by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Guirassy Strikes as Guinea Edge Kenya in Conakry

Serhou Guirassy scored the lone goal as Guinea bounced back from an opening defeat to secure a 1-0 victory over Kenya in their TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations PAMOJA 2027 qualifier in Conakry on Thursday.

The Borussia Dortmund forward struck in the 32nd minute, earning Paulo Duarte’s team their first points in Group D after a 2-1 loss to South Africa in their previous match.

With this win, Guinea moved into second place with three points, three behind leaders South Africa, who triumphed 5-0 over Eritrea. Kenya remains at one point after their earlier 1-1 draw against Eritrea, yet they have already qualified for PAMOJA 2027 as co-hosts.

This situation leaves South Africa, Guinea, and Eritrea contending for the highest-placed non-host nation in the group to secure the remaining qualification spot.

Guinea started strong, coming close to scoring when Guirassy’s free-kick hit the crossbar. They kept the pressure on, with Guirassy eventually breaking through to score just after the half-hour mark. Kenya’s Byrne Omondi made key saves to keep the scoreline from widening before halftime.

In the second half, Kenya’s coach Benni McCarthy made tactical changes, bringing on Ryan Ogam and Timothy Ouma in search of an equaliser, but despite their efforts, Guinea’s defence held firm.

Duarte’s team successfully protected their narrow lead, clinching their first victory of the campaign, while South Africa leads Group D with six points.

Coach Kamara believes Sierra Leone earn respect despite quarter-final exit
by Alusine Rehme Wilson

Sierra Leone’s U20 coach Kamara: ‘We’re No Strangers Anymore’

Sierra Leone U-20 head coach Mohamed Lamin Kamara says the Shooting Stars will approach the 2026 WAFU A U-20 Championship in Mali with greater belief and experience as they target another Africa U-20 Cup of Nations qualification.

The Shooting Stars have been drawn in a demanding Group B alongside defending champions Senegal, Mauritania and Guinea-Bissau, with the tournament serving as the qualifying route to the 2027 U-20 AFCON.

Kamara’s side enters the competition after a breakthrough 2025 campaign that saw Sierra Leone win the WAFU A U-20 Championship in Liberia before making their continental debut in Egypt. The Shooting Stars reached the quarter-finals of the last U-20 AFCON, where they suffered a narrow 1-0 extra-time defeat to Morocco.

According to the Shooting Stars coach, last AFCON experience has changed the team’s outlook ahead of their return to the regional stage. “We’re no strangers anymore.

The experiences we acquired from the 2025 AFCON campaign could prove crucial in our quest to go through another highly competitive WAFU tournament,” Kamara said. The skilful, disciplined, and results-oriented Kamara knows the challenge will be significant, particularly with Senegal in the same group.

Despite Senegal as the reigning WAFU A’ champions defeated Sierra Leone in the previous final and remain one of the region’s leading youth sides, coach Kamara believes his players are better prepared for the challenge and determined to secure another continental appearance.

“We’ll be journeying to Mali with fresh experiences, determination and the belief that our breakthrough in Egypt can be the foundation for something greater,” he said. 

Meanwhile, the Shooting Stars will be seeking to turn their historic Egyptian breakthrough into sustained progress, beginning with a difficult group campaign in Mali as they begin their hunt for a spot in next year’s U-20 AFCON final to mark a historic back-to-back appearance at the prestigious youth tournament.

by Alie Bittar @bittar32

QUEIROZ SACKED AFTER GHANA’S POOR AFCON QUALIFICATION START

Carlos Queiroz has been sacked as Ghana head coach following a disappointing start to their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

The Black Stars suffered back-to-back defeats, losing 2-0 to Côte d’Ivoire before a 4-2 home defeat to The Gambia, leaving them without a point from their opening two Group C matches.

Ghana had taken a 2-0 lead against The Gambia through Ernest Nuamah and Felix Afena-Gyan, but the Scorpions staged a dramatic comeback to claim all three points.

The Ghana Football Association has announced that both parties have ended their contract by mutual agreement. Queiroz had previously led Ghana to the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where they lost to Colombia.

CAS confirm Senegal appeal over CAF AFCON final decision
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

CAS to Hear Senegal-Morocco AFCON Final Appeal on October 8

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will hear Senegal’s appeal against the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) on October 8, 2026, in Lausanne, Switzerland. The hearing will be closed to the public.

Senegal and Morocco will attend, while CAF will be represented by its legal team. The dispute concerns the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, where Senegal initially won 1-0 but later had the match forfeited under Article 84, resulting in a 3-0 victory for Morocco.

Senegal is seeking to have this ruling overturned and to be recognised as the official 2025 AFCON champion. The three-member CAS panel will be chaired by Professor Gérald Simon from France. The hearing will be in French.

The panel will deliberate after the hearing, but they won’t announce a decision the same day. Senegal’s appeal was registered on March 25, 2026.

by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Equatorial Guinea Coach Annese Says Sierra Leone Win Is Key to Campaign

Equatorial Guinea’s coach, Vincenzo Alberto Annese, said the team’s 1-0 win over Sierra Leone was an important response after losing to DR Congo in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

In an interview via WhatsApp, Annese, who started his continental coaching career in Ghana with Bechem United for the 2017 season, expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance at the Stade Omnisport Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaoundé on Monday.

“I knew taking this job would be a good challenge for me since Nzalang Nacional is in Group E with DR Congo, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe,” he explained. “We were more organised defensively than Sierra Leone.”

“We made changes in the second half to control the game. We created many chances but didn’t take advantage of them. Still, the goal was to win, and now we need to focus on our next important games against Zimbabwe.”

“Just like Sierra Leone is going to DR Congo, we will host Zimbabwe in the next round of matches. This is a very competitive group, and every team still has a long way to go. The win is crucial because it gives us confidence.”

Early Coaching Career

Annese started his coaching career with the youth team at Fidelis Andria in 2010. In 2012, he joined Foggia as a coach for the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons. From 2015 to 2016, he coached abroad in Latvia with JFK Saldus and worked with the Armenia U-19 and U-17 national teams.