Category: African News

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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.

Guinea and Algeria battle in an exciting Group C contest in Kampala
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Guinea and Algeria to battle in an exciting Group C contest in Kampala

On Friday at 17:00 local time, Guinea after two defeats from three matches take on Algeria at Mandela National Stadium in Kampala, Uganda.

Guinea must win to keep their hopes of advancing in CHAN 2024 alive. In contrast, Algeria can secure their spot in the quarter-finals with a victory, demonstrating their strength in the tournament.

Algeria, led by coach Majid Bougherra, has performed well so far, earning four points from a win against Congo and a draw with South Africa. They sit atop Group C without conceding a goal. Bougherra stated, “Tomorrow, we face Guinea, who still believe in their chances. It will be tough, but we are prepared.”

Guinea started strong with a win over Congo but lost to South Africa. Coach Souleymane Camara is optimistic, saying, “We still have our destiny in our hands. We must fight from start to finish and secure the three points.”

Guinea’s attack needs improvement, and striker Moussa Moïse Camara acknowledged past issues. He stated, “We’ve worked on our efficiency and are ready for Algeria, a strong team.”

Guinea must play aggressively to win, while Algeria aims to maintain their defense. Both teams understand the stakes: win or go home for Guinea, and secure a spot in the last eight for Algeria.

The Kampala crowd anticipates an exciting match filled with drama and crucial moments for Group C.

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.”
Malian midfielder Yves Bissouma left out of Tottenham squad for UEFA Super Cup
by Football Sierra Leone

Malian midfielder Yves Bissouma left out of Tottenham UEFA Super Cup squad

Due to his repeated tardiness, Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma won’t be included in the lineup for the UEFA Super Cup game versus Paris Saint-Germain.
 
For Wednesday evening’s game versus Luis Enrique’s charges, the London club have flown to the Italian town of Udine. Bissouma is not here for disciplinary reasons, according to Manager Thomas Frank. Too many times, he has been late.
 

“I want to have a clear structure in phases one and two when we are building up. We want to control the gam, and in phase three, we want to score. For the club, me and everyone involved at Tottenham, it’s a massive game. It’s a great challenge and an even bigger opportunity.

“The way my brain works, I see opportunities instead of pressure. We will definitely embrace it and give it everything.”

Senegal maintain top of Group D despite Congo stalemate
by FSL News

Senegal maintain top of Group D despite Congo stalemate

In Tuesday’s Group D match from the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Zanzibar, the Republic of Congo held reigning champions Senegal to a 1-1 draw.

Although Congo Brazzaville has not played domestic football since March 2025, they fought hard against Senegal and managed to tie the points following a late goal.

For Senegal, the first twenty minutes were unexpected since they battled to get their groove back. Early trades were dominated by Congo, but generating easy scoring chances proved to be difficult.

Dechan Moussavou curled in a cross from Charles Atipo in the 19th minute, giving them the lead. Breaking the deadlock, the 19-year-old winger took advantage of a momentary weakness in the Senegalese defence.

Senegal’s Teranga Lions controlled possession but struggled to create clear chances against Congo. Moctar Koïta and Mbaye Ly’s efforts were thwarted, and Libasse Guèye’s solo run was saved by goalie Ulrich Samba.

Senegal equalised late through defender Layousse Samb, who scored from close range after a cutback from Ousseynou Fall Seck. With four points, Senegal leads the group, while Congo has two points. Nigeria will face Sudan next, both seeking their first tournament win.

The defending champions’ final group stage match is against Sudan, while CongoThe Red Devils will play Nigeria.

Group D Table

  1. Senegal- 4 points (2 games played)
  2. Congo- 2 points (2 games)
  3. Sudan- 1 point (1 game)
  4. Nigeria- 0 points (1 game)
Berewuleng record first win in womens Champions League qualifiers
by Football Sierra Leone

Berewuleng record first win in Wafu A women’s qualifiers

On Monday, in Senegal, Berewuleng FC triumphed over RAM Kamara of Sierra Leone with a critical 1-0 win in the WAFU A Women’s Champions League Qualifiers. As the Gambian champions claimed victory, Sarah Jarju scored the only goal.

In their last match against the Senegalese side Aigles de Medina, Ram Kay must avoid defeat if they are to progress to the next stage, depending on other results.

The highlight was when Sarah Jarju scored a stunning goal that not only guaranteed the win for the Gambian team but also represented their first victory in the tournament.

Berewuleng’s chances of moving onto the next round of competition have greatly increased thanks to Jarju’s accurate strike, a product of rapid thinking and great teamwork.

Though RAM Kamara fought tirelessly to equalise, they’re unable to get through Berewuleng’s strong barrier. The Gambian side’s tenacity throughout the game has set them well for the qualifiers ahead. Berewuleng FC is with the momentum and in a good spirit going into their final two matches of the tournament.