Category: African News

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Sundowns start title defence, while CBE and Edo Queens are set to make their debut
by Football Sierra Leone

Sundowns start title defence, while CBE and Edo Queens are set to make their debut

The Women’s Champions League continues on Sunday in Casablanca, Morocco. The defending champions, Mamelodi Sundowns, will play against the newcomers, FC Masar.

Day 02 of the CAF Women’s Champions League Morocco 2024 starts on Sunday, November 10, with Group B matches led by Mamelodi Sundowns, CAF reports. 

Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies vs. FC Masar

In Photo, FC Masar from Egypt will make their debut in the CAF Women’s Champions League. They face the reigning champions, Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies, in a key match.

Despite the challenges, FC Masar’s coach, Ahmed Ramadhan, is confident. He said, “We want to show our potential. Playing against Mamelodi Sundowns is a great chance for us to test ourselves against the best.”

Mamelodi Sundowns’ coach, Jerry Tshabalala, reminded his team to focus on the present. He said, “We have a title to defend, but we must not compare ourselves to the past. We have learned from previous experiences and have prepared well.”

Commercial Bank of Ethiopia vs. Edo Queen

The other Group B match will see two first-time teams, Commercial Bank of Ethiopia and Nigeria’s Edo Queens, compete in their openers.

Edo Queens’ coach, Moses Aduku, emphasized the team’s focus. He said, “This is a great chance for us to measure ourselves against top teams. We’ve played well in qualifiers, and we are ready to give our best.”

CBE coach, Heye Gizaw Birhanu, expressed pride in qualifying after three attempts but stressed the need to keep working hard. He said, “Qualifying is good, but we must not take it for granted. Now that we are here, we must keep competing and improving.”

Alassana Jatta named in Gambia squad for crucial AFCON qualifiers
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Alassana Jatta named in Gambia squad for crucial AFCON qualifiers

Alassana Jatta’s strong performances for Notts County have earned him a call-up to the Gambia’s national team under Northern Irish boss Johnathan McKinstry. (Notts County Photo) 

He will join the squad for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Comoros on November 15 and Tunisia on November 18, which means he will miss the league match against Crewe Alexandra.

Jatta could make his Gambia debut against Comoros in front of the fans at the Gambia Independence Stadium after the GFA received approval from the Confédération African Football (CAF).

The last home match was on March 25, 2021, when Gambia won 1-0 against Angola. Following that game, CAF banned the stadium and 22 others in Africa from hosting international matches in February 2022.

The return of international games is a significant milestone for Gambia’s football fans. The Scorpions, Gambia’s national football team, are currently in 3rd place in Group A, with 5 points from four games.

Victor Osimhen scores brace to help Galatasaray defeat Tottenham
by Football Sierra Leone

Victor Osimhen scores brace to help Galatasaray defeat Tottenham

Nigerian international Victor Osimhen scored two goals, leading Galatasaray to a 3-2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur, marking Tottenham’s first loss in the Europa League this season.

The match took place in Istanbul on Thursday evening in the UEFA Europa League. Teenage striker Will Lankshear netted his first goal for Tottenham, equalizing the score after Yunus Akgun’s impressive opening goal. Unfortunately for Tottenham, Lankshear received two yellow cards in the second half and was sent off.

Akgun scored the first goal in the sixth minute, and Osimhen added two more goals within eight minutes, giving Galatasaray a solid lead by halftime.

Tottenham struggled against the Turkish champions, who created numerous scoring opportunities but were unable to score again due to outstanding saves from Fraser Forster and some missed chances.

After Lankshear’s dismissal, Tottenham rallied, and Dominic Solanke came off the bench to score, narrowing the deficit. Ultimately, Galatasaray appeared more relieved when the final whistle blew.

Young prospect Mohamed Kader Meïté pens first pro contract
by Football Sierra Leone

Young prospect Mohamed Kader Meïté pens first pro contract

Seventeen-year-old Mohamed Kader Meïté has signed his first professional contract with Ligue 1 club Stade Rennais, marking an important step in his career.

Meïté, who also plays for France’s U17 team, will stay with the club until 2028. This move reflects the club’s belief in his talent and commitment to developing young players.

After signing, Meïté expressed his happiness, saying, “I feel a lot of joy; it’s a childhood dream come true. I will work hard to repay the trust placed in me. My goals are to improve and score goals.”

