Author: Alie Bittar @bittar32

Scottish Premiership side Dundee Football Club is interested in securing Amadou Bakayoko's future at Dens Park by offering him a permanent contract.
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Dundee eye permanent deal for striker Amadou Bakayoko 

Scottish Premiership side Dundee Football Club is interested in securing Amadou Bakayoko’s future at Dens Park by offering him a permanent contract.

The striker from Sierra Leone has been an influential player for the Dark Blues this season, playing a crucial role in achieving a top-six position. 

He joined the club on loan from Forest Green Rovers last summer and has secured the second spot in the club’s top scorers list.

Bakayoko scored the decisive goal in their victory against St Johnstone at the end of March, which helped them secure a place in the top half of the table. Now, the team is looking forward to their final five matches of the season, with Celtic being their next opponent this coming Sunday.

Beyond that, work is already underway to bolster the squad for next season.

Manager Tony Docherty has expressed his satisfaction with the striker’s performance this season. He has also revealed his intentions to reduce the number of loan deals next season and replace them with permanent deals, including Bakayoko.

“We’re recruiting for next season, evaluating current players and exploring external options. We brought in 11 loans this season, but some may become permanent based on performance. Bakayoko falls into this category. If a player is doing well and our relationship is strong, we want to continue working together, especially if it’s been successful.”

John Kamara made a great start to his season at Unity City in the Philippine Football League (PFL) by scoring his debut goal on Sunday.
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Midfielder John Kamara opens League account with United City

John Kamara made a great start to his season at Unity City in the Philippine Football League (PFL) by scoring his debut goal on Sunday. 

Kamara’s goal, which came through a header, was scored just before the half-time break and gave his team the lead after the home team had equalised. 

Unity City went on to win the game 4-1 on Sunday. Kamara, who used to play for Egaleo, said he was thrilled to have started the season with a positive result. 

He was named Man of the Match and included in Week three’s Team of the Week.

He added that he was happy to have helped his team with a goal and that winning away from home was a great achievement.

As a result, United Coity moved up to fifth on the table. 

“John Bankolé Kamara is a significant signing for United City FC. His versatility, leadership, and technical ability make him a valuable addition to the squad,” Coach Marian said of the midfielder after they signed him

Last season, the former Keşla enforcer played for Egaleo in the Greek second-tier league before leaving to join United City.

City is Kamara’s tenth professional club since he started with Tadamon Sour SC in 2008.

He made his senior international debut for Sierra Leone in 2013 and has made over 20 caps for Sierra Leone. He played a pivotal role on the road to Cameroon in 2021. Kamara played in all Sierra Leone matches at the  2021 AFCON.

He was named Man of the Match and included in Week three's Team of the Week.
He was named Man of the Match and included in Week three's Team of the Week.
Trevoh Chalobah disappointed after Chelsea's FA Cup defeat
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Trevoh Chalobah disappointed after Chelsea’s FA Cup defeat

Trevoh Chalobah has expressed disappointment after Chelsea’s defeat in the FA Cup semi-final to Manchester City. However, he believes the team must quickly regroup ahead of the Premier League’s “seven finals.”

Despite creating clear chances throughout the 90 minutes, Chelsea was narrowly beaten by Pep Guardiola’s side at Wembley. City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega twice denied Nicolas Jackson, and Chelsea also had a penalty appeal for handball turned down. 

Chalobah produced a strong display at Wembley, but he feels that the finer details in the attacking third cost the Blues the match. “We worked on the manager’s game plan for the last few days, and we stuck to it. However, we lacked the final details, which was finding the back of the net,” the 24-year-old explained.

Although the defeat ended Chelsea’s chances of claiming silverware this season, Chalobah believes that the team must learn from these types of experiences.

“We’ve been here twice this season, and a new group of boys have now had a feel for what being at Wembley is like. Hopefully, we have that again next season, and we have to up our levels to get into the final.”

Brazilian Sasse scores Esperance's winner against Mamelodi Sundowns
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Brazilian Sasse scores Esperance’s winner against Sundowns

Esperance of Tunisia claimed a 1-0 victory over Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa in the first leg of their CAF Champions League semi-final match on Saturday. 

In the 41st minute, Yan Sasse, 26, from Brazil scored the only goal of the game. He converted a rebound after Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams parried his first attempt. Sasse’s compatriot, Rodrigo Rodrigues, played a significant role in the goal by providing an excellent through ball to Sasse.

The goal came soon after Sundowns had a goal ruled offside, Rodrigues had hit the woodwork, and teammate Houssem Tka had another shot cleared off the goalline. 

Sasse could have scored again in the second half, but a last-ditch tackle by Grant Kekana prevented him from doing so. 

Visiting Sundowns failed to equalize despite Mothobi Mvala’s shot, which was saved by Esperance’s goalkeeper. 

Esperance, bidding for their fifth Champions League title, held on to a narrow lead until the return leg.

Elsewhere, title-holders Al Ahly moved closer to their seventh final appearance in eight seasons by holding TP Mazembe to a goalless draw.

Ahly and Mazembe drew 0-0 in their match. Despite injuries to key players, Ahly achieved a satisfactory result. 

Mazembe drew their home quarter-final match but won the return match 2-1. Ahly will host Mazembe in Cairo, and Sundowns will face Esperance on Friday.

Striker Idris Kanu helps Barnet thrash Kidderminster at the Hive
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Striker Idris Kanu helps Barnet thrash Kidderminster

On Saturday, Barnet secured a comfortable 4-1 win over Kidderminster, during which Sierra Leone International Idris Kanu accounted for one of the goals at the Hive.

It was his seventh of the season as the victory also confirmed the team’s 2nd place finish in the National League, which means they will have the advantage of playing at home in the upcoming play-off semi-final next weekend.

Barnet ended their regular season fixtures with a convincing win against the already-relegated Kidderminster as they prepared for the playoffs. 

In the 33rd minute, Danny Collinge scored the match’s first goal with a header, which was assisted by a corner. This was Collinge’s ninth goal of the season. 

Barnet continued to create chances and in the 44th minute, Nicke Kabamba scored the second goal of the match, his 29th of the season. 

Luke Freeman added to the scoreline in the 47th minute, making it 3-0 for Barnet. 

Kidderminster managed to pull one back in the 60th minute through Charlie Weston. Idris Kanu sealed the three points at The Hive with a beautiful goal, marking the end of the regular season.

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