π‚π¨πšπœπ‘ 𝐌𝐨𝐑𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐝 π‹πšπ¦π’π§ 𝐊𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐚 π’π­πšπ²π¬ 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐒𝐭𝐒𝐯𝐞 π€πŸπ­πžπ« 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐒𝐧𝐠 πƒπ«πšπ°
by FSL News

π‚π¨πšπœπ‘ 𝐌𝐨𝐑𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐝 π‹πšπ¦π’π§ 𝐊𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐚 π’π­πšπ²π¬ 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐒𝐭𝐒𝐯𝐞 π€πŸπ­πžπ« 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐒𝐧𝐠 πƒπ«πšπ°

Sierra Leone U20 head coach Mohamed Lamin Kamara spoke after Sunday’s goalless draw against Zambia in their opening match of the CAF TotalEnergies U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.

Reflecting on the result, Kamara admitted that no team wants to start a tournament without a win. He said: β€œπ‘»π’‰π’† π’π’–π’•π’„π’π’Žπ’† 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒖𝒔 π’„π’π’Žπ’‘π’π’†π’•π’†π’π’š, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 π’˜π’† π’˜π’Šπ’π’ π’”π’•π’–π’…π’š 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’ˆπ’‚π’Žπ’† 𝒂𝒏𝒅 π’‘π’Šπ’„π’Œ 𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕 π’„π’†π’“π’•π’‚π’Šπ’ π’„π’“π’Šπ’•π’Šπ’„π’‚π’ π’Žπ’π’Žπ’†π’π’•π’”.”

The head coach emphasized the need to understand why, despite dominating possession, his side struggled to score. Looking ahead, Kamara acknowledged the challenge of facing hosts Egypt but remained determined. β€œπ‘»π’ 𝒂𝒅𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆, 𝒐𝒏𝒆 π’Žπ’–π’”π’• 𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’‡π’Šπ’π’†π’”π’• o𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’‡π’Šπ’†π’π’…. 𝑾𝒆’𝒓𝒆 𝒖𝒑 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’„π’‰π’‚π’π’π’†π’π’ˆπ’†. 𝑢𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆 π’ˆπ’‚π’Žπ’†π’” π’ˆπ’Šπ’—π’† 𝒖𝒔 π’‘π’π’†π’π’•π’š π’Žπ’π’“π’† 𝒕𝒐 π’‘π’π’‚π’š 𝒇𝒐𝒓,” he added.

Meanwhile, IF Bromby goalkeeper Mamadou Wurie Jalloh, who made his CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations debut, expressed satisfaction with his performance. Wurie backed his team to go all out for wins in the upcoming matches, confident they can reach the next round of the tournament.

Sierra Leone’s next match is against the host nation Egypt, who defeated South Africa at the Cairo International Stadium on Sunday, topping the table.

Winning U20 Cup of Nations start for host nation Egypt
by Football Sierra Leone

Winning U20 Cup of Nations start for host nation Egypt

Egypt began the TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt 2025, with a 1-0 win over South Africa at Cairo International Stadium on Sunday evening.

This match followed an exciting opening ceremony and was the second game of Group A, after Zambia and Sierra Leone played to a goalless draw earlier in the day.

Mohamed Abdallah scored the winning goal for Egypt in the 62nd minute. He received a great pass from Mohamed Raafat during a quick counterattack and calmly finished to put the ball past the South African goalkeeper, exciting the home fans.

Egypt controlled most of the early game, but South Africa started to find their rhythm and almost scored when Mfundo Vilakazi hit the post from long range within the first 10 minutes.

The South African team created several chances but faced strong defense from Egypt’s players and goalkeeper. Gopolang Taunyana’s late header nearly equalized the score, but the goalkeeper made the save, and Egypt stood firm under pressure.

Despite dealing with multiple injuries and making three substitutions in the first half, Egypt showed resilience. They stuck to their game plan and earned the three points.

With this win, Egypt sits at the top of Group A after the first round of matches. Their next game is against Sierra Leone on Wednesday, while South Africa will play Tanzania.

