Category: Football Africa

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.

Jean Philippe Krasso brace sink Zambia's Chipolopolo in Bouaké
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Jean Philippe Krasso brace sinks Zambia’s Chipolopolo in Bouaké

Cote d’Ivoire made an impressive start in the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2025 qualifiers by defeating Zambia’s Chipolopolo 2-0 on Friday night.

Substitute Jean Philippe Krasso scored two late goals to secure the win for the African champions at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké. As a result, they go top of Group G ahead of Tuesday’s second matches.

After a goalless first half, Jean-Philippe Krasso broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute and added his second goal 11 minutes later.

The result gives Cote d’Ivoire a strong start as they seek to defend their Africa Cup of Nations title.

Cote d’Ivoire 2-0 Zambia: J. Krasso (73′, 84′)

In an earlier Group G match, Sierra Leone and Les Sao of Chad played to a goalless draw at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium in Liberia.

Sierra Leone 0-0 Chad

On matchday two, Sierra Leone will face Zambia at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, while Chad will host defending champions Ivory Coast. Both matches will take place on Tuesday.

Full Friday's AFCON 2025 qualifying results
Full Friday's AFCON 2025 qualifying results
Chad snatch valuable point as Sierra Leone sleep at home
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Chad snatch valuable point as Sierra Leone sleep at home

In Friday’s match, Sierra Leone missed an opportunity to secure a win as they settled for a goalless draw against Les Sao of Chad in the Group G opener at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium in Liberia.

The visitors put up a solid fight in the Liberian capital as Sierra Leone failed to create decisive chances in the opening hour of the tie.

The Leone Stars in most of the game, struggled to assert themselves, facing relentless pressure from Chad. Chad maintained a persistent offensive, repeatedly testing Sierra Leone’s goalkeeper Mohamed Kamara, who made several outstanding saves.

A missed opportunity arose for Sierra Leone when substitute Musa Noah Kamara’s presence led to a promising chance, only for Charlton Athletic striker Daniel Kanu to falter late in the game.

Musa struck another shot in the final two minutes of extra time, but it was an easy save for the Coton Sport keeper, Allabatina Allamtana Gabin

Crystal Palace Under-21s midfielder Hindolo Mustapha, who received his first International call, made his Sierra Leone debut.

This outcome makes it imperative for both Sierra Leone and Chad to pursue a win in their next matches: Sierra Leone will face Zambia, while Chad will host defending champions Ivory Coast, both on Tuesday.

Sierra Leone has failed to secure victories in their last three opening recent Cup of Nations qualification matches against Lesotho and Nigeria, the 0-0 result against Chad.

In the meantime, the other teams in the group, Ivory Coast and Zambia, will confront each other at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké later this evening.

Sierra Leone 0-0 Chad

Chad snatch valuable point as Sierra Leone sleep at home
Burundi beat Malawi in AFCON qualifier Group L opener
by FSL News

Burundi beat Malawi in AFCON qualifier Group L opener

The Intamba of Burundi were impressive against host Malawi’s Flames as they defeated the home team 3-2 at the Bingu National Stadium on Thursday.

Burundi’s opening goal came from Chimwemwe Idana’s own goal in the 22nd minute, which was then equalized by Chawanangwa Kaonga’s 31st-minute goal for Malawi.

Burundi took the lead again, through Jean Claude Girumugisha two minutes later, but Malawi fought back with a goal in the second half when Lanjesi Nkhoma capitalized on Kaonga’s assist, sending the fans into ecstasy.

In a competitive battle, Burundi sealed the win with a goal by Mokono Elie Eldhino in the 87th minute – making the score 3-2.

The game ended with no further goals during the additional four minutes of play. With this win, Burundi is currently at the top of Group L as Senegal prepares to host Burkina Faso on Friday.

The Flames will travel to Bamako, Mali for their second Group L match against Burkina Faso next week. Malawi will face Senegal back-to-back in October. On the other hand, Burundi will host Senegal at BNS.

Goalless in Dar es Salaam between Tanzania and Ethiopia
by @football_sierra

Goalless in Dar es Salaam between Tanzania and Ethiopia

Tanzania and Ethiopia began their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification with a goalless draw in Dar es Salaam. The match in Group H featured few clear chances due to physical battles and cautious play from both sides at Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium.

In the opening minutes, both teams lacked attacking urgency. Tanzania managed a few goal attempts, but Ethiopian goalkeeper Seid Habtamu Aregawi was largely untroubled.

In contrast, Ethiopia found space on the flanks but encountered formidable resistance from the Tanzanian defence.

The first half concluded with neither side able to breach the opposition’s defence, resulting in an unchanged scoreline of 0-0. At halftime, Tanzania made a substitution by bringing on Pascal Msindo, while Ethiopia introduced Binyam Fikre and Adis Giday.

Consequently, Tanzania dominated possession in the second half, exerting pressure on the Ethiopian defence. However, the Walyas remained resilient, thwarting the Taifa Stars’ attempts to score.

The match saw an increase in Tanzania’s tempo – which nearly led to a breakthrough, but their efforts lacked precision, culminating in a tense 0-0 draw.

In Tripoli, Libya and Rwanda tied 1-1 in their Group D opener. Libya’s Sobhi Al-Dawi scored in the 16th minute, but Rwanda’s Innocent Ntshwe equalized early in the second half.

Despite both teams trying to secure a win, the match ended in a draw, with each team earning a point.

Bakr Issa helps Sudan open AFCON qualifying campaign with a win
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Bakr Issa helps Sudan win AFCON qualifying opener

Sudan started their CAF Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025 qualifiers with a 1-0 win over Niger. Abu Bakr Issa scored the only goal on Wednesday afternoon.

His second-half goal at the Juba Stadium gave the hosts three vital points in the opening match. Sudan is in Group F, which includes strong teams like Ghana and Angola. Angola will play against Ghana on Thursday at the Baba Yara Stadium.

The match was evenly contested, with both teams creating an equal number of opportunities. Sudan broke the deadlock in the 51st minute after a defensive mistake from Niger allowed Abu Bakr to put the hosts in the lead.

Following this victory, Sudan is temporarily at the top of Group F. Ghana will take on Angola on Thursday, September 5, in a home match.

Niger faces a tough challenge in their next match as they travel to Ghana on Monday, September 9, while Sudan will travel to Luanda to play against Angola.

Under the leadership of Ghanaian head coach Kwesi Appiah, the Sudan team has been in good form, winning five out of their six games in 2024. They have conceded only one goal in their last six games and are at the top of their 2026 World Cup qualifying group as well as the 2025 AFCON qualifying group.

 Lecce winger Banda completes Zambia squad for doubleheader
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Lecce winger Banda completes Zambia squad for doubleheader

Lecce winger Lameck Banda has joined the Zambia squad in Abidjan for their upcoming matches. The team is preparing to face Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Banda’s arrival completed the 23-member squad, with other players as head coach Coach Avram Grant focus on finalizing preparations for their two vital matches.

Earlier, Switzerland-based Joseph Sabobo Banda and Obino Chisala of Mozambique outfit Costa do Sol joined the squad.

With all the players in camp, Grant will be eager to step up preparations ahead of vital qualifiers.

Zambia will face the African champions at the Stade de la Paix on Friday evening before heading to Ndola for Tuesday’s match against the Leone Stars.