Author: Alie Bittar @bittar32

Malian International midfielder Yves Bissouma to join Ajax
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Malian International midfielder Yves Bissouma to join Ajax

Ex-Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma is close to joining Ajax on a deal until the end of the season.

The 30-year-old defensive midfielder is a free agent after leaving Spurs and is set to return to football in the Netherlands.

Bissouma has agreed to a deal that runs until the end of the season, with an option to extend for another year.

He is currently in Amsterdam to finalise his move to Ajax. Bissouma joined Tottenham in 2022 and played 111 games for the team after moving from Brighton.

In August 2025, Spurs manager Thomas Frank did not include Bissouma in the squad for a UEFA Super Cup match against Paris Saint-Germain due to his repeated lateness.

In his final season at Tottenham, Bissouma made 11 appearances, all in the Premier League, as the team finished 17th for the second year in a row.

by Alie Bittar @bittar32

CAF Champions League Set for Decisive Second-Round Battles

Debutante Star Sport Academy from Sierra Leone is among a strong list of top teams in the CAF Champions League 2026/27, looking for a breakthrough as the Second Preliminary Round starts next month.

Having knocked out Medina United of The Gambia, the Sierra Leone side are in the midst of strong clubs from Africa competing for 16 spots in the group stage.

The first legs will take place from 16-18 October, and the return matches are scheduled for 23-25 October. The winners will move on to the group stage starting at the end of November.

Defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns will face Angola’s Wiliete Sport Clube de Benguela, who recently won 5-0 on aggregate against Foresters FC. Egyptian club Zamalek, after a 6-1 aggregate win over AS Port of Djibouti, will meet Rwanda’s APR FC, who advanced with a 3-1 aggregate score.

Four-time champions Espérance will compete against Libya’s Al-Swehly, while Pyramids FC, coming off a 7-1 aggregate win, will take on South Sudan’s El Merriekh Bentiu.

Tanzania’s Simba SC, who beat Mighty Wanderers 7-1, will face Nigerian champions Rangers, who advanced on penalties against AS Sobemap of Benin. In DR Congo, TP Mazembe will play Tunisia’s Club Africain, while MC Alger faces FC San Pedro and MAS de Fès takes on ASEC Mimosas.

South Africa’s Orlando Pirates will continue against Namibia’s African Stars after defeating La Cure Waves 3-1. RS Berkane will begin their campaign against Star Sport Academy of Sierra Leone, and Al Hilal Omdurman will meet Ethiopia’s Sidama Bunna.

One match remains, with Equatorial Guinea’s 15 de Agosto leading 4-0 against Fomboni FC. The return leg is on 3 October, with the winner facing Simba SC.

The Second Preliminary Round will be a crucial test as teams pursue Africa’s top club prize and the USD 6 million awarded to the winners. CAF will also provide USD 100,000 to teams eliminated in the preliminary rounds to assist with expenses.

Second Preliminary Round fixtures – First legs: 16-18 October 2026 | Return legs: 23-25 October 2026

  • African Stars (Namibia) vs Orlando Pirates (South Africa)
  • APR FC (Rwanda) vs Zamalek (Egypt)
  • Al-Swehly (Libya) vs Espérance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia)
  • CFFA (Madagascar) vs Young Africans (Tanzania)
  • El Merriekh Bentiu (South Sudan) vs Pyramids FC (Egypt)
  • Horoya AC (Guinea) vs Al-Merriekh (Sudan)
  • Maghreb Fès (Morocco) vs ASEC Mimosas (Côte d’Ivoire)
  • TP Mazembe (DR Congo) vs Club Africain (Tunisia)
  • Rangers International (Nigeria) vs MC Alger (Algeria)
  • San Pedro (Côte d’Ivoire) vs Nouadhibou (Mauritania)
  • Scotland FC (Zimbabwe) vs Petro Atlético (Angola)
  • Sidama Bunna (Ethiopia) vs Al-Hilal Omdurman (Sudan)
  • Star Sport Academy (Sierra Leone) vs RS Berkane (Morocco)
  • Teungueth FC (Senegal) vs Colombe Sportive (Cameroon)
  • Wiliete (Angola) vs Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
  • Simba (Tanzania) vs 15 de Agosto (GNQ) or Fomboni FC (COM)
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Zimbabwe Rally Troops for DRC, Sierra Leone Clashes

Zimbabwe has officially announced their squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027 qualifying matches. Head Coach Ramon is set to lead the Warriors squad for the opening two AFCON 2027 qualifiers against Sierra Leone and DRC.

