Author: Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sierra Leone to open AFCON 2025 campaign against Chad
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sierra Leone to open AFCON 2025 campaign against Chad

Sierra Leone will begin their 2025 Afcon qualifying campaign by playing their first match against Chad at home, followed by a match against Zambia’s Chipolopolo in September for match-day two.

The Leone Stars will compete against Chad and Zambia in the first week of September, between the 2nd and the 10th. They are aiming to qualify for the continental tournament in Morocco next year, which would be their fourth time participating in the tournament.

In 2015, Sierra Leone and Chad played two matches, with Chad winning 1-0 at the Idriss Mahamat Ouya Omnisports Stadium during the FIFA World Cup Africa 1st round 1st Leg and Sierra Leone winning the second leg 2-1 at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Igwuruta in Port Harcourt the same year.

These matches were for the first round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary. 2–2 on aggregate. Chad won on the away goals rule and advanced to the second round against Egypt.

In each group of the AFCON 2025 qualifiers, only the top two teams will qualify for the final tournament. However, in Group B, which includes hosts Morocco, only one other team will be eligible.

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations will be held in Morocco from December 2025 to January 2026.

Kei Kamara continues his excellent scoring form with LAFC
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Kei Kamara continues his excellent scoring form with LAFC

Kei Kamara, the second-highest goal scorer in Major League Soccer, has scored three goals in his last four matches for Los Angeles in all competitions.

Another header from Kamara as Los Angeles extended its club-record unbeaten streak to 12 games in all competitions with a 2-1 win over archrivals LA Galaxy at the Rose Bowl on Thursday night.

LAFC took the lead in the 40th minute when Kei Kamara scored with a powerful header from a Mateusz Bogusz corner kick, making the score 1-0.

Dénis Athanase Bouanga scored their second goal in the 44th minute before LA Galaxy pulled one back in the 56th minute through Gabriel Pec. However, that would be as close as they would get on the night as the Black & Gold locked down defensively on the way to victory.

LAFC won their third consecutive game against the Galaxy and their third consecutive league game.

They are currently at the top of the Western Conference with a record of 13-4-4 and 43 points, three points ahead of the Galaxy and Real Salt Lake.

Coach Amidu Karim urges early preps for AFCON qualifiers
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Coach Amidu Karim wants early preps for AFCON qualifiers

Sierra Leone’s coach prefers to begin preparations early after Leone Stars were placed in Group G, against holders Ivory Coast, 2012 Champions Zambia, and minnows Chad.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has set a three-month window for the qualification process to Morocco following a draw in Johannesburg on Thursday. The road to Morocco will begin in September and conclude in November 2024. 

Coach Amidu Karim acknowledged the tough race to Morocco as he’ll come up against formidable opponents, including holders Ivory Coast, 2012 Champions Zambia, and Chad, starting in September.

The qualifiers are set to kick off in September 2024 to determine the first 24 nations to compete in Africa’s biggest event, the CAF Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco in 2025.

He led his Leone Stars team to earn four points from their last two World Cup 2026 qualification matches with a 2-1 victory over Djibouti and a 2-2 draw against Burkina Faso in June.

Coach Karim told Football Sierra Leone, “Our group has no weak teams. All we have to do is start our preparations. I’m optimistic about putting on a good show with the team’s current form and performance.”

Only the top two teams in each group will qualify for the final tournament, except for Group B, which includes hosts Morocco. In this group, only one other team will be eligible.

The Leone Stars did not qualify for the AFCON in Ivory Coast as they finished third in Group A behind Nigeria and Guinea-Bissau.

The 35th AFCON edition is scheduled to take start from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, encompassing the Christmas period.

2025 AFCON qualifiers Match days scheduled:

MD 1 & 2- 2nd- 10th September, 2024.

MD3 & 4- 7-15th October, 2024

MD 5 & 6- 11-19th November, 2024

Ivory Coast's head coach, Emerse Fae, is confident that his team will qualify for the 2025 tournament in Morocco from Group G.
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Coach Emerse fae confident of reaching Morocco from Group G

Ivory Coast’s head coach, Emerse Fae, is confident that his team will qualify for the 2025 tournament in Morocco from Group G.

Fae became the manager of the Ivory Coast U23 and assistant coach of the Ivory Coast senior team in May 2022. Later, in January 2024, he was appointed as caretaker of Ivory Coast for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations round of 16, following the dismissal of Gasset.

Under his leadership, Ivory Coast clinched the 2023 AFCON title, and Fae was awarded the Best Coach of the tournament.
The Ivory Coast has been assigned to a challenging group for the upcoming African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, where they will compete against Zambia, Sierra Leone, and Chad in Group G.

Fae mentioned his familiarity with the Zambian team, which Ivory Coast previously played against in the last Afcon qualifying.

“We played against Zambia for the last Afcon qualifying so we know this team very well,” Fae said.

“No easy games in African football but we are defending champions and must be ready to defend our crown by reaching Morocco 2025,” Fae was quoted as saying.

“The team appreciates the proximity of the upcoming games, as they prefer not to have long trips.”

The qualifiers will occur across six match days in September, October, and November of this year. Fae expressed his preference for playing all the games quickly, as it helps the team to stay focused and allows them time to prepare if they qualify for the competition.

The 2025 Afcon finals are scheduled to begin on 21st December next year, with the final on 18th January 2026.

The Ivory Coast has been assigned to a challenging group for the upcoming African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, where they will compete against Zambia, Sierra Leone, and Chad in Group G.
The Ivory Coast has been assigned to a challenging group for the upcoming African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, where they will compete against Zambia, Sierra Leone, and Chad in Group G.
AFCON 2025 qualifiers: Sierra Leone grouped with Ivory Coast, Zambia and Chad
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sierra Leone face former champions for road to Morocco 2025

The national football team of Sierra Leone, known as the Leone Stars, has been placed in Group G as per the official draw made on Thursday in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The team, led by Amidu Karim, faces formidable opponents including holders Ivory Coast, 2012 Champions Zambia and Chad, in the race to the 2025 AFCON group stages starting in September.

The qualifiers are set to kick off in September 2024 to determine the first 24 nations to compete in Africa’s biggest event, the CAF Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco in 2025.

The upcoming matches will determine the qualification of teams for the 35th edition of the biennial African football tournament, organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

In each group, only the top two teams will qualify for the final tournament, except for Group B, which includes hosts Morocco 🇲🇦. In this group, only one other team will qualify.

The 35th AFCON edition is scheduled to take place from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, encompassing the Christmas period.

The qualifiers will begin in September 2024 and conclude in November 2024. This prestigious event will bring together the best national teams from across the continent to compete for the coveted title.

The Leone Stars did not qualify for the AFCON in Ivory Coast as they finished third in Group A behind Nigeria and Guinea-Bissau.