Category: Football Africa

DR Congo ease past Ethiopia to maintain Group H lead
by FSL News

DR Congo ease past Ethiopia to maintain lead in Group H

DR Congo won 2-0 against Ethiopia in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification Group H match at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Monday night.

The Leopards now lead Group H after winning their first two matches. Walia Ibex are third in the table with one point from their first two games.

The Leopards had the first real chance of the game in the seventh minute, but Samuel Essende’s attempt was saved by the goalkeeper.

The score was 0-0 at half-time. Congo scored the first 17 minutes into the second half with a goal from Theo Bongonda.

Fiston Mayele added another goal in the 76th minute, sealing Congo’s 2-0 victory over Ethiopia.

Ethiopia 0 – DR Congo 2 (Bongonda 62′, Mayele 76′)

Ethiopia: Habtamu, Kasa, Hamid (Biniam 77′), Baye, Moges, Panom, Waza (Demissie 64′), Berhane, Dagnachew (Wondimu 83′), Gugsa (Belay 64′), Markneh

DR Congo: Bertaud, Tuanzebe, Mbemba, Inonga, Ditu, Moutoussamy, Pickel (Sadiki 80′), Akolo (Bongonda 33′), Wissa (Elia 69′), Essende (Mayele 69), Kakuta (Kakuta 46′).

Oumar Sako's late goal denies Ghana Black Stars first win
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Oumar Sako’s late goal denies Ghana Black Stars first win

Ghana’s search for their first victory in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers continues after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Niger at the Stade Municipal de Berkane on Monday, September 9.

The Black Stars’ hopes of securing their first win were dashed when Oumar Sako equalized for Niger in the 81st minute. As a result, they remain second from bottom with only a point from their opening two matches.

In a tightly contested match, the drama unfolded as Alidu Seidu scored his debut goal for Ghana in the 44th minute, giving them a well-deserved lead at halftime.

Ghana displayed their attacking prowess early on, with Abdul Fatawu delivering a cross to Mohammed Kudus, who forced a save from the Nigerien goalkeeper Abiboulaye Hainikoye.

Throughout the first half, Ghana maintained control of the game, persistently seeking the opening goal. Despite the Menas’ attempts to counter, they were unable to truly test the Ghanaian goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi.

Alidu Seidu scored just before halftime, giving Ghana the lead, but Oumar Sako levelled the score in the 81st minute.

Meanwhile, Angola secured consecutive victories in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers by defeating Sudan in Luanda on Monday to maintain their lead in the group.

The AFCON 2025 qualifying matches return in October where each team will play two matches.

Full Monday’s 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗔𝗙𝗖𝗢𝗡 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀:
 
🇳🇪 Niger 1-1 🇬🇭 Ghana
🇬🇶 EQ Guinea 2-2 🇹🇬 Togo
🇧🇮 Burundi 0-1 🇸🇳 Senegal
🇲🇬 Madagascar 1-1 🇰🇲 Comoros
🇺🇬 Uganda 2-0 🇨🇬 Congo Brazzaville
🇱🇸 Lesotho 0-1 🇲🇦 Morocco
🇪🇹 Ethiopia 0-2 🇨🇩 DR Congo
🇦🇴 Angola 2-1 🇸🇩 Sudan
In their second match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, Senegal won 1-0 against Burundi on Monday. The game took place at the Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe, Malawi.
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Senegal secure first win in Group L on road to Morocco

In their second match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, Senegal won 1-0 against Burundi on Monday. The game took place at the Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Thanks to a second-half penalty scored by Ismaïla Sarr, Senegal managed to secure the win despite facing a well-organized Burundian side.

At the start, Burundi put pressure on Senegal, but Senegal managed to get control of the game.

Sadio Mané and his team had possession and took 21 shots compared to Burundi’s two. Despite this, the 2021 AFCON champions had trouble breaking down Burundi’s strong defence.

The game was goalless at halftime even though there were a few close opportunities. In the second half, Senegal missed an opportunity to score. Burundi also had a chance to score but missed the target.

