African News Archives - Football Sierra Leone

Nigeria attacker Taiwo Awoniyi joins Nottingham Forest

by FSL News | 26 Jun, 2022 | African News, Football Africa, Sport News

Newly promoted Premier League side Nottingham Forest have confirmed the signing of Nigerian international forward Taiwo Awoniyi for a club-record fee.

Forest says the 24-year-old joins The Reds from Bundesliga club Union Berlin, signing a five-year deal at The City Ground.

“I’m very excited to be here at Nottingham Forest,” said Awoniyi following his move to The City Ground, he told the club’s website.

“It’s always been my dream to play in the Premier League and having spoken to Steve Cooper about our ambitions and looking at Forest, with its great history, it’s a club that I want to be part of.

Awoniyi scored 20 goals in 43 games across all competitions last season and becomes Forest’s first signing since gaining promotion back to the Premier League.

“It’s always been my dream to play in the Premier League,” said Awoniyi.

The new Forest acquisition started his professional career at Liverpool, signing for the Merseyside club in 2015 before having loan spells at FSV Frankfurt, NEC, Mouscron, Gent and Mainz 05. He subsequently joined Union Berlin on loan during the 2020-21 season and made the move permanent last July.

Having represented Nigeria at U17s, U20s and U23s level, Awoniyi won the first of his three caps for the Nigeria national team against the Central African Republic in October 2021 and scored his first goal against Sudan in January at the Africa Cup of Nations.

A fan of the new @premierleague matchball 😍

🌳🔴 #NFFC #PL pic.twitter.com/9sk3GsqyQO

— Nottingham Forest FC (@NFFC) June 25, 2022

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Moroccan defender Nayef Aguerd pens West Ham deal

by FSL News | 20 Jun, 2022 | African News, Football Africa, Sport News

Moroccan defender Nayef Aguerd has joined Premier League side West Ham United on a five-year contract worth around £30m, including add-ons.

Aguerd is manager David Moyes’ first signing in this transfer window.

The former Dijon FCO player, who made his International debut for the Morocco national team in a friendly 0–0 tie with Albania on 31 August 2016, says he was pleased to join the Hammers.

“I was really excited when I heard about West Ham United’s interest,” said Aguerd. “When I heard about it, I knew I needed to go to the Premier League because it’s a dream for every player.

“West Ham is a historic club. I saw a few of their games this year, and I saw the fans and the atmosphere was fantastic, with the bubbles! I talked with the manager and he showed me that he was very interested, so it was easy to choose to come to West Ham.”

The 26-year-old arrived in London last week to complete his medical. Media reports indicated that Newcastle also registered an interest in Aguerd, though the Magpies are also keen on Lille’s Sven Botman.

A regular in the Atlas Lions’ starting XI with 25 senior caps and was an ever-present in Morocco’s successful 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign and run to the 2021 CAF Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals.

West Ham kick-off the 2022/23 Premier League season with champions Manchester City visiting the Stadium, live on Sky Sports.

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He's a Hammer ⚒ pic.twitter.com/eWA0e5EYaT

— West Ham United (@WestHam) June 20, 2022

CAF unveils Women’s Africa Cup of Nations schedule

by FSL News | 17 Jun, 2022 | African News, Football Africa, Sport News

The Confederation of Africa, CAF, have unveiled the schedule for next month’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Debutants Burundi and Botswana are in Group C alongside Nigeria and South Africa.

The competition will commence on Saturday, 02 July 2022 at Prince Moulay Abdellah sports Complex as hosts Morocco lock horns with Burkina Faso. Kickoff at 21h30 local time (21h30 GMT).

The 14th edition of the Women’s AFCON will also serve as qualifiers for next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand starting from July 20.

Former Ivorian International Salomon Kalou signs in Djibouti

by FSL News | 15 Jun, 2022 | African News, Football Africa, Sport News

Former Chelsea winger and Cote d’Ivoire international Salomon Kalou has signed for AS Arta Solar 7 on a short-term contract.

Kalou, 36, is set to play CAF inter-club competition with the Djiboutian champions As Arta Solar 7 next season.

Kalou will now be teammates with ex-Cameroon goalkeeper Idriss Carlos Kameni, Alexandre Song Billong, Dany Nounkeu, Diafra Sakho and Alain Traoré.

AS Arta Solar 7 completed a double at the end of 2021-22 after they clinched the Djiboutian League and Djiboutian Cup titles.

