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East End Lions appoint Charlie Wright as head coach
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

East End Lions appoint Charlie Wright as head coach

One of Sierra Leone’s most decorated clubs, East End Lions, has appointed the former FC Kallon coach as their new head coach ahead of the new premier league campign.

The former national U20, U23 and homebased coach comes with a lot of Sierra Leone Premier League experience following his twelve-year spell with FC Kallon in the country’s highest tier of club football.

East End Lions finished last top-tier campaign third, but they’ll be looking to better that this campaign. The Sierra Leone Premier is set to kick off on the 3rd of November, the League Board have confirmed.

PLB say the winner of this year’s league will receive 500 million old leones and runners-up 250 million old leones 

“We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Class A Coach Charlie Wright as our new Head Coach. Coach Wright is set to lead our charge & develop the youth team. He will work with Coach Raymond Hunter and other coaches. Welcome, Coach Wright!,” The Eastern Giant Club confirmed this on Twitter.

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Ex-International Amidu Karim lands a Sierra Leone coaching job
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Ex-International Amidu Karim lands Sierra Leone coaching job

Former Sierra Leone attacking midfielder Amidu Karim, who was part of the Leone Stars 1994 and 1996 African Cup of Nations squad, has been appointed provisional head coach of the national team.

The former U23 technician will be assisted By former homebased coach Francis Zappa Koroma and Bo Rangers Alhaji Foray as they start their groundwork ahead of the World Cup 2026 qualifiers.

The SLFA say Karim and his team will take charge of the World Cup 2026 qualifiers starting in November. Karim, 49, who has been assistant under John Keister during the AFCON in Cameroon and the 2023 AFCON qualifiers, will start a new journey in his coaching career.

His Leone Stars’ journey to qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in the USA, Mexico and Canada will begin in November 2023. His first task will be a doubleheader against  Walia Ibex of Ethiopia before hosting the African powerhouse Egypt.

The draw for the African qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup finals placed Sierra Leone in Group A with five teams: Egypt, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, and Djibouti.

About the World Cup qualifiers Nine (9) Groups Fifty-four (54) Teams 

The Africa Zone (CAF) qualifiers for the 26 FIFA World Cup will begin on 13 November 2023 and end in November 2025.

Qualification process – The African teams will play across two rounds – the first contest of the group stage, with nine groups of six teams each. 

Each team will play ten home and away matches -the top finisher in each group will qualify for World Cup 26.

The second round will pit the four best runners-up in two one-off semi-finals, followed by a final. The winner of this second round will participate in the FIFA Play-off Tournament.

https://twitter.com/football_sierra/status/1709297482469949711

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The draw for the African qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup finals placed Sierra Leone in Group A with five teams: Egypt, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, and Djibouti.
The draw for the African qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup finals placed Sierra Leone in Group A with five teams: Egypt, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, and Djibouti.
Tricky away Champions League contest for Bo Rangers
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Tricky away Champions League contest for Bo Rangers

Having suffered a heavy first leg 3-1 defeat to their Algerian counterparts, Bo Rangers travelled to face Chabab Riadhi Belouizdad for a place in the competition group stages.

Sierra Leone Champions Bo Rangers went down 3-1 at home to CR Belouizdad in the first leg of the second preliminary round of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League on Sunday, September 17 2023, at the Southern Arena.

As a result, Bo Rangers face a giant second-leg task as the return fixture is set to be played at the Oran Olympic Stadium in Algeria on September 30 2023.

Saturday’s meeting will be their fourth after both teams wrestled in this competition last season, but the Algerians again came off top with a 3-0 aggregate over two legs.

In the first leg at the Southern Arena, Sierra Leone back-back Champions started well when they capitalised on the 11-minute chance through Abu Komeh.

This will be the kind of start coach Alhaji Foray will be hoping for if they are to survive the wave in the Algerian city.

The Southern Province outfit departed Sierra Leone with a 23-man sqaud on Wednesday, September 27th, en route to Guinea for Algeria, highly motivated and determined to deliver a respectable result.

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Chabab Riadhi Belouizdad in Algeria training ahead of Bo Rangers tie on Saturday
Chabab Riadhi Belouizdad in Algeria training ahead of Bo Rangers tie on Saturday
FC Kallon eye CAF Confederation group stage ticket
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

FC Kallon eye CAF Confederation group stage ticket

Sierra Leone CAF Confederation Cup representative FC Kallon is in search of their first Inter-club group stage when they host Dreams FC on Saturday.