In the 71st minute, Sadio Mané was fouled in the box leading to a penalty for Senegal. Ismaïla Sarr confidently took the penalty and scored, putting Senegal in the lead.

Despite their narrow victory, Senegal is now at the top of Group L with four points, while Burundi is in second place with three points.

One game cannot decide AFCON spot - Skipper Steven Caulker
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Skipper Steven Caulker’s report card ahead of Zambia tie

Skipper Steven Caulker emphasized that one game cannot determine the AFCON spot. He expressed the Leone Stars’ determination to confront a formidable Zambia team and uphold the pride of Sierra Leone.

Caulker is set to captain the Leone Stars in a crucial match against Zambia’s Chipolopolo on Tuesday as part of the journey to Morocco 2025 at the Levy Mwanawansa Stadium.

“We were absolutely clear that we intended to secure all three points against Chad, but unfortunately, it didn’t happen. I firmly believe that our performance against Chad was not bad.

We created several chances but couldn’t capitalize on the day. However, the very fact that we were able to create chances is a positive sign, Caulker rightly pointed out.

Defensively, clinching a clean sheet is a major accomplishment for us, and we are fully committed to elevating our performance from one to three points against Zambia, despite the challenging nature of the upcoming game against a formidable opponent.

Qualifying for the next AFCON will not be determined after just one game but after six games. That will be the real test. We secured one point and currently hold the second position in the table – providing us with a solid foundation to build on.”

Everyone is filled with positivity and we are prepared to give our all for Sierra Leone on Tuesday.”

Both teams faced challenging starts, with Grant’s team losing 2-0 to the Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone playing to a goalless draw against Chad in Liberia.

Zambia and Sierra Leone have history, meeting twice before with one victory for Chipolopolo in 1996 and a draw in 1994.

We know their weaknesses - Avram Grant on Sierra Leone
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

We know their weaknesses – Avram Grant on Sierra Leone

Avram Grant, the Zambia head coach, spoke ahead of the Morocco 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier as he prepares his team to play against Sierra Leone on Tuesday at the Levy Mwanawansa stadium.

Both teams had a rough start, with Grant’s team losing 2-0 to the Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone playing to a goalless draw against Chad in Liberia.

Grant is committed to securing Zambia’s qualification for a back-to-back AFCON, despite the team’s four consecutive losses and winless streak since November 2023.

Looking ahead to Tuesday’s match, Grant promised a new game plan and expressed optimism, stating that the technical bench has thoroughly studied Sierra Leone’s tactics and they are prepared to demonstrate Zambia’s strength as a team.

“We are well-informed about the opponent. We have shared our insights with the players and thoroughly analyzed all of the opponent’s recent games. Everyone, including the staff, has reviewed this information,” he stated.

“We have identified their weaknesses and strengths. While they are a very good team – our objective is to demonstrate that we are also a strong team.”

Zambia and Sierra Leone have history, meeting twice before with one victory for Chipolopolo in 1996 and a draw in 1994.

Ghana Black Stars look to revive AFCON 2025 qualifying hopes
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Ghana Black Stars look to revive AFCON 2025 qualifying hopes

Otto Addo’s team is aiming to breathe new life into their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying journey as they prepare to face Niger at the Berkane Municipal Stadium in Morocco on Monday, September 9th. (GFA Photo)

The Black Stars are currently second from bottom in Group F after a 1-0 loss to Angola in Kumasi on matchday 1, with Milson scoring in stoppage time.

Otto was appointed as head coach in May and began with wins over Mali (2-1) and Central African Republic (4-3) in June’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

The former Ghana international will be aiming for a win in Berkane to put pressure on Sudan and the Black Sable Antelopes.

Niger has only qualified for the continental showpiece twice, in 2012 and 2013, but failed to advance past the group stage both times.

The Menas were defeated by Sudan 1-0 on September 4 in their opening match of the AFCON 2025 qualifiers.