Kalou, who is junior brother to former Cote d’Ivoire player Bonaventure Kalou started his career at ASEC Mimosas before joining Dutch side Feyenoord in 2003.

After two seasons in the Dutch top-flight, Kalou signed for English Premier League side Chelsea FC for a fee of around £9 million.

He won the Premier League, FA Cup (4 times), League Cup, Community Shield and the UEFA Champions League during his time in England from 2006 to 2012.

Kalou was a member of the Cote d’Ivoire team that won the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea after beating Ghana in post-match penalty shootouts.

He later joined French Ligue 1 side LOSC Lille and also played for Hertha Berlin in Germany and Brazilian club Botafogo before becoming unattached last year.

Source CAFOnline – Connect with us @football_sierra, on Facebook/ Instagram Football Sierra Leone, FSLNews – Football African.

Bissau’s Djurtus arrive in Conakry to confront Sierra Leone

by FSL News | 11 Jun, 2022 | African News, Football Africa, Sport News

After their comfortable 5-1 win over Sao Tome, Guinea Bissau has safely arrived in the Guinean capital ahead of Group A matchday two of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sierra Leone on Monday.

The Group A leaders arrived at around 1:25 am on Saturday, June 11 – via Casablanca.

The Leone Stars will lock to avoid a second defeat in the group following their narrow 2-1 loss at the MKO Abiola Stadium on Thursday afternoon.

Sierra Leone was the first to touch down in Guinea from Nigeria on Friday to continue their preparation for this crucial encounter.

Monday’s outing between the two West African nations will be the thirteen. Sierra Leone has never lost to their counterparts at the senior level. The Leone Stars with the upper hand with seven victories and five draws in all competitions.

However, Bissau’s young keeper Manuel Baldé is confident of a good performance against the Leone Stars.

“Our victory over Sao Tome we are pleased with, but we will continue to work because, on Monday 13 June, we have a difficult challenge ahead. Personally, I’m prepared to help the team,” Manuel Baldé, who plays football in Portugal with F.C. Vizela, was quoted as saying.

Guinea-Bissau 🆚 São Tomé and Príncipe | Highlights

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Guinea-Bissau top Group A after thrashing São Tomé

by FSL News | 9 Jun, 2022 | African News, External Links, Sport News

Guinea Bissau thrashed Sao Tome and Principe 5-1 to signal a strong message in their opening Group A game of the 2023 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Thursday in Morocco.

The home side had to come from behind to score five goals after Sao Tome took the lead in the 21st minute through Edmilson Viegas.

Just before the break Alfa Semedo levelled the scoreline for Guinea-Bissau before Zinho Gano brace to make it 3-1 in the 50th and 58th minutes, respectively.

Substitute Zidane Banjaqui added the fourth in the 81st minute before Jorginho Intima sealed an emphatic victory for the Djurtus moments later at the Stade de Marrakech in Morocco.

As a result, Guinea Bissau will be leading the group standings on goals advantage over Nigeria’s Super Eagles, who defeated Sierra Leone 2-1 under new coach Jose Peseiro at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium.

The Leone Stars of Sierra Leone started brightly in the opening exchanges and took full advantage of a left-wing cross for Jonathan Morsay, who scored his first goal for the West Africans.

China-based striker Mohamed Buya Turay could have doubled it for the Leone Stars after his shot hit the post just after Morsay’s goal.

The visitors’ lead only lasted five minutes as Nigeria regained composure to draw parity through a cool finish from Everton attacker Alex Iwobi.

The three-time African Champions completed the comeback four minutes from the break as Osimhen got onto a header pass from Simon to put the hosts in front.

Four days later, Nigeria will tackle São Tomé and Príncipe at the 45,000 –capacity Grand Stade de Agadir in Southern Morocco.

Sierra Leone will host Guinea Bissau at the Stade General Lansana Conte in Conakry in the second round of matches on Monday.

@TotalAfcon2023 #AFCON2023Q
Thursday 9th June 2022
Guinea-Bissau 🇬🇼 5-1 🇸🇹 Sto. Tomé & Principe
Nigeria 🇳🇬 2-1 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone
Etiopia 🇪🇹 2-0 🇪🇬 Egypt
Guinea 🇬🇳 1-0 🇲🇼 Malawi

— FSL News website (@football_sierra) June 9, 2022

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