Egypt is aiming for their fifth U-20 continental title, having won it in 1981, 1991, 2003, and 2013. In this tournament, the top four teams will qualify for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile later this year, making this strong start important for Egypt as they begin their campaign in front of enthusiastic home supporters.

Zambia and Sierra Leone share opening U20 AFCON spoils
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Zambia and Sierra Leone share opening U20 AFCON spoils

Sierra Leone made their U20 AFCON debut was impressive in the 0-0 draw of the opening match in Group A at the TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations, held in Egypt in 2025.

The match, which took place at the Suez Canal Stadium on Sunday, was closely contested, with both teams struggling to capitalize on their chances. The game was energetic but lacked the clinical finishing necessary to secure a win.

Zambia, the winners of the 2017 edition, controlled possession for large portions of the match but faced frustration from a determined Sierra Leone defense. Joseph Sabobo stood out for the Young Chipolopolo, making several attempts that required saves from Sierra Leone goalkeeper Samba Bah, but he was unable to break through.

Sierra Leone, in their first appearance at this level, showcased their composure and created opportunities of their own. Samba Bah and Nathaniel Jalloh consistently threatened Zambia’s defense, while Alpha Turay nearly scored with a header early in the first half.

As the second half progressed, both teams became increasingly eager to find a winning goal. Zambia thought they had clinched a victory late in the game, with Emmanuel Mutale and David Simukonda coming close, but neither could find the net.

Sierra Leone came close to scoring as Samba Bah’s header was saved in the final moments of the match, resulting in a draw.

This leaves Group A competitive ahead of the later match between hosts Egypt and South Africa. While Zambia created several chances, they will regret their finishing, while Sierra Leone can be proud of their strong debut performance and look to build on it.

Both teams will now focus on their next matches to secure advancement to the quarter-finals, where the top two teams from each group and the two best third-placed teams will progress.

Josh Koroma nets in Hudderfield defeat to Exeter
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Josh Koroma nets in Hudderfield defeat to Exeter

Sierra Leone’s Josh Koroma was on target as Exeter concluded their season with an impressive 3-1 victory over Huddersfield in their final home game of the League One season.

The Terriers opened the scoring after 20 minutes with their first shot on goal. Hudderfield’s Josh Koroma found space on the left and curled an excellent finish into the far corner from 20 yards.

Exeter equalized in the 39th minute when Jack McMillan broke free down the right wing and delivered a low cross into the box. Ilmari Niskanen made a timely run to the back post and fired the ball past goalkeeper Jacob Chapman.

The second half was entertaining, with Sonny Cox being denied by Chapman and Joe Whitworth coming to Exeter’s rescue with a fine save against Koroma.

From the resulting corner, Herbie Kane volleyed a stunning effort into the bottom corner, but it was disallowed for offside. Exeter took the lead in the 56th minute when McMillan scored after finishing smartly from a long throw by Alex Hartridge, which was flicked on by Angus MacDonald.

Whitworth continued to shine with a superb one-handed save against Koroma, while Matty Pearson had a header that struck the crossbar.

Sierra Leone's Mustapha Bundu continues fine form as Plymouth fight survival
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sierra Leone’s Mustapha Bundu continues fine form as Plymouth fight survival

Despite beating Preston North End, who have only one victory in their last 14 matches, Plymouth Argyle met almost certain relegation from the Championship; Mustapha Bundu of Sierra Leone scored his 11th goal of the season in all competitions.

Luton Town’s win over Coventry City meant Argyle needed to win both of their remaining matches and significantly improve their goal difference to avoid relegation. Although Mustapha Bundu scored in the first half, followed by Callum Wright’s goal after the break, Argyle’s fate is likely sealed barring an unlikely turn of events.

Preston, despite dominating possession and creating chances, could only score a late goal from Emil Riis, leaving them one point above the relegation zone. Derby County’s victory over Hull City pushed them ahead of Preston, while Luton is also on 49 points, one point clear of the relegation spot.

Despite a strong start, Argyle’s confidence was shaken after Bundu’s goal. Preston created opportunities, but they struggled to find the back of the net. A misplay allowed Wright to score, securing the win for Argyle as they held on through six minutes of added time to record only their 11th victory in 45 matches.