Ethiopia face tough DR Congo Group H qualifying contest
by FSL News

Ethiopia face tough DR Congo Group H qualifying contest

Ethiopia face a cracking test against DR Congo in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier on Monday at 9:00 pm CAT.

The match will take place at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Ethiopia drew 0-0 with Tanzania in their Group H opener maintaining their unbeaten run of four matches.

One of their players, Abinet Demise, missed training due to illness, while Gezahegn returned to light training.

DR Congo won 1-0 against Guinea in their first Group H match. The Leopards extended their unbeaten run to four games, with two wins and two draws, including one against South Africa.

Congo head coach Sebastien Desabre mentioned the need to improve the link between midfield and attack and expressed satisfaction with the team’s control during the match.

In total, Ethiopia and Congo have met six times, with the Leopards winning four matches, the Walia Ibex winning one, and one game ending in a draw.

The last time Ethiopia and DR Congo played, DR Congo won 3-0.

Senegal eye first win in Group L in AFCON qualifier
by @football_sierra

Senegal eye first win from Group L in AFCON qualifier

Senegal will try to recover from a slow start in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign when they play against Burundi in a Group L match at the Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe, Malawi, on Monday, 9 September.

In their last game, Senegal looked like they were going to win at home against Burkina Faso, but gave up a late goal, ending in a 1-1 draw.

Senegal’s coach, Aliou Cisse, was disappointed with the result but defended the team’s game plan.

On the other hand, Burundi comes into the match as the Group L leaders after securing a 3-2 away win over Malawi.

In their history of playing against each other, Senegal has won three out of four matches against Burundi, and their most recent meeting in June 2016 resulted in a 2-0 victory for Senegal.

Zambia turn attention to Sierra Leone after defeat in Ivory Coast
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Zambia turn attention to Sierra Leone after defeat in Ivory Coast

Zambia’s national football team, Chipolopolo, are already gearing up for the upcoming match against Sierra Leone in the 2025 African Cup of Nations Morocco qualifier.

After their recent 2-0 defeat to Ivory Coast, Avram Grant’s team is putting extra effort into their preparations to face Sierra Leone on Tuesday, with kick-off scheduled for 21:00.

Coach Avram Grant and his staff welcomed back Kelvin Kampamba and Ricky Banda, who were on standby for the consecutive matches.

On the other hand, Sierra Leone’s national team, Leone Stars after a goalless draw against Chad on Friday, has arrived in Ndola, Zambia, ahead of their crucial qualifier match.

The team landed at 11:55 local time via an Ethiopian Airlines flight and wasted no time in setting up their base at the Protea Hotel in Ndola.

The highly anticipated match between Chipolopolo and Leone Stars is set to take place at 21:00 local time on Tuesday at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium.

The Chipolopolo went straight to work at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium this morning upon returning home from Bouake.
The Chipolopolo went straight to work at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium this morning upon returning home from Bouake.
Senegal missed out on three points when Burkina Faso scored a dramatic late equalizer to earn a 1-1 draw at the Diamniadio Olympic Stadium on Friday, September 6.
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Ousseni Bouda’s late goal denies Senegal securing victory

Senegal missed out on three points when Burkina Faso scored a dramatic late equalizer to earn a 1-1 draw at the Diamniadio Olympic Stadium on Friday, September 6.

Sadio Mane’s sixth-minute goal seemed to ensure victory for the Lions of Teranga in Dakar – but Ousseni Bouda scored from a free-kick deep into stoppage time to secure a draw for the Stallions in their first match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Aliou Cisse’s team aimed to maintain their momentum after drawing 1-1 with DR Congo and defeating Mauritania 1-0 in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in June.

The hosts threatened early, with Mane taking a shot at goal in the eighth minute, and they celebrated just eight minutes later as the Al-Nassr winger capitalized on a defensive mistake to score.

The West African rivals tried to regain momentum before half-time, but the home defence held strong. Senegal’s goalkeeper made significant interventions early in the second half but was beaten by a well-executed free-kick in added time.