Author: Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sierra Leone draw host Egypt, Zambia and South Africa in Group A
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sierra Leone draw tough AFCON U20 opponents including host Egypt in Group A

The redraw for the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) held in Cairo on Sunday has placed Sierra Leone in Group A alongside host Egypt, Zambia, South Africa, and Tanzania.

Sierra Leone will begin their AFCON U20 campaign against Zambia on April 27, followed by a match against host Egypt on the 30th.

Sierra Leone was originally placed in Group C, alongside Senegal, Kenya, and Zambia. However, the initial draw for Ivory Coast has been cancelled because the former host has decided to withdraw at the last minute.

The Shooting Stars from Sierra Leone are preparing to compete against hosts Egypt, Zambia, South Africa as well as Tanzania. This championship is scheduled to take place from April 27 to May 18, 2025. Thirteen teams will compete in the tournament.

Group B has Nigeria, Tunisia, Kenya and Morocco while Group C comprises Senegal, Central Africa Republic, Congo DR and Ghana.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals, along with the two best third-placed teams.

The four highest-performing teams will qualify for the FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile, which will take place from September 27 to October 19.

Kenya will represent the CECAFA region with Tanzania, as both teams reached the qualifiers final in Dar es Salaam last October. Tanzania won that match 2-1, but both teams qualified for the tournament.

Sierra Leone will begin their AFCON U20 campaign against Zambia on April 27, followed by a match against host Egypt on the 30th.
Sierra Leone will begin their AFCON U20 campaign against Zambia on April 27, followed by a match against host Egypt on the 30th.
The ten representatives from Africa for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025, following the conclusion of the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) play-offs on Saturday, has been confirmed
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Ten Africa’s FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 places confirmed

The ten representatives from Africa for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025, following the conclusion of the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) play-offs on Saturday, has been confirmed.

Egypt and Uganda successfully secured the final two slots for the tournament with crucial victories in the play-off round. They will join Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia, and Zambia as the continent’s representatives on the global stage.

This upcoming tournament will be the largest in the history of the U-17 World Cup, as it will feature 48 teams for the first time. It is scheduled to take place from November 3 to 27, 2025, in Qatar.

Uganda has made history by qualifying for their first-ever U-17 World Cup after a remarkable 2-1 comeback victory over The Gambia. After conceding a goal in under a minute, James Bogere scored two goals in the 13th and 33rd minutes, securing Uganda’s place in the tournament.

Later, Egypt delighted their home supporters with a determined 2-1 win against Angola. A deflected strike from Abdel Aziz El Zoghby and a second-half goal from Hamza Mohamed Abdel Karim ensured Egypt’s success, despite Angola scoring a late goal.

The other eight African nations had already qualified by advancing to the knockout stages of the U-17 AFCON. This group includes Senegal, the defending African champions at the youth level, and Côte d’Ivoire, who demonstrated strong performance with a 4-2 victory over Mali.

Tunisia and South Africa also secured their places early by achieving impressive results in their respective groups, while the historically strong teams of Morocco and Zambia return to the global stage with high expectations.

Sierra Leone ponder new opponents for Cairo U20 AFCON draw
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sierra Leone ponder new opponents for Cairo U20 AFCON draw

The final draw for the CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will take place in Egypt on Sunday, April 13, at 17:00 local time (15:00 GMT) at the Egyptian Football Association headquarters.

Sierra Leone was originally placed in Group C, alongside Senegal, Kenya, and Zambia. However, this group is now expected to change due to a redraw. The initial draw for Ivory Coast has been canceled because the former host has decided to withdraw at the last minute.

The tournament runs from April 27 to May 18, 2025. Thirteen teams will compete in the tournament. Group A will consist of five teams, while both Groups B and C will have four teams each.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals, along with the two best third-placed teams. The four highest-performing teams will qualify for the FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile, which will take place from September 27 to October 19.

Egypt, as the host country, is in position A1 in the draw. Nigeria, who came in third in the last tournament, is placed in position B1, and defending champions Senegal are in position C1.