The Warriors are set to face off against Sierra Leone on September 24th in Morocco, a crucial match that could impact their chances of advancing in the tournament.

Just four days later, on September 28th, the Warriors will return home to Harare, where they will host the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). These matches are pivotal as Zimbabwe aims to secure vital points in their quest to qualify for AFCON 2027.

Zimbabwe squad for Afcon 2027 qualifiers

GOALKEEPERS

  • ELVIS CHIPEZEZE (MAGESI)
  • MARTIN MAPISA (HARDROCK)
  • NELSON CHADA (SCOTLAND)

DEFENDERS

  • DIVINE LUNGA (MAMELODI SUNDOWNS)
  • MUNASHE GARANANGA (LYNGBY BK)
  • CORBIN MTUNZI (IPSWICH TOWN)
  • SHANE MAROODZA (SARAJEVO)
  • SEAN FUSIRE (SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY)
  • EMMANUEL JALA (SCOTLAND)
  • PETER MUDUHA (SCOTLAND)
  • KEVIN MOYO (SCOTLAND)
  • ISAAC MABWA (LIVERPOOL)

MIDFIELDERS

  • MARSHALL MUNETSÍ (WOLVES)
  • ANDY RINOMHOTA (READING FC)
  • ABUBAKAR MOFFAT (SCOTLAND)
  • MARVELLOUS NAKAMBA (PANETOLIKOS)
  • PROSPER PADERA (ŠK SEINAJOIKI)

FORWARDS

  • THANDO NGWENYA (AMAZULU)
  • TAWANDA CHIREWA (WOLVES)
  • BILL ANTONIO (KV MECHELEN)
  • DANIEL MSENDAMI (MARUMO GALLANTS)
  • TAWANDA MASWANISHE (MOTHERWELL)
  • PRINCE DUBE (HARDROCK)
  • TINO KADEWERE (ARIS SALONICA)
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sébastien Desabre Names Star-studded DR Congo Squad

DR Congo head coach Sebastien Desabre has named key players for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, including Aston Villa’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Newcastle’s Yoane Wissa.

The qualifiers consisted of 12 groups, with matches from September 24 to October 6. DR Congo is in Group E alongside Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe.

Their first match will be against Equatorial Guinea on September 24 in Kinshasa, followed by a match against Zimbabwe in Harare on September 28.

Desabre has added new European players, including Willy Kambwala and Ezechiel Banzuzi, to the squad after their 2026 World Cup journey, where they made history with their first appearance in 52 years.

Yoane Wissa scored their first World Cup goal during this time. Twenty-nine players will compete in the qualifiers, with training camps running from September 21-28 in Kinshasa and Harare.

Additionally, a second list of 24 players will participate in friendly matches against Uganda in South Africa on October 2 and 5. The new players will join the team in Zimbabwe during the camp from September 28 to October 6.

Desabre names star-studded D.R Congo squad to start 2027 AFCON qualifiers
Desabre names star-studded D.R Congo squad to start 2027 AFCON qualifiers
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Star Sport Academy Enjoy Dream Debut, Secure Next-Round Spot

Star Sport Academy have continued its remarkable rise by reaching the second qualifying round of the CAF Champions League in its maiden appearance in the competition.

Founded less than four years ago and having spent only two seasons in the Sierra Leone Premier League, the Freetown-based club secured qualification after a 1-1 away draw against Medina United in Banjul, The Gambia, on Sunday.

The Sierra Leonean vice-champions advanced on the away goals rule after the first leg ended in a goalless draw at the Southern Arena in Bo last weekend.

Santigie Fornah gave Star Sport Academy a vital breakthrough eight minutes into the second half, heading home to put his side in control of the tie. Although Medina United equalised deep into stoppage time through Ebou Sanyang, the goal came too late to deny the visitors a historic qualification.

The achievement makes Star Sport Academy only the third Sierra Leonean club in the CAF Champions League era to progress beyond the preliminary qualifying round, following FC Kallon in 2007 and Bo Rangers in the 2023/24 campaign.

Before the competition was rebranded from the African Cup of Champions Clubs to the CAF Champions League, several Sierra Leonean clubs also enjoyed success on the continental stage. Real Republicans, Sierra Fisheries (now FC Kallon), and Mighty Blackpool all eliminated opponents, with Mighty Blackpool remaining the country’s only club to have reached the quarter-finals of Africa’s premier club competition.

Star Sport Academy’s reward is a second qualifying round showdown against Moroccan giants RS Berkane next month. The Sierra Leonean side will host the first leg as they seek to continue their fairytale run in African football.

Star Sport Academy Enjoy Dream Debut, Secure Next-Round Spot