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Mogbwemo Queens begin the title defence with a 1-0 win
by David Lebbie

Mogbwemo Queens begin title defence with a 1-0 win 

Mogbwemo Queens defeated Ram Kamara 1-0 as they began their title defence in the Sierra Leone Women’s Premier League on Saturday.

Kadiatu M Kamara’s 25th-minute goal secured all three points for Champions Mogbwemo Queens as they continued dominance over Ram Kamara Female.

Mabinty Sesay (Ram K) was awarded Woman of the Match. Mogbwemo Queens FC’s next match will be at home against the Correctional Sports Club.

Speaking to Football Sierra Leone, head Coach Adama Polina Suma of Mogbwemo Queens described the win as vital. 

“To open with maximum points is very important. I give credit to my team and they are top of their game and are set for the next game”.

“We always respect our opponent playing away to Ram Kamara whom have the home support and everything we have to expect the resistance from them and infact we were expecting much more from them, playing against us the Champions you may want to prove all best,” Coach Musa Stated. 

However, she stated that although they have other players on the sideline, they remain focused on defending their title.

On her part, Coach Fatmata Turay of Ram Kamara said the result was not a good one for them based on what they did in training and on the pitch, they deserved more.

“We went wrong in the preparation for this match moreover, we never trained on the pitch all that affected us. Our next game is against Kahunla Queens let’s see what will happen there but the competition is still open and I am confident of winning.” she noted.

Meanwhile, Mogbwemo Queens are unbeaten in three meetings with Ram Kamara (Two wins and a draw).

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East End Lions sack Wright after first defeat in seven games
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

East End Lions sack Wright after first defeat in seven games

Struggling East End Lions parted ways with Coach Charlie Wright on Wednesday, a day after they suffered their first defeat in seven Sierra Leone Premier League games.

Wright was appointed in October with the expectation to lead the club to glory this season. The Eastern giant club suffered a 1-0 defeat to rivals Ports Authority on Tuesday at the Attouga Mini Stadium.

Lions stand 10th on eight points following five draws, one win and one defeat this campaign, a statistic that doesn’t go down well with the club’s management.

The club confirmed it was a mutual agreement to let Coach Charlie Wright depart, effective immediately. They also handed the mantle to assistant Coach Raymond Gerard Hunter, who will take over as interim coach during the transition.

“The decision to part ways with Coach Wright was made after careful consideration, recognizing and appreciating his significant contribution and dedication to the club during tenure,” Lions noted. 

Connect with us @football_sierra on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone, the writer Alie Bittar, On Twitter @bittar32, Nation News East End Lions. 

SLFA successfully concludes two two-day CAF Club License
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

SLFA successfully concludes CAF Club License training

Top club administrators in the country took part as the Sierra Leone Football Association, SLFA, in collaboration with the Confederation of African Football (CAF), successfully concluded a two-day (11 & 12) training workshop for Club Licensing Officers.

On Tuesday, the SLFA said the Training-of-Trainers workshop benefited over 50 male and female Premier League club administrators at the Radisson Blu Mammy Yoko Hotel in Freetown.

The club licensing idea was introduced to navigate the recently launched Club Licensing Online Platform to ease the system of club licensing and stadium inspection across the continent. 

Addressing the trainees, Emmanuel Newton Dasoberi, on behalf of his colleague CAF instructors Hamza Sorouri and Francis Essah Adu, commended the participants for their commitment and passion shown towards the training.

Adu furthered that he and his colleagues were impressed with how fast the participants grasped the concept, “You made the job easy for us,” he noted. 

In his closing remarks, Vice President Harold Nat-Johnson thanked the CAF instructors for their diligent work in successfully introducing the online platform to local men and women Club Licensing Officers. 

He encouraged all participants to stage workshops at their club levels to ensure the knowledge gained filtered down to other football administrators. 

Mr Nat-Johnson seized the opportunity to update the gathering about the rapid progress in the ongoing construction of five artificial turf pitches across the country, including Port Loko Town Field, Bo Coronation Field, Sierra Leone Football Association Academy, and Approved School Playing Field in Freetown. He noted confidently that “By June 2024 all SLFA sanctioned competitions will play on standard pitches across the country.”

