Author: Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sierra Leone-born Trevoh Chalobah out of Chelsea US pre-season trip
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sierra Leone-born Trevoh Chalobah out of Chelsea pre-season trip

Trevoh Chalobah has not been included in Chelsea’s pre-season tour of the USA, where the team is scheduled to play five matches ahead of the new Premier League campaign.

The defender is among the players that Chelsea is looking to sell this summer and has garnered interest from Crystal Palace.

With several players vying for positions, Chelsea has chosen to leave Chalobah at home, indicating the club’s willingness to part ways with the player.

Among the selected centre-backs for the Stateside tour are Wesley Fofana, Axel Disasi, and summer signing Tosin Adarabioyo.

The decision to exclude Chalobah was not made lightly, highlighting the club’s careful consideration of its squad composition.

Chalobah has been with Chelsea for 17 years and is currently under contract until 2028, making it harder to transfer him.

Chelsea’s USA Tour 2024

  • Chelsea vs Wrexham – Wednesday 24 July at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
  • Chelsea vs Celtic – Saturday 27 July at Notre Dame Stadium, Notre Dame, Indiana.
  • Chelsea vs Club America – Wednesday 31 July at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
  • Chelsea vs Manchester City – Saturday 3 August at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
  • Chelsea vs Real Madrid – Tuesday 6 August at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina.
Chelsea confirmed USA trip 28-man squad
Chelsea confirmed USA trip 28-man squad
Ivorian striker Bénie Traoré pens FC Basel deal from Sheffield United
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Ivorian Bénie Traoré pens Basel deal from Sheffield United

Sheffield United has officially announced the departure of Ivorian International striker Bénie Traoré from the club to join Swiss side FC Basel for an undisclosed fee.

The Ivorian striker has signed a four-year contract until the summer of 2028 and will strengthen the Red and Blue squad with immediate effect.

Traoré, 21, who was signed by the previous manager, Paul Heckingbottom, from BK Häcken last summer, had limited playing time during his tenure at the Blades, with only nine competitive appearances.

Following his official debut on 12 August 2023 in a 1–0 loss to Crystal Palace in the Premier League, he spent the latter half of the previous season on loan in France with Nantes.

Expressing his satisfaction upon signing for the Swiss Super League club, Traoré stated, “I am delighted to have finalized my move to FC Basel. I have received encouraging feedback about the club, further affirming my positive impressions.

I am adept in various offensive positions on the field and can contribute in versatile roles. Having completed my pre-season training with Sheffield over the past few weeks, I am eagerly anticipating representing my new team on the pitch.”

Dutch side FC Emmen eye Sierra Leone winger Jonathan Morsay
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Dutch side FC Emmen eye Sierra Leone winger Morsay

Dutch club FC Emmen is interested in signing Sierra Leonean winger Jonathan Morsay, who is currently without a club.

Morsay, 26, previously played for Cypriot side AEL Limassol, where he scored two goals in 22 league games last season.

The Greek side has recently announced that they are parting ways with Morsay, despite him having a contract until 2025.

According to Sportbladet, FC Emmen is considering offering Morsay a contract. If the deal with FC Emmen doesn’t work out, other options are being considered. Morsay, a Sierra Leone International, has previously played for Chievo Verona.

FC Emmen is a professional football club from Emmen, Drenthe. They currently play in the Eerste Divisie, which is the second tier of Dutch football, after being relegated from the Eredivisie in the 2022–23 season.

Kei Kamara's Los Angeles tighten grip on Western Conference table
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Kei Kamara’s Los Angeles tighten Western Conference table grip

The Major League second-all-time top scorer played 21 minutes as Los Angeles defeated Seattle Sounders 3-0 at Lumen Field in Seattle on Saturday night.

The victory means they are two points behind the rival LA Galaxy despite having played two fewer games. Denis Bouanga scored two goals for LAFC, with the first coming from a penalty kick in the 16th minute.

Mateusz Bogusz scored the second goal nine minutes later with a right-footed volley. In the 74th minute, Bouanga scored his second goal through Kei Kamara’s assist to seal the victory for LAFC.

Hugo Lloris made three important saves in the final moments to keep a clean sheet for LAFC, his ninth of the season.

With this win, LAFC remains in second place in the Western Conference and fourth in the Supporters’ Shield standings, six points behind the leaders, Inter Miami.

LAFC’s next match will be at home on Friday, July 26, against Club Tijuana in the Leagues Cup opener for both clubs.

Match Highlights

Guinea beat Argentina in preparation for the Olympic opener
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Guinea defeat Argentina in pre-Olympic football match

Guinea’s Syli national U23 team impressively defeated Argentina 1-0 in their final match before the Olympics in Vitré, France.

Thanks to a goal by Mohamed Soumah in the 72nd minute, they wrapped up their preparations ahead of their Paris Olympics opener on Wednesday.

Argentina’s Olympic coach, Javier Mascherano, has welcomed all of his players, including Copa America champions Nicolás Otamendi, Julián Álvarez, and Gerónimo Rulli, who joined the team earlier in the week.

Guinea’s manager, Kaba Diawara, was pleased to watch his team beat one of the tournament favourites.

The West Africans will start their Olympic campaign against New Zealand on July 24 at Stade de Nice, followed by a match against the home team, France, three days later.

They will finish the group stage with a challenging game against the USA on July 30.

Argentina, on the other hand, has been drawn into Group B with Morocco, Iraq, and Ukraine. They will play their first match on July 24th against Morocco, their second on July 27th against Iraq, and their third on July 30th against Ukraine.

Guinea’s Group A fixtures –All kick-offs in local time

Wednesday, 24 July Guinea v New Zealand | 17:00 | Stade de Nice

Saturday, 27 July France v Guinea | 21:00 | Stade de Nice

Tuesday, 30 July USA v Guinea | 19:00 | Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint Etienne