Category: Football Africa

Liberia & Eswatini register encouraging wins in Afcon preliminaries
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Liberia & Eswatini register encouraging wins in Afcon preliminaries

Liberia and Eswatini claimed impressive away victories in their respective Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025, preliminary round ties on Wednesday. Liberia defeated Djibouti 2-0, while Eswatini thrashed Somalia 3-0.

Ammed Sangare and Murphy Dorley helped Liberia secure a comfortable lead at halftime. Sangare scored the opening goal in the 23rd minute by converting a penalty. In the 35th minute, Dorley made it 2-0 by brilliantly firing in a second ball from Sebastian Teclar’s cross inside the box.

Eswatini were also celebrating after demolishing Somalia 3-0 in the Moroccan city of El Jadida to put one foot in the group stage qualifiers. 

Striker Sabelo Ndzinisa was the hero, netting twice on either side of Felicio Figuareido’s 40th-minute opener for the visitors.

Both sides, Liberia and Eswatini, now have a huge advantage heading into the second legs as they target a place in the group stage on the road to next year’s finals in Morocco. 

Somalia now faces an uphill battle to qualify when they travel to the Mbombela Stadium in the South African city of Nelspruit for the return on March 26th.

Uganda defeated Congo to set up Ghana's final in African games
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Uganda down Congo to set up African Games final against Ghana

Uganda and Ghana will compete in the men’s final of the 13th African Games on Friday after winning their respective semi-final matches in Accra on Tuesday. 

Both matches were thrilling and produced exciting football performances. The final promises to be a fiercely contested battle between two formidable opponents as Ghana and Uganda aim to win gold medal glory.

Ghana secured their place in the final with a late goal against Senegal, winning 1-0. Meanwhile, Uganda staged a remarkable comeback from two goals down to defeat Congo 4-2 in a six-goal thriller.

Ghana’s home support played a crucial role in their narrow victory, with Michael Ephson scoring the only goal of the match. 

Uganda’s success was attributed to prayers and hard work by their coach Morley Byekwaso, who expressed their aspirations to join the ranks of African football giants.

Congo’s coach, Clement Massamba Madieta, lamented his team’s performance, acknowledging the challenges they faced due to fatigue from previous matches. 

Despite their disappointment, Madieta emphasized his team’s determination to salvage a podium finish in the bronze medal match.

CAF Launches CLOP System for MA's Top-tier Men’s Competitions
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

CAF Launches CLOP System for MA’s Top-tier Men’s Competitions

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has introduced a new system called the “Club Licensing System” for the top-tier men’s competitions of its member associations. This new system will ensure that the clubs meet the required standards in areas such as management, infrastructure, legal, financial and sporting aspects.

The CAF Club Licensing Online Platform (CLOP) has recently completed its pilot phase with great success. As a result, CAF is proud to announce the extension of this revolutionary initiative to all top-tier men’s club competitions across all 54 Member Associations.

The CLOP system is a cutting-edge electronic tool designed by CAF to streamline and oversee club licensing and stadium inspections for both domestic and continental competitions.

Through this platform, every Member Association is now equipped with a fully automated and electronic club licensing process. This allows clubs to easily archive and submit their club licensing documents virtually for CAF Club Interclub competitions.

In line with CAF’s goal of developing football across the continent, the system will now be extended to all Member Associations to implement within their domestic top-tier club competitions.

Under Article 64 of the CAF Men’s Club Licensing Regulations (edition 2022), the system will focus on implementing domestic club licensing criteria for men’s top-tier national club competitions across all 54 Member Associations.

With this initiative, CAF is paving the way towards a more efficient and transparent football landscape across the continent. By implementing this system, CAF is ensuring fair play and safety for all involved in football, from fans to clubs and players alike.

Napoli confirm Victor Osimhen's omission from Nigeria's friendlies
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Napoli confirm Victor Osimhen’s omission from Nigeria’s friendlies

Napoli has confirmed that Victor Osimhen will not be playing in Nigeria’s upcoming friendlies against Ghana’s Black Stars and the Eagles of Mali. 

This is because Napoli, the club he plays for, has confirmed that he is not yet fully fit to play. Osimhen has been dealing with fitness issues and started on the bench during a crucial Serie A match against Inter Milan on Sunday.

According to Napoli coach Francesco Calzona, Osimhen has an inflammation of the scar from an old injury, and he hasn’t been given a clean bill of health to start playing football. 