Acting General Secretary Mohamed Benson Bawoh, in a brief statement, noted that the training is timely as global football is fast going digital and Sierra Leone has to stay up to speed. He further urged the participants to embrace the platform and always visit it as ‘practice makes perfect.’

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East End Lions record first League win on Wednesday
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

East End Lions record first win of the season

One of Sierra Leone’s most decorated clubs, East End Lions, secured their first win on Wednesday after five matches, breaking a streak of four consecutive draws.

As a result, they moved up to eight as the victory added three crucial points to their tally of 7 points from 5 matches.

At the Trade Centre playing field, in the 28th minute, Sulaiman Kargbo opened the scoring before Ibrahim Bangura levelled for the visitors just before the break.

After the recess, the homes showed composure and determined to secure their first win with two more goals from Alie Conteh and Kandeh Turay.

Elsewhere, Mighty Blackpool faced a setback, losing to Ports Authority 2-1 at the Attouga Mini stadium. 

The defeat marked Mighty Blackpool’s second consecutive defeat following their 2-0 defeat to Lamboi FC in Lungi over the weekend.

Despite the defeats, they maintain a standing of 9 points from 5 matches.

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Sierra Leone Premier League Week Five Matches, Results and Table
Sierra Leone Premier League Week Five Matches, Results and Table
Sierra Leone line-up friendlies for World Cup qualifiers
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sierra Leone nosedive five places in latest Fifa ranking

Sierra Leone has plummeted five places from 122 in October to 127 in November’s FIFA ranking after their two 2026 World Cup opening qualifying matches.

The Leone Stars of Sierra Leone played to a goalless draw against Ethiopia and suffered a 2-0 defeat to Egypt this month – they were ranked 122 before the 2026 World Cup qualification started.

November’s Fifa ranking also affected the West African nation’s place in the continent as they dropped to 36th place from 32nd in October with 1138.53 points scored globally.

In Africa, Morocco ranked as the best football team in the continent after its victory against Tanzania in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, seeing the Atlas Lions maintain the 13th spot globally.

Senegal, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali and Burkina Faso make the top ten. 

England impressively climbed to third in the Fifa world rankings after completing an unbeaten qualifying campaign for Euro 2024.

Argentina, France, England, Belgium and Brazil sit top of the World.  

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Sierra Leone nosedived five places from 122 in October to 127 November in the latest Fifa ranking
Sierra Leone nosedived five places from 122 in October to 127 November in the latest Fifa ranking
Buya replaces Alhaji as Sierra Leone make three changes.
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Buya replaces Alhaji as Sierra Leone make three changes

Head coach Amidu Karim made three changes from the goalless draw with Ethiopia at El Jadida Stade El Abdi on Wednesday. 

Mohamed Buya Turay, Alusine Koroma and Sullay Kaikai replaced Alhaji Kamara, Abu Dumbuya, and Jonathan Morsay, respectively, in his squad to face Egypt in Liberia on Sunday.

Alusine Koroma, Sullay Kaikai and Mohamed Buya Turay replaced Abu Dumbuya, Jonathan Morsay and Alhaji Kamara in his squad to face Egypt.

Tyrese Fornah, who made his International debut for Sierra Leone last Wednesday in the goalless draw with Ethiopia, kept his place as a holding midfielder.

The Derby County midfielder played 77 minutes before being replaced by striker Alusine Pagal Koroma. 

Coach Karim keeps faith in the same back four with Osman Kakay, Mohamed Kabia, Abdul Jarju Kabia and Emanuel Samadia. 

Today’s mouthwatering encounter in Monrovia will be the third between the two nations in Group A of the World Cup qualifier.

Group A Recap 

Ethiopia 0-0 Sierra Leone

Egypt 6-0 Djibouti

Burkina Faso 1-1 Guinea-Bissau

Sierra Leone and Ethiopia played to a barren draw in their opening game under obstructive weather conditions at the El Jadida Stade El Abdi on Wednesday. 

Burkina Faso, semi-finalists at the last CAF African Cup of Nations, required an excellent equaliser from Aston Villa’s Bertrand Traore to snatch a point at home to Guinea-Bissau.