Tunisia, Zambia, and the Central African Republic, who qualified last time, will be in Pot 1 and sorted into one of the three groups. Teams that did not qualify for the last tournament, such as Morocco, debutants Sierra Leone, Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, and DR Congo, will be in Pot 2 and will fill the remaining spots in the groups.

DRAW PROCEDURES

Seeded teams: Egypt will be in position A1; Nigeria will be in B1 and Senegal will be C1.

Pot 1 for the teams from Level 2: Tunisia, Zambia and Central African Republic

Pot 2 of the teams of Level 3: Morocco, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa & DR Congo

The teams drawn from Pot 1 will go respectively into positions A2, B2 & C2

The teams drawn from the Pot 2 will go respectively into positions A3, B3, C3, A4, B4, C4 & A5

CAF U-20 AFCON, EGYPT 2025 QUALIFIED TEAMS

CECAFA: Tanzania, Kenya

COSAFA: South Africa, Zambia

UNAF: Egypt (hosts), Morocco, Tunisia

UNIFFAC: DR Congo, Central African Republic

WAFU A: Senegal, Sierra Leone

WAFU B: Nigeria, Ghana

Egypt's Mo Salah optimistic of winning more trophies after new deal
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Egypt’s Mo Salah optimistic of winning more trophies after new deal

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has signed a new two-year contract with the club, which extends his stay until 2027. His impressive goal-scoring record has placed him third on the all-time top scorers list for the Reds, with 243 goals in 394 appearances to date.

The Egyptian international cited the team’s potential as a key reason for his decision. “Of course I’m very excited. We have a great team now. Before also we had a great team. But I signed because I think we have a chance to win other trophies and enjoy my football, he told  Liverpoolfc.com.

“With the support of the fans and the city, along with the encouragement they always provide during matches, I believe we can achieve great success in the coming years.” Salah’s commitment comes during an exceptional season in which he has scored 32 goals and provided 22 assists in 45 appearances across all competitions. In the Premier League alone, he has netted 27 goals and contributed 17 assists, highlighting his crucial role in Liverpool’s attacking prowess.

The forward expressed a strong desire to secure the Premier League title this season. “As I mentioned at the start of the season, I want to win the Premier League more than anything else. I really want it,” he added. “The fans deserve it—the last time we won, we didn’t celebrate it much. Hopefully, we can do it this time. There are still seven games left, and it won’t be easy since Arsenal is also in contention. We will give it our all, and hopefully, in the end, we can win it.”

Since joining Liverpool in 2017, Salah has scored a total of 243 goals, placing him third on the club’s all-time scoring list.

Ex-East End Lions midfielder Alpha Kabia pleased to join Minnesota United
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Midfielder Alpha Kabia pleased to join Minnesota United

Young Doctors FC midfielder, who was on loan to East End Lions Alpha Kabia expressed happiness after MNUFC2 announced his signing to a one-year MLS NEXT Pro contract, which includes a club option for 2026.

“We are excited to welcome Alpha to MNUFC2. He has a solid understanding of the game at a young age, is aggressive on the ball, and effectively commands the midfield. We are thrilled to have him join the club and to support his growth as a young professional player, both on and off the pitch,” said Amos Magee, MNUFC Head of Development & Player Pathway.

“I extend my sincerest gratitude to Minnesota United and MNUFC2 for believing in me and providing this incredible opportunity,” said Alpha Kabia. “Thank you to everyone who has supported me on this journey; I’m excited to take this important step in my career. To my loved ones, I couldn’t have done this without you. Your encouragement and sacrifices mean the world to me. Thank you for being my rock. I dedicate this achievement to all Sierra Leonean players back home: never lose hope and never abandon your dreams.”

Kabia, 19, who has joined MNUFC2 on a one-year MLS NEXT Pro contract, with an option for 2026, previously played for East End Lions in Sierra Leone’s National Premier League on loan from Young Doctors FC.

Kabia started at Young Doctors FC, playing youth matches from 2017 to 2022, and was loaned to Mount Aureol Freetonians SLIFA from 2022 to 2024.

Internationally, Kabia has represented Sierra Leone’s U20 team and played a key role in their WAFU Group A Qualifiers, helping them qualify for the 2025 U20 Africa Cup of Nations.