As a result, Napoli won’t release him for Nigeria’s next friendly matches. The club is taking precautionary measures to avoid worsening his injury, so Osimhen has missed some training sessions and only participated in partial workouts with his teammates during the week.

The Super Eagles will play Ghana’s Black Stars and the Eagles of Mali in international friendlies in Morocco. 

Meanwhile, Napoli is struggling this season and having Osimhen around for their next matches against Atalanta could make a huge difference in the team’s pursuit of European football next season. However, his involvement in the game was uncertain due to an inflammation of a scar from a previous injury.

CAF Confederation Cup's last eight fixtures revealed
by FSL News

CAF Confederation Cup’s last eight fixtures revealed

The quarter-final line-up for the CAF Confederation Cup has been confirmed, with matches set to be played in March and April this year.

Egyptian teams Zamalek and Modern Future have made it to the quarter-finals of the 2023 CAF Confederation Cup. 

Zamalek finished top of group B unbeaten, while Modern Future came second in group A. Unfortunately, the draw pitted the two teams against each other. 

The winner will face either Stade Malien or Ghana’s Dreams FC in the semi-finals. In contrast, Libya’s Abu Salim will face RS Berkane and Nigerian side Rivers United will face USM Alger in the other quarter-final ties.

Stade Malien, champions in the 2009 edition, have made it to the competition’s knockout stages once again.

They hope to win their second title and will face Dreams FC from Ghana. Dreams FC will be looking to cause an upset against their more fancied opponent.

TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup Quarter-Final Draw Outcome: 

   29 – 31 March 2024:

  QF 1 | Modern Future (EGY) vs Zamalek (EGY)

  QF 2 | Abu Salem (LBY) vs RS Berkane (MAR) 

  QF 3 | Rivers United (NGR) vs USM Alger (ALG)

  QF 4 | Stade Malien (MLI) vs Dreams FC (GHA)

   05 – 07 April 2024:

  QF 1 | Zamalek (EGY) vs Modern Future (EGY)

  QF 2 | RS Berkane (MAR) vs Abu Salem (LBY)

  QF 3 | USM Alger (ALG) vs Rivers United (NGR)

  QF 4 | Dreams FC (GHA) vs Stade Malien (MLI)

 Semi-Final Draw Outcome: 

  QF 3 Winner vs QF 2 Winner 

  QF 1 Winner vs QF 4 Winner 

  Semi-Finals Dates to be communicated in due course. 

Connect with us @football_sierra on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone, and the Writer Alie Bittar on Twitter @bittar32 African News.

Quarter-finals for CAF Champions League 2024 Confirmed
by FSL News

Quarter-finals for CAF Champions League 2024 Confirmed

The journey for this year’s CAF Champions League quarter-finals has been mapped out as the official draw was held in Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday.

Simba, the Tanzanian giants, are set to meet Al Ahly in the quarter-finals of the CAF Champions League after the latest draw.

The Red Devils advanced to the knockout stages by finishing first in Group D with 12 points from six games.

The defending champions are set to face a challenging journey to the final, beginning with a quarter-final match against Simba.

The first leg is scheduled to take place on March 29th in Tanzania, just eight days before the second leg in Cairo.

If the champions emerge victorious against Simba, they will face the winner between Petro Atletico and TP Mazembe in the next round.

In the meantime, Mamelodi Sundowns will be up against Young Africans, who finished second behind Al Ahly in the group stage.

TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Quarter-Finals Draw Outcome:

First Leg: 29 – 30 March 2024

QF 1 | Simba FC (TAN) vs Al Ahly SC (EGY)

QF 2 | TP Mazembe (DRC) vs Atletico de Petroleos (ANG)

QF 3 | Esperance Sportive de Tunis (TUN) vs Asec Mimosas (CIV)

QF 4 | Young Africans (TAN) vs Mamelodi Sundowns (RSA)

Second Leg: 05 – 06 April 2024

QF 1 | Al Ahly SC (EGY) vs Simba FC (TAN)

QF 2 | Atletico de Petroleos (ANG) vs TP Mazembe (DRC)

QF 3 | vs Asec Mimosas (CIV) vs Esperance Sportive de Tunis (TUN)

QF 4 | Mamelodi Sundowns (RSA) vs Young Africans (TAN) 

 Semi-Final Draw Outcome:

SF 1: QF 3 Winner vs QF 4 Winner

SF 2: QF 2 Winner vs QF 1 Winner

Connect with us @football_sierra on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone, and the Writer Alie Bittar on Twitter @bittar32 African News.