Mo Salah becomes Egypt’s all-time top scorer in a World Cup qualifier after his four goals against Djibouti. 

How qualifying works

The nine group winners will qualify automatically for the FIFA World Cup 26™. The four best runners-up will compete for one place at the FIFA Play-Off Tournament.

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Mohamed Buya Turay replaces Alhaji Kamara in attack as Sierra Leone make three changes
Mohamed Buya Turay replaces Alhaji Kamara in attack as Sierra Leone make three changes
Sierra Leone with a chance to shine and make world headlines
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sierra Leone with a chance to shine and make world headlines

On Sunday, a win for Sierra Leone will surely make global news as they welcome African giant Egypt for their third meeting in match day two of their 2026 World Cup Group A qualifier in the Liberia capital, Monrovia.

Maximum points for the host will be significant as Egypt and Sierra Leone gear up for a pivotal World Cup qualifying match.

Coach Amidu Karim opened the 2026 World Cup qualifier with a draw against Ethiopia in Morocco under difficult circumstances. 

Coming from a comfortable 6-0 thrashing over Djibouti, Sierra Leone must dig deep to get anything against the seven-time African champions. 

Mohamed Salah and Mohamed Elneny made their International debut when Sierra Leone first defeated Egypt 2-1 in September 2011 in the 2012 African Cup of Nations Group G qualifier. 

Portuguese coach Rui Vitoria will count on the Liverpool star Mohamed Salah, Nantes Striker Mostafa Mohamed, Zamalek’s Ahmed Mostafa Sayed & Arsenal’s Mohamed Elneny, to name a few, if they are to register two straight wins. 

Sierra Leone does not have the big pedigree superstars like their opposition. However, team spirit can be vital, like when they stage a four-goal comeback against the Super Eagles of Nigeria at the Sam Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, Edo State, during the AFCON qualifier in November 2020.

The Sierra Leone coach remains optimistic about their prospects against Egypt, a team with seven African Cup of Nations titles under its belt. 

Mo Salah, who becomes the Pharoahs’ all-time top scorer in World Cup qualifiers after his four goals against Djibouti, is without a doubt – one of the weapons to defuse by the Leone Stars left-back Emmanuel Samadia, supported by his left winger. 

The significance of this encounter is immense for both teams, with the Pharaohs aiming to maintain their dominance and Sierra Leone wanting to stay on course for their first World Cup appearance.

Sierra Leone coach Karim holds fond memories of his time in the Egyptian league during the 1990s and hopes to steer his team towards their maiden World Cup appearance.

Connect with us @football_sierra on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone, the writer Alie Bittar on Twitter @bittar32, Contact Bi****@*****************ne.net. 

Blackpool to represent Sierra Leone in ACA Inaugural meeting in Cairo
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Blackpool to represent Sierra Leone in ACA Inaugural meeting in Cairo

MIGHTY BLACKPOOL FC Chairman Rodney Michael and Vice Chairman Theophilus Sho Cole will be representing Sierra Leone’s Premier League clubs amongst 54 others from Africa in the newly established African Clubs Association (ACA) in Cairo on the 30th of November, 2023.

The invitation from the CAF GENERAL SECRETARY addressed to the Chairman was sent on the 1st of November, 2023.

In his letter, the General Secretary clarified that it was agreed that only ‘the Chairmen and Presidents of highest ranked and most popular clubs.’ would be invited.

The essence of the meeting is for the founding members invited to elect the first Executive and approve the new statutes.

The initiative of establishing the African Clubs Association, as a replica of the European Clubs Association (ECA), is the initiative of CAF President Motsepe, who has suggested the newly elected President should be part of the CAF EXCO deliberations in the future.

It is a step in the right direction and a recognition by the CAF PRESIDENT of the significant role the African clubs play in the promotion of football in the continent and within their respective countries under tremendous challenges and huge costs. 

It’s worth commending the CAF PRESIDENT AND CAF AS A WHOLE for football, as it is in Africa, is pure sacrifice and not yet of full commercial benefit.