Meïté has impressed the youth teams with his skills and ambition. Stade Rennais is excited to see how he performs in professional football.

The club is exploring changes to its coaching staff and may consider Senegalese manager Habib Beye, who recently led Red Star FC to promotion.

With his contract secure, Meïté aims to contribute to the club’s success, working hard to help Rennes achieve its goals. Supporters and club officials will watch his progress closely, hoping he follows in the footsteps of successful players.

Malawi sacked head coach Patrick Mabedi after a poor run
by FSL News

Malawi sacked head coach Patrick Mabedi after poor qualifying results

Patrick Mabedi has been removed from his position as coach of the Malawi national team. This decision was reached after failing to win any of his last four Afcon qualifying matches.

The final straw was a recent 0-1 loss at home to Senegal, which ended the Flames’ chances of qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals.

The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) announced Mabedi’s departure following five straight losses in all competitions. They made this decision based on recommendations from the Technical Committee due to the poor performance of the Flames team and their failure to qualify for the Afcon 2025.

FAM had hired Mabedi as the Flames coach last October on a two-year contract. He had performed well in a caretaker role, with three wins, two draws, and two losses after taking over from Mario Marinica, whose contract was not renewed in April 2023.

Under Mabedi’s leadership, the team struggled, recording two wins, one draw, and eight losses in 11 matches.

He lost support after dropping experienced players and left the Flames at the bottom of Group L in the AFCON qualifiers, having earned no points in four matches. Senegal has already secured a spot in the upcoming AFCON finals after defeating the Flames.

The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has appointed Kalisto Pasuwa as the Malawi national football team’s interim head coach with immediate effect.

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.

Ghana's Antoine Semenyo helps Bournemouth stun City
by FSL News

Ghana’s Antoine Semenyo helps Bournemouth stun City

Ghana International Bournemouth Antoine Semenyo scored against Manchester City as Bournemouth registered its fourth Premier League win. Goals from Antoine Semenyo and Evanilson gave the club their first victory over the Premier League champions.

Manchester City’s unbeaten streak of 32 games in the competition, which started on December 6, 2023, ended with this result.

This defeat was also City’s second in four days, following their loss to Tottenham in the Carabao Cup. Bournemouth played well, picking up four points from their last two games against Aston Villa and Arsenal. They began the match quickly and positively.

Goalkeeper Ederson made a double save within just two minutes, stopping shots from Semenyo and Justin Kluivert.

Bournemouth kept pressing and scored in the ninth minute when Milos Kerkez cut the ball back from the byline and Semenyo scored.

City struggled to create chances and did not have a single shot on target in the first half.

Bournemouth returned for the second half with confidence and doubled their lead through Evanilson before City pulled a goal back through Joško Gvardiol in the 82nd minute. However, the home held onto their fourth win of the season.

Trevoh Chalobah scores first Crystal Palace goal against Wolves
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Trevoh Chalobah scores first Crystal Palace goal against Wolves

Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton Wanderers played a 2-2 draw at Molineux. Trevoh Chalobah, on loan from Chelsea, scored his first goal for Crystal Palace in the 60th minute.

After a dull first half with few chances, the game picked up when Trevoh Chalobah scored in the 60th minute. He took advantage of a mistake by the Wolves’ defence with a low strike.

Jorgen Strand Larsen equalized by pushing the ball through Dean Henderson’s legs. Joao Gomes then scored again for Wolves, finishing well from a low cross by Goncalo Gomes.

Marc Guéhi tied the game for Palace when he tapped in a corner kick from the back post.

In the 96th minute, Jean-Philippe Mateta thought he had scored the winning goal with a loose ball. However, the referee disallowed it because of a foul on Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa during the play.

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.

Michael Essien Completes Uefa Licence in Football Management
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Michael Essien Completes Uefa Licence in Football Management

Ghanaian football legend Michael Essien has completed a UEFA Certificate in Football Management and has received his certificate.

He is now working as an assistant manager at FC Nordsjaelland, a Danish club. Essien had a great playing career, especially at Chelsea, and he wants to succeed as a manager.

Essien shared his achievement on Twitter: “Finally done with my UEFA certificate in football management journey. Thanks to all for the help. I keep learning about the beautiful game.”

The former football star, known for playing at Chelsea and Real Madrid, has earned a football management certificate while pursuing coaching qualifications.

Essien is now a talent coach for FC Nordsjaelland in Denmark’s top league, where he helps young players with his experience and knowledge.