemouth’s hopes, despite their commendable fightback.

New signings for Bournemouth, including goalkeeper Đorđe Petrović, made their debuts in a match praised for its competitive spirit.

Augustus Kargbo's Blackburn Rovers set for Birmingham City contest
by Football Sierra Leone

Augustus Kargbo’s Blackburn Rovers set for Birmingham City contest

Ahead of an exciting weekend of Sky Bet Championship action, Sierra Leone International August Kargbo’s Blackburn Rovers enter Sky Bet Championship week two from the back of an opening 1-0 defeat away to West Bromwich Albion.

At Edward Park on Saturday, they’ll have a chance to start their first home game in front of their exciting home fans, as Kargbo will be hoping to create some impact in the Championship match day two.

Here is a Sky Bet Championship: Pre-match stat pack

Blackburn Rovers have lost just two of their last 38 home league games against Birmingham City (W25 D11), winning each of their last four in succession, during which they’ve scored 15 goals in total.

  • Birmingham City have won two of their last three league games against Blackburn Rovers (L1), as many victories as across their prior 16 matches against Rovers combined (D6 L8).
  • Blackburn have won their opening home game in each of the last five league seasons. However, following their 1-0 loss at West Brom on MD1, they’ll be hoping to avoid beginning a league campaign with back-to-back defeats, which last happened in 2019-20.
  • Birmingham haven’t lost their opening away game in any of the last six seasons (W3 D3) since losing 1-0 at Middlesbrough in the Championship in 2018-19.
  • On MD1 of the 2025-26 Championship season, Birmingham’s Keshi Anderson won more duels than any other player (14), with the last player to have more in the Championship for them being Ethan Laird v Swansea in August 2023 (21).
DRC Congo beat Angola in hunt to reach CHAN quarter-final
by Football Sierra Leone

Congo DR beat Angola in hunt for CHAN quarter-finals spot

DR Congo defeated Angola 2-0 at Moi International Sports Centre in Nairobi, securing a crucial match against Morocco for a spot in the quarter-finals of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) PAMOJA 2024.

Goals from Jephté Kitambala and substitute Jonathan Mokonzi in the second half provided the victory.

In an earlier match, Morocco triumphed 3-1 over Zambia, setting up a decisive showdown with DR Congo on Sunday. Angola ended their tournament without scoring.

The first half was uneventful, with both teams having chances but failing to score. The second half saw DR Congo take control, with Kitambala scoring in the 58th minute from a free-kick by Âgée Basiala. Mokonzi added a second goal from a corner in the 70th minute.

Despite Angola’s efforts to respond, including near misses and solid saves from their goalkeeper Neblú, they couldn’t find the net. DR Congo’s strong defense, led by Osée Ndombele and Lolendo Mansanga, held firm.

With the upcoming match against Morocco, the stakes are high as both teams vie for a semi-final spot, while Kenya’s match against Zambia will determine the other quarter-finalist.

Nothing gets past him! Efonge earns the TotalEnergies Man of the Match after keeping a clean sheet
Nothing gets past him! Efonge earns the TotalEnergies Man of the Match after keeping a clean sheet
Mauritania and Madagascar record CAF Nations Championship wins
by Football Sierra Leone

Mauritania and Madagascar record CAF Nations Championship wins

At the CAF African Nations Championship at the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Wednesday, Madagascar and Mauritania defeated Central African Republic and Burkina Faso, respectively.

Breaking the stalemate in the 84th minute, Madagascar scored late in their meeting with the Central African Republic. The Les Fauves failed to clear a Madagascan corner, with the ball falling to Mamisoa Alexandre Rakotoson at the edge of the area.His attempt diverted on its way to land at the feet of fellow substitute Toky Niaina Rakotondraibe, who made no error from close range.

Nomena Lalaina Rafanomezantsoa completed the last hit in stoppage time to ensure the triumph for his team; the Barea put the outcome beyond doubt.