Al Ahly beat rivals Zamalek to lift Egyptian Cup in Riyadh
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Al Ahly beat rivals Zamalek to lift Egyptian Cup in Riyadh

In the Egyptian Cup final held in Riyadh, Al Ahly beat Zamalek 2-0 to win the cup for a record 39th time.

The match was tightly contested, with no goals scored until the 84th minute when Imam Ashour scored for Al Ahly. Mohamed Afsha sealed the victory for Al Ahly in stoppage time.

The match was played in front of a capacity crowd at Al Waleed Park Stadium, which highlights African football’s popularity beyond the continent.

Al Ahly’s win continues their period of success, having won 11 of the last 13 domestic cup competitions.

Zamalek has suffered yet another disappointment in their ongoing effort to end Al Ahly’s dominance in football.

They have not won the cup since 2019, and this latest setback is particularly significant because they lost the Egyptian Premier League title to Ahly last season.

Connect with us @football_sierra on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone, and the Writer Alie Bittar on Twitter @bittar32 – African Football News.

Dates Confirmed for Champions League, Confederation Cup draw
by FSL News

Dates Confirmed for CAF Interclub quarter-final draw

The Quarter-Final draw for the 2023/24 CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup will take place on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. 

The draw will be held in Cairo, Egypt, starting with the CAF Confederation Cup at 2:00 PM Cairo time (noon GMT), followed by the CAF Champions League at 3:00 PM Cairo time (1:00 PM GMT).

The CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup Quarter-Finals teams have been determined after the group stage ended this weekend.

TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Quarter-Finals Qualified teams:

Al Ahly (Egypt), ASEC Mimosas (Cote d’Ivoire), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), Atletico Petroleos (Angola), TP Mazembe (DR Congo), Simba SC (Tanzania), Esperance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia), Young Africans (Tanzania).

TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup Quarter-Finals Qualified teams:

USM Alger (Algeria), Zamalek (Egypt), Dreams FC (Ghana), RS Berkane (Morocco), Modern Future (Egypt), Abu Salem (Libya), Rivers United (Nigeria), Stade Malien (Mali).

Connect with us @football_sierra on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone, and the Writer Alie Bittar on Twitter @bittar32 – African News.

CAF Confederation Cup's last eight set for quarter-final draw
by FSL News

Confederation Cup last eight set for quarter-final draw

The final eight teams to compete in the 2023/24 TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup were confirmed on Sunday, March 3, after the conclusion of Match Day 6 in the group stages.

Four previous winners will be in the draw – the final list of quarter-finalists includes Rivers United from Nigeria, Dreams FC of Ghana, Abu Salem of Libya, and the Egyptian side Modern Future.

The four former champions are Rivers United, Dreams FC, Abu Salem, and Modern Future, who have all been exceptional in the competition and will be looking to make a name for themselves on the continent.

Last season’s winner of the competition – USM Alger, went on to lift the TotalEnergies CAF Super Cup in a thrilling encounter against record CAF Champions League holders Al Ahly.

Connect with us @football_sierra on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone – CAF Confederation Cup

Ex-Switzerland coach Vladimir Petkovic set for Algeria job
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Ex-Switzerland coach Vladimir Petkovic set for Algeria job

Algeria has hired Vladimir Petkovic as their new coach to lead the team through qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.

Petkovic replaces Djamel Belmadi, who resigned earlier this year. Algeria is currently leading its qualifying group for the 2026 World Cup. The immediate task of Petkovic, the team’s coach, will be to continue building on this momentum.

Friendly matches against Bolivia and South Africa are on the horizon, and they will be the first test of his ability to motivate the team and establish his tactical philosophy.

He will arrive in Algiers this weekend, and a news conference is scheduled on Monday, according to a statement by the Algeria Football Federation.

Petkovic coached Switzerland in the 2018 World Cup, where they drew with Brazil and beat Serbia in the group stage before losing to Sweden in the round of 16.

After leaving Switzerland, he coached the French club Bordeaux but was fired in February 2022.

Connect with us @football_sierra on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone, and the Writer Alie Bittar on Twitter @bittar32 – African News.