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Sierra Leone coach Karim positive ahead of Ethiopia opener
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sierra Leone coach Karim positive ahead of Ethiopia opener

  • GROUP A Egypt Burkina Faso Guinea-Bissau Sierra Leone Ethiopia Djibouti

Coach Amidu Karim remains positive as Sierra Leone prepares to launch their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign against Ethiopia on Wednesday.

Karim, who took charge a month ago, will start his Leone Stars reign in the World Cup qualifier against the Walias Ibex at the El Abdi Stadium, Al Jadida.

Group A opener on Wednesday will be the third between both nations as coach Karim boosted his side with three new additions.

Charlton Athletic FC striker Daniel Kanu is on loan to fifth-tier side Southern United, Derby County midfielder Tyrese Fornah and Liga Leumit side Hapoel Kfar Saba defender Abdulai Jajue Kabia are the three new faces in line to make their International debut.

After a successful Fifa-friendly window in October, where Sierra Leone drew with Benin (1-1) and defeated Somalia 2-0, they face a tricky test against the Walia Ibex of Ethiopia.

“The team have been training well – preparations has been on a positive footing. We had a good training camp in Morocco during the Fifa window, where we won against Somalia and drew with Benin. So, I think we we are ok in a good place,” Coach Karim told Football Sierra Leone.

“We’re aware that Ethiopia are a good side – we have studied their weakness and strength. They are not a pushover but a strong side. However, we have put modalities in place to get a positive result.”

“All selected players are now in Morocco responding to training – players are well geared up, focus ahead of the Wednesday. Playing Ethiopia, we want to be in a positive frame of mind. The lads are ready to give their 100 percent.”

Ethiopia hosts Sierra Leone on Nov 15 in El Abdi Stadium – four days later, Leone Stars host the Pharaohs of Egypt in the Liberian Capital, Monrovia, at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Stadium. 

Starting the campaign well will be the utmost task for Coach Karim and his technical team. However, Sierra Leone has yet to defeat the Walias of Ethiopia in their last two meetings.

In the 2018 AFCON qualifiers, Sierra Leone suffered a 1-0 defeat at the Hawassa International Stadium, but the result was null and void following the country’s disqualification.

Sierra Leone went into the qualifying period but was disqualified due to a suspension by CAF.

In the last World Cup qualifier against Liberia, the Lone Star won the first leg in Liberia 3-1 before losing the return match in Freetown through Kei Kamara’s goal. Both matches were played on the 4th and 8th of September 2019, respectively.

The Fifa 23rd edition of the World Cup will be played across Canada, Mexico, and the USA, including at Olympic venues.

https://twitter.com/bittar32/status/1724333145221153175

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Lamboi FC sank Bai Bureh Warriors 2-0.
by David Lebbie

Rangers beat Kholifa as Wusum hold East End Lions

Defending Champions Bo Rangers began its title defence with a win away to the newly promoted Kholifa Stars at the Magburaka field. 

Suffian Kalokoh scored the lone goal to mark a winning start for Head Coach John Edward Keister.

In his post-match interview, John Keister applauded his boys for the win, stating if you want to be champion, you must win difficult games. He commended Kholifa Stars’ composure and playing style. 

In his unveiling ceremony, Rangers new coach pleaded with management and fans to be patient and collaboratively work for the team’s success.

Kholifa Stars head Coach Hassan Maddie Conteh has promised to work hard as he plans ahead of their next match.

In the days’s other encounters, Mohamed Lamin boys Wusum Stars share the spoils with giant East End Lions 1-1 at Trade Center Field in Freetown. 

The northern Rock took the lead from a penalty kick through Adbul Bagira before the Lions swiftly responded after the break from an Abdul Nyamekye goal. 

Kahunla Rangers of Kenema received a tough introduction to the premier league with a 2-0 defeat in Freetown to Water Front Boys Ports Authority. 

Mohamed Bangura’s 34th and Lansana Thoronka’s 58th-minute goals sealed the Waterfront boy’s home win.

Diamond Stars played a goalless draw against Bhantal as Lamboi FC (In Photo) sank Bai Bureh Warriors 2-0. Wilberforce Strikers rallied a 1-1 draw with FC Kallon at the Angola playing field. 

Freetonians SLIFA, Luawa, Lamboi, Ports, and Bo Rangers all registered opening wins on three points.

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