by Football Sierra Leone

Pyramids Defeat El Merriekh in Juba in First-Leg Clash

Pyramids FC achieved a crucial away win against El Merriekh Bentiu from South Sudan, with Mahmoud Saber scoring in the 30th minute.

The victory, however, came with challenges as key defenders Mahmoud Marei and Iyad Al-Asqalani will miss the return leg due to suspensions.

Marei received a second yellow card, while Al-Asqalani was cautioned for the third time this season.

Despite these setbacks, Pyramids hold a one-goal advantage heading back to Cairo after eliminating Gor Mahia with a 7-1 aggregate score in the previous round. El Merriekh Bentiu also performed well, defeating Somalia’s Heegan FC 4-0 on aggregate.

The return fixture will take place at the Air Defence Stadium in Cairo on October 24. The winners will progress to the group stage of Africa’s top club competition, starting at the end of November.

by FSL News

Late Nasser Mansy Strike Gives Zamalek the Advantage in Kigali

Zamalek left it late to secure a hard-fought victory against APR FC at the Amahoro Stadium, clinching the match in the 90th minute.

Throughout the game, both teams created chances, but it looked like they might settle for a goalless draw.

Just two minutes before their breakthrough, Zamalek believed they had taken the lead, only for the goal to be disallowed due to offside.

Undeterred, the Egyptian side kept up the pressure and were ultimately rewarded in the dying moments when Mansi, who had come on as a substitute, scored from inside the penalty area.

Nasser Mansy received a well-timed pass from Isho and calmly slotted the ball past the APR goalkeeper, sealing the win. This crucial triumph gives Zamalek a slight edge going into the second leg in Cairo, where they will aim to secure their place in the group stage.

Zamalek reached this point after an impressive 6-1 aggregate victory over AS Port from Djibouti in the First Preliminary Round. Meanwhile, APR FC advanced to this stage by overcoming Aigles du Congo with a 3-1 aggregate win, bouncing back with a decisive 3-0 victory at home after losing the first leg.

The Rwandan champions now find themselves needing a win in Egypt to keep their continental aspirations alive.

by Alusine Rehme Wilson

Guinea-Bissau Withdraws as Sierra Leone Stays Ready

Here is the WAFU statement on Guinea-Bissau's withdrawal
Here is the WAFU statement on Guinea-Bissau's withdrawal
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Cape Verde’s World Cup pedigree faces Sierra Leone scrutiny

When Star Sport Academy of Sierra Leone takes on RS Berkane this Saturday in the first leg of the African Champions League second round in Monrovia, it will be a matchup filled with familiar faces, yet one side has a lot on the line.

Amidu Karim, the head coach of Star Academy, is set to go head-to-head with a friend, Pedro Leitão Brito—widely known as Bubista—who recently took the reins at Berkane after leading Cape Verde to an impressive World Cup run in the United States earlier this year.

Their paths crossed back in 2024 in Abidjan during a Confederation of African Football (CAF) coaching seminar, where they exchanged insights about coaching national teams in Africa, often discussing the challenges and sacrifices that come with it.

“This isn’t the first time I’ve faced their head coach. We met before at a CAF symposium, and we shared our thoughts on the intricacies of coaching national teams,” Karim reminisces.

Karim, a former striker for Sierra Leone and the ex-head coach of the Sierra Leone national team, who managed the opening matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, looks forward to squaring off with a friend in the opposing dugout.

“He’s a very experienced coach; we all admire what he accomplished with the Cape Verde national team. However, Saturday will be a different game, as we are fully prepared to take them on.”

During his playing career, Karim was a key part of the Sierra Leone squad in the 1994 and 1996 African Cup of Nations.

Now, at 56, Bubista has embraced the role of head coach at RS Berkane. He made headlines for leading Cabo Verde to their first-ever FIFA World Cup in 2026, guiding the newcomers into the knockout stage without dropping a single group match.

The Moroccans have arrived safely and have already wrapped up their first training session at the SKD as they prepare for Saturday’s match.

by Alusine Rehme Wilson

Sierra Leone U20 Coach Mohamed Lamin Names Squad Ahead of Opener

Sierra Leone’s Head Coach, Mohamed Lamin Kamara, has unveiled a 25-man squad for this year’s WAFU A’ U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers in Mali, where his side will begin their Group B campaign against Guinea-Bissau on Friday, October 16.

Coach Kamara’s side gets ready for a demanding group schedule that will see the “Shooting Stars” of Sierra Leone face their other Group B opponents, Mauritania and Senegal, as they pursue progress in the regional competition.

According to the WAFU A’ Zone organising committee, the Shooting Stars will meet Guinea-Bissau at the Mamadou Konate Stadium at 7:00 PM local time on Friday before taking on Mauritania at 4:00 pm on Monday, October, and Senegal on Thursday, October 22, at 4:00 PM local time at the same venue.

Coach Mohamed Lamin Kamara’s 25-man squad features three goalkeepers, namely: Amara Kamara, Steven Nyakeh Momoh and Abubakar Alhaji Kamara, alongside eight defenders, eight midfielders and six forwards.

The squad defenders are: Dauda Kamara, Mohamed Sahid, Abubakarr Nyakeh Massaquoi, Osman Tolo Sesay, Ivan Lawrence Jalloh, Mohamed Kallon, Santigie Abdulai Sesay and Ibrahim Sorie Z.G. Dumbuya, while the midfield group comprises: Alhaji Lerma Jalloh, Sampha Kamara, Mohamed Saidu Bah, Alhaji Abubakarr Jalloh, Mohamed Chernor Jalloh, Ben Benoit Henriette Loua, Nelson Fatorma Mbayo and Malik Ahmed Berray.

Up front, for the Shooting Stars of Sierra Leone, Head coach Mohamed Lamin Kamara has called on Abu Bakarr Sidibay, Randy Mike George, Papay Gumba Mansaray, Alpha Bedor Conteh, Abdulai Bangura and Old Edwardians goal-machine James Jusu Kanja to provide the attacking threat.

The three Group-B matches will test Sierra Leone’s depth, discipline and ability to compete against regional opposition, as the opening encounter with Guinea-Bissau will offer the Shooting Stars their first opportunity to establish momentum, while the subsequent meetings with Mauritania and Senegal could prove decisive in determining their chances of advancing.

Meanwhile, the Shooting Stars head coach Kamara and his players have avowed to translate their over two weeks of training and general preparations for the 2026 WAFU A’ Zone U20 qualifiers into strong performances to keep their ambitions alive in the race for a place at the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations for the second consecutive time after their outstanding show in their debut AFCON appearance last year.