Author: Alie Bittar @bittar32

Striker Patson Daka to miss Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone qualifiers
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Striker Patson Daka to miss Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone qualifiers

Zambia will have to do without Patson Daka in next month African Cup of Nations qualifiers after Leicester City’s injury update on Patson Daka, the 2017 African Youth Player of the Year.

Daka, the Zambia international, was forced off the field during a recent friendly against RC Lens due to an injury, which will sideline him for an extended period, as confirmed on the club’s website.

The 25-year-old will be absent from the upcoming English Premier League opener against Tottenham Hotspur, and there are concerns about his availability for Zambia’s 2025 AFCON qualifiers next month.

Manager Steve Cooper expressed his disappointment, stating, “Patson [Daka] is not great news. He sustained a serious ankle injury in the game against Lens last week and will be out of action for several months.

The striker underwent an operation on Friday. It’s a setback for both club and country as he was showing promise during pre-season.

Daka, known as Zambia’s key player with 21 goals in 48 matches for Chipolopolo, faces a challenging recovery period, with important matches against Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone on the horizon next month.

Antoine Semenyo's late equaliser helps Bournemouth draw at Forest
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Antoine Semenyo’s equaliser helps Bournemouth draw at Forest

Ghanaian International Antoine Semenyo scored a late goal to help AFC Bournemouth secure a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest on the opening day of the season.

Chris Wood put Nottingham Forest ahead with a close-range goal in the first half. Dango Ouattara had a goal disallowed.

Semenyo’s goal earned the Cherries their first point of the new season.

Dean Huijsen made his Premier League debut, and Julián Araujo was named on the bench for the first time.

Evanilson’s registration came too late for inclusion. Semenyo led the line for the Cherries, alternating with Luis Sinisterra.

The match started positively for the Cherries, with Ouattara heading just over from a corner. However, the game was paused for ten minutes when Danilo was injured following a challenge with Semenyo.

Wood opened the scoring for Nottingham Forest, tapping in a rebound after Neto parried Ryan Yates’s shot. The Cherries then had a goal disallowed, as Lewis Cook was ruled offside in the build-up to Ouattara’s goal.

Alpha Turay nets on debut for FK Radnički 1923 youth side
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Alpha Turay nets on debut for Radnički 1923 youth side

Sierra Leone’s 19-year-old defender, Alpha Turay, recently joined Serbian side FK Radnički 1923 and scored his first goal on his debut for the youth team on Saturday.

His 27th-minute goal was equalled by Graficar’s in the 44th minute courtesy of Stolić for the visitors.

Despite the difficult weather conditions, the youth teams of Radnički 1923 and Grafičar delivered a dynamic and substantial football performance.

“Diavolčići” seemed to be slightly better rivals, creating more chances than the guests from Belgrade and resembling their performance from the previous season by leaving the Šumadija capital undefeated.

The home team took the lead in the 27th minute when Radojković executed a free kick, and Alpha Turay scored on his debut.

However, the guests managed to equalize before the break, with Stolić scoring after a scramble in front of the Kragujevac team’s goal, checking Đorđe Nedović.

The second half saw an open game with numerous chances on both sides. The home team showed more agility, threatening first through Đalović and then through Dimovski.

In the next round, “Đavolčić” expects to host their peers from OFK Belgrade, and then Mladost from Lučani will visit “Čika Dača”.

Defender Alpha Turay's 27th-minute goal was equalled by Graficar's in the 44th-minute courtesy of Stolić for the visitors.
Defender Alpha Turay's 27th-minute goal was equalled by Graficar's in the 44th-minute courtesy of Stolić for the visitors.
Bo Rangers draw 1-1 with San Pedro set up a tense return fixture
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Bo Rangers draw 1-1 with San Pedro to set up tense return fixture

In the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League preliminary round, Bo Rangers, the champions of Sierra Leone, tied 1-1 with San Pedro from Ivory Coast in the first leg on Saturday.

The first-leg tie showcased an intense battle through the 90th minute at the Southern Arena in Bo City. The home team scored first in the 48th minute through Mohamadu Lamin, causing excitement among the fans.

However, they were unable to capitalize on their lead. The Ivorian team equalized through Issouf Dosso in the 73rd minute, resulting in a draw.

The return fixture is scheduled for next weekend, expected to be an exciting match as the winner will advance to the second preliminary round.

In other matches, Commercial Bank of Ethiopia achieved a 2-1 victory away against FC Vitalo from Burundi, while Namibia’s Africa Stars secured a 1-0 win over Gaborone Galaxy from Botswana.

Raja Casablanca defeated Garde Nationale 2-1 in Niger. Saber Bougrine opened the scoring for Raja Casablanca in the 20th minute, but their opponents equalized in the 37th minute.

However, Marouane Zila restored Raja Casablanca’s lead in the 66th minute, securing a 2-1 win for the Moroccan club.

Some results of the first-leg matches of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Preliminary Round:

– FC Villa Jogo 1-2 Commercial Bank of Ethiopia
– FC Vitalo 0-4 Young Africans
– Africa Stars 1-0 Gaborone Galaxy
– Ngazi Platinum 0-0 AS Maniema
– Saint-Louis 0-1 Sagrada Esperança
– Garde Nationale 1-2 Raja Casablanca
– Red Star 0-0 Djoliba Bamako
– Stade d’Abidjan 1-1 FC Teungueth
– Bo Rangers 1-1 San Pedro
– Douanes du Burkina Faso 0-0 Cotonou du Bénin
– Al Nasr 0-0 Al-Merreikh

Kei Kamara helps Los Angeles beat Seattle Sounders
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Kei Kamara helps Los Angeles beat Seattle Sounders  

On Sunday, Los Angeles made history by advancing to the semifinals of the Leagues Cup for the first time in their history with a 3-0 away win over the Seattle Sounders at Lumen Field.

Ryan Hollingshead and Kei Kamara scored first-half goals, and Denis Bouanga added the third after the break, making him the all-time leading scorer in the Leagues Cup’s two-year history.

LAFC will host the Colorado Rapids in the semifinals on Wednesday, Aug. 21, at BMO Stadium. The winner will advance to the Leagues Cup Final on Sunday, Aug. 25.

LAFC took the lead within the first 20 minutes, with Maxime Chanot’s long ball finding Hollingshead, who scored in the 14th minute.

Kamara doubled the lead 11 minutes later with an acrobatic volley. In the second half, Bouanga’s goal sealed the 3-0 victory for LAFC.

Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris (in Photo with Kei) secured his third shutout in four Leagues Cup appearances.