The Ghanain side won the first leg 2-1 at the Accra Sports Stadium, but with a narrow margin, Kallon as the host team at the Liberia Capital with genuine hope of reaching the competition group stage.

No Sierra Leonean club has reached the group stage of the second-tier competition of African club football since it was introduced in 2004.

In 2004, CAF merged the African Cup Winners’ Cup created in 1975 with the CAF Cup introduced in 1992 to form a new competition called the Confederation Cup, which has since been considered the second African club competition.

Dreams reached this competition stage after a 3-2 aggregate victory over Milo FC of Guinea.

Coach Karim Zito’s side came into the contest knowing their opponent was capable of goals. However, the coach is confident they can complete the job in Liberia.

“For us, reaching the next stage of the compoetition is our target- we are step closer of the two-sided game. Our obejective is to make sure we and qualify,” Zito was quoted as saying. 

The former Inter Milan and Monaco was the coach of his club (FC Kallon) in the CAF inter-clubs Confederation Cup last September when they progressed to the second qualifying stage of the competition. 

Under his guidance, they eliminated Buffles de Borgou of Benin 4-0 on aggregate – but they suffered a heavy defeat to the Egyptian side FC Future over the two legs in the second preliminary round.

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FC Kallon v Dreams CAF Confederation Second Round Second Leg
British-born Harry Varley set for SFEF's coaching program
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

British-born Harry Varley set for SFEF’s coaching program

British-born Harry Varley has agreed to be a special coaching educator in partnering with the Sports for Empowerment Foundation (SFEF) in Sierra Leone. 

Varley, 33, is a coach educator with 15 years of experience developing elite and grassroots youth development programs around the world. 

The African Football Recruitment specialist is a Leeds University graduate who has worked for several International organisations like the Right to Dream Academy in Ghana and Heads of Women’s Football in Grenada.

“Our role as a coach is to create problem solvers. The players should leave our program with the technical skills and decision making ability to allow them to independently find solutions to the complex problems that make up a 90 minute game of football,” Varley explained while speaking to SFEF media. 

The SFEF Grassroots coaches and management training will be rolled out from the 14th of October 2023 across Sierra Leone for up to three weeks.

SFEF tutoring will cut across the West African state areas like Lungi Port Loko District, Makeni in the Northern Province, Moyamba, Bo Southern Province, Kenema, Kailuhun, Kono Eastern Province of Sierra Leone., Kamakwei Karene District in Chiefdom Sella Limba.

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Sport For Empowerment Foundation Sierra Leone to kick start coaching tutoring and management training in October.
Sport For Empowerment Foundation Sierra Leone to kick start coaching tutoring and management training in October.
SLFA 'B' Licence Coaching Course commences
by FSL News

SLFA ‘B’ Licence coach training commences 

On Thursday, September 21, the Sierra Leone Football Association commenced a two-week License ‘B’ coaching training at their SLFA Secretariat at Kingdom, Freetown.  

SLFA affirmed that the training is mainly to enhance the capacity of grassroots coaches selected from across the country as part of the strategic plan of the SLFA Technical Department for the development of football in Sierra Leone.

Acting General Secretary Mohamed Benson Bawoh, Technical Director Ibrahim Bah, Schools Program and Facility Officer Samuel Davies and other officials were part of the opening ceremony.

In his keynote address, AGS-Benson Bawoh urged the over 60 participants to take the training with the utmost seriousness to take home the most coaching knowledge possible.

He disclosed that “as part of SLFA plans to develop coaches, CAF Technical Experts will soon visit Sierra Leone to asses and certify local Coaching Instructors ahead of the commencement of the CAF D, C, B, A and A Pro License courses”.

He further mentioned that the key aspect of developing football is coaching education, which he said will bring about sound technical decisions in Sierra Leone football.

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Sierra Leone hit new low in latest Fifa ranking
by FSL News

Sierra Leone hit new low in latest Fifa ranking

Sierra Leone’s Leone Stars have plummeted four places from 120 in July to 124 in the latest Fifa men’s ranking for September released on Thursday.

John Keister’s side suffered a 2-1 defeat to Guinea-Bissau as they wrapped up the African Cup Nations qualifiers.

Despite Sierra Leone’s early goal, the Djurtus Wild Dogs of Bissau defeated Sierra Leone 2-1 at the Estádio 24 de Setembro to defeat their visitors as they wrap up the AFCON 2023 qualifiers.

