Mozambique and Angola set for pre-AFCON friendly in Portugal
by Football Sierra Leone

Mozambique and Angola set for pre-AFCON friendly in Portugal

Mozambique and Angola will clash in Portugal on Wednesday for a final warm-up ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

According to a statement from the Mozambique Football Federation, the friendly match will take place behind closed doors in Algarve.

Mozambique’s coach, Chiquinho Conde, expressed his enthusiasm for the game, emphasising the importance of building team cohesion rather than just focusing on a win.

Mozambique is preparing for the AFCON tournament in Morocco, where they will be competing in Group F alongside the Ivory Coast, Cameroon, and Gabon. Conde’s team is set to launch their AFCON campaign against the reigning champions next Wednesday.

Angola’s goalkeeper, Hugo Marques, shared his excitement about facing his former Cape Town City teammate, Edmison Dove, who anchors Mozambique’s defence.

He noted that this match holds significant importance as Angola gears up for AFCON, stating, “Angola wants it more.”

In their AFCON opener, Angola will face formidable opponents, Egypt, on Monday. They are drawn into a challenging group featuring Southern African rivals South Africa, Zimbabwe, and the record winners, Egypt.

Zambia Call off AFCON Friendly Against Ivory Coast
by FSL News

Zambia Call off Ivory Coast Friendly ahead of AFCON

After a disappointing 2-0 loss to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Zambia has opted to cancel their scheduled friendly match against Ivory Coast on Thursday.

Under the guidance of Coach Moses Sichone, the team is currently in Murcia, Spain, putting the finishing touches on their preparations for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals in Morocco.

The lead-up to the tournament has been challenging for the 2012 African champions. Machacha Shapande, General Secretary of the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ), confirmed the cancellation of a friendly match, citing time constraints that required adjustments for player recovery after the recent defeat to the DRC, as it fell within a crucial five-day window before the AFCON finals.

With three consecutive friendlies without a victory, including matches against South Africa and Angola, there’s growing concern back home.

When is Zambia concluding their training camp in Spain? Sichone and his squad will wrap up their week-long camp on Friday. Most players have reported to training, except for Italy-based Lameck Banda and Obino Chisala, who will head directly to Morocco.

Zambia will face tough competition in Group A, alongside Morocco, Mali, and Comoros. The team will kick off their AFCON journey against Mali on Monday, followed by a match against Comoros the following Thursday.

Ghana's Albert Adomah makes his 700th EFL appearance
by Football Sierra Leone

Ghana’s Albert Adomah makes his 700th EFL appearance

Albert Adomah played his 700th EFL league match on Saturday during a 1-1 draw with Shrewsbury Town. It was also his 38th birthday. Sadler was glad to see Adomah still working hard and pushing himself for the team.

“Happy birthday to him; he’s the youngest 38-year-old I know,” Head Coach Mat Sadler told the club’s media. “He’s a great person and had a chance to set up Courtney for a goal. Those are the key moments in the game.

We just couldn’t finish at the end, which can happen considering how many games we’ve played lately. Right now, we need to rest and take care of the players for a few days before we prepare for what should be a strong match this Saturday.”

Sadler also shared good news about injuries for Jid Okeke and Aaron Pressley. “Both of them will be back for Saturday’s game,” he confirmed.

“Aaron Pressley trained the last couple of days. We almost put him on the bench, but I thought it was too soon in case something happened. Jid got hurt on his back and foot against Gateshead, but he will be fine for the next game too.”

Mustapha Bundu suffers a collateral ligament injury
by Football Sierra Leone

Mustapha Bundu suffers a collateral ligament injury

Hannover will end the first half of the German Bundesliga 2 without two key players. Mustapha Bundu has a medial collateral ligament injury from the last match against Preußen Münster.

The 28-year-old left the game in the 72nd minute and missed Saturday’s home match against VfL Bochum and the away game against 1. FC Nürnberg on December 21.

This injury ends his first half of the season early. Husseyn Chakroun will also miss the rest of the year.

The 21-year-old had to leave the field in the 25th minute due to a hamstring injury after a long stride following a challenge.

Head coach Christian Titz commented on the injuries, saying, “That’s a real shame, but that happens in football. We have options in the squad, and we have confidence in our players.”

Despite these challenges, he remains hopeful about future matches, stating, “We’ve built the squad so that the players can respond well to any situation.”

FC Nürnberg part ways with  Crystal Palace youngster Hindolo Mustapha
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

FC Nürnberg part ways with Palace youngster Hindolo Mustapha

FC Nürnberg and Hindolo Mustapha have mutually decided to part ways after just six months, as the club announced this afternoon.

The 19-year-old’s loan spell with the 2. Bundesliga side has been cut short. Unfortunately, Mustapha did not make any professional appearances during his time at Nürnberg and will be returning to Crystal Palace for now.

“Hindolo clearly possesses talent, but things didn’t play out as we had all hoped at 1. FC Nürnberg. It was also important for the player’s future to clear things up early on and reach a solution that suited everyone,” stated sporting director Joti Chatzialexiou.

The Sierra Leone international had previously faced criticism from coach Miroslav Klose back in November, which is believed to have strained their working relationship.