Elsewhere, Mauritania defeated ten-man Burkina Faso in the second match of the day to get their second victory of the competition.

After a VAR check, Abdoulaye Touré was shown a straight red card for his tackle on Moulaye Ahmed Cheikh Al Khalil, bringing the Stallions down to 10 men in the 41st minute.

Thanks once more to a VAR check, Les Mourabitounes dominated first-half stoppage time as El Mami Tetah was dropped in the box.From the penalty spot, Alassane Diop committed no mistake, moving his team ahead and eventually leading to their victory.

With zero points from their three CHAN games thus far, the Central African Republic have no chance of reaching the quarterfinals.

Three points behind second-place Mauritania, Madagascar are now third in the group; nevertheless, Mauritania have played one more game.

With three points from three games, Burkina Faso is second from bottom. If they want to have any opportunity of moving forward, they must win their next two matches and hope for the other teams in their group to lose.

Results:

Madagascar 2-0 Central African Republic

Mauritania 1-0 Burkina Faso

CHAN: Zambia face must win against Morocco in survival race
by Football Sierra Leone

Zambia face a must-win against Morocco in CHAN survival race

As they try to defeat two-time champions Morocco to increase their chances of qualifying into the knockout stages of the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN), Zambia national team captain Kelvin Kampamba is optimistic.

The Chipolopolo will need to win their last Group A games against the Atlas Lions later this afternoon and against Kenya in order to have any shot of making the knockout rounds following back-to-back losses to DR Congo and Angola.

Kampamba said during a pre-game press conference at the Moi International Sports Centre that the Chipolopolo would give Morocco a decent run. “Though Zambia has always made the quarterfinals, it’s not over yet. We foresee a difficult game. They shouldn’t underestimate us because we will make their money’s run worthwhile,” he added.

“We must trust ourselves as players.”We are here to show our character and abilities every time we step onto the field. We do not choose to be defeated readily, but its events beyond our control sometimes. We shall go there and fight for maximum points.”

With four points, Angola is second; DR Congo and Morocco have three points with Zambia lying at the bottom with zeros points; Kenya leads Group A on seven points.

Knowing only a victory would keep their quarterfinals aspirations alive, Morocco enters today’s African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024 group match against Zambia.

At 3:00 PM Moroccan time (GMT+1), Senegalese referee Adalbert Diouf will blow the kickoff whistle. On beIN Sports France, beIN Sports MENA 6 HD, and SuperSport, fans can see the event live.

I was shocked Nigeria performance - Sudan's Kwesi Appiah
by Football Sierra Leone

I did not expect the scoreline – Sudan’s Kwesi Appiah

Kwesi Appiah’s lads showed their purpose in a resounding 4-0 Nigeria demolition in the CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024; they are not in East Africa simply to bolster the numbers.
 
But the Ghanaian was astounded by the merciless scoreline over Nigeria on a clear Tuesday evening with a performance that would be recalled considerably beyond the group stage dust.
 
Kwesi Appiah, the former coach of the Ghana national team, could not conceal his joy at the last whistle. “I was shocked with some of my players’ performances. If you noted, my changes were deep into the second half because everyone was performing quite well.”
 
Actually, his first replacement came in the 79th minute when Mubarak Abdallah took over from Salah Adel, proof of Sudan’s mastery of the game.
Simple terms: “We knew it was going to be difficult, especially the first 20 minutes,” Appiah said about the game plan. Our strategy was to counter by absorbing pressure.
 
He was caught off guard even by the scoreline. “I was not anticipating the scoreline, but I knew if we play our best, we could defeat Nigeria.”
 
Appiah was kind to his counterpart, Eric Chelle, despite the decisive scoreline: “I believe the home-based Super Eagles aren’t that bad. Generally speaking, they played well tactically.
 
The coach only needs to do some finishing with the attack. The first game against Senegal was not that terrible; they had spells of possession in the second game, but our approach was beneficial.”