Sierra Leone’s best rank was when they moved to 50th place in the FIFA World Rankings and 7th in Africa – their highest ever placing on 14 Aug 2014 under the supervision of Irish coach Jonny Mckinstry.

In Africa, The Carthage Eagles of Morocco are the best-ranked team. Senegal’s Terangha Lions of Senegal, Carthage Eagles of Tunisia, D

The foxes of Algeria and the Pharaohs of Egypt make the top five.

World champions Argentina retained their number one position on the ranking. France, Brazil, England and Belgium complete the top five teams in the world.

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Sierra Leone hit new low in latest Fifa ranking after Guinea-Bissau defeat
Sierra Leone hit new low in latest Fifa ranking after Guinea-Bissau defeat
Dreams v FC Kallon first leg action at the Accra Sports Stadium
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Dreams FC reject FC Kallon’s Southern Arena request

Ghanaian club Dreams FC have rejected FC Kallon’s request to play their CAF Confederation Cup second round second leg at the Southern Arena.

Dreams won the first leg by 2-1 at the Accra Sports Stadium on Saturday, and the return fixture was billed to be played at the Southern Arena in Bo City.

In a communique seen by this medium, Dreams emphasised that they will not grant FC kallon its consent to have played in Sierra Leone.


“Dreams FC wants to re-emphasis its position that it will not grant FC Kallon its concent to have the aforesaid match played at their preferred venue in Bo City.”

Consequently, we would be grateful for the confirmation of an alternate venue that meets the requirements and regulations governing this competition within the shortest possible time in order for us to finalise our plans for the match.”

It’s all to play for in the second round second leg as Kallon will look to surpass last season after they were eliminated in this stage by FC Future of Egypt.

Dreams reached this competition stage after a 3-2 aggregate victory over Milo FC of Guinea in August. 

The second preliminary round of return fixtures is on 30 September 2023, as Karim Zito’s side faces an uphill task away from home. FC Kallon, Dreams will now played at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Stadium.

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Bo Rangers suffer a heavy Champions League home defeat
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Bo Rangers suffer a heavy Champions League home defeat

Sierra Leone Champions Bo Rangers suffered a 3-1 home defeat to  Algerian side CR Belouizdad in the first leg of the second preliminary round of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League on Sunday at the Southern Arena.

Rangers started well and capitalised in the 11-minute as Abu Komeh opened his CAF Champions League account.

However, the Algerian side regrouped and started passing the ball with more agility. They levelled the scoreline in the 42nd minute through Ben Tahar Meziane to silence the home fans.

After the recess, It was an end-to-end affair as both teams rallied to get a second goal of the day. The visitors took the lead through Algerian forward Ousama Darfalou just seven minutes after the break.

Oussama Darfalou recorded his brace in the 80th minute as he gave his side a 3-1 away goal advantage. 

As a result, Bo Rangers face a giant second-leg task. The return fixture is set to be played at the Oran Olympic Stadium in Algeria on September 30th 2023.

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Osman Kakay skipper was in action in 2-1 defeat to Guinea-Bissau (1)
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sierra Leone end AFCON campaign with Guinea-Bissau defeat

The Djurtus Wild Dogs of Bissau defeated Sierra Leone 2-1 on Monday at the Estádio 24 de Setembro to wrap up the AFCON 2023 qualifiers.

Coach John Keister’s side started brightly as they capitalised on an early six-minute chance scored by Dundee‘s striker Amadou Bakayoko, assisted by Emmanuel Samadia.

However, the home side, Guinea-Bissau, rallied from a goal down to a 2-1 victory in their final Group A campaign at the Stade du 24 Septembre.

Nito Fernando de Lacerda Gomes and Franculino Djú’s goals in the 35th and 48th minutes, respectively, were enough for the home fans to celebrate another AFCON qualification win.

As a result, the win was the icing on the cake on their qualification to next year’s continental showpiece. 

There were a couple of changes from the Sierra Leone technical bench, including seventeen-year-old Sallieu Bah making his International debut.

Despite the defeat, the Sierra Leone Football Association president, Thomas Daddy Brima, has this to say about the young talented midfielder Bah’s debut.

“Sallieu Bah (17), made his debut for the Sierra Leone National Senior Team today and showed class, confidence and pure talent against Guinea Bissau. It was so much joy watching this young lad. The future is indeed bright for him and many of his kind in Sierra Leone.”

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