Author: Alie Bittar @bittar32

José Peseiro calls for Nigeria to be clinical in attack
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

José Peseiro calls for Nigeria to be clinical in attack

Nigeria’s manager, José Peseiro, has urged his team to improve their attack ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations semi-final clash against South Africa.

The Nigerian national football team, also known as the Super Eagles, has advanced to the semi-finals of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2023 after defeating Angola with a score of 1-0. The result marked their fourth consecutive clean sheet at the tournament. 

They play against South Africa on Wednesday at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké (5:00 PM GMT). A victory in this match would bring them closer to their goal of winning a fourth title for Nigeria. 

While praising the team’s defensive strength, the head coach, Peseiro, hopes to see improvements in their attacking abilities. Although they managed to score a goal against Angola without conceding any, he believes that more goals would have been better.

The team could have created more opportunities,” he said. With only six goals scored in five games, the Portuguese coach feels Nigeria isn’t capitalizing on their quality. “We are a quality team Angola was very good, but we had more luck. I remain satisfied with my players but want us to be more efficient,” Peseiro added.

“We’re missing key creators like Iheanacho and Aribo, so it’s been hard. But others must now step up,” he noted. As Nigeria chase their fourth AFCON title, Peseiro believes finding a clinical edge could be decisive. 

The Super Eagles have ground-out results thanks to their miserly defence. But should they rediscover their scoring touch, Peseiro is on the verge of leading Nigeria back to the pinnacle of African football.

AFCON hosts Ivory Coast triumph with a last-gasp winner
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

AFCON hosts Ivory Coast triumph with a last-gasp winner

The Elephants of Ivory Coast, in front of home fans, pulled off another remarkable escape act in the Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

Cote d’Ivoire and DR Congo will face each other in the semi-finals on Wednesday, February 7th at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan.

They won the quarterfinal match against Mali with a 122nd-minute goal from Oumar Diakite, which broke the hearts of the losing team.

The Ivorians played most of the game at a disadvantage since Odilon Kossounou was sent off for two first-half fouls on Lassine Sinayoko. They went behind to Nene Dorgeles’ beautiful curling shot.

In the 90th minute of the game, the Elephants managed to equalize thanks to an opportunistic finish from Simon Adingra. Then, in the extra time, they won the game with virtually the last kick as Diakite deflected Seko Fofana’s shot into the net.

Despite the victory, Diakite’s emotions were mixed as he received a second yellow card for removing his shirt in celebration. This means he will be banned for the upcoming semi-final match against DR Congo.

Unfortunately, the final whistle caused some unpleasant scenes. Several Mali players surrounded the referee, Mohamed Adel, and protested against his decisions. As a result, Hamari Traore was shown a red card for taking his protests too far.

Connect with us @football_sierra on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone, and the Writer Alie Bittar on Twitter @bittar32 African News.

South Africa Keeper stars in high stakes shootout
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

South Africa keeper Ronwen Williams stars in AFCON shootout 

South African goalkeeper Ronwen Williams was the hero of the day as he saved four penalties to help his team reach the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals.

Bafana Bafana will take on the Super Eagles in the semi-finals on Wednesday, 07 February, at the Stade de la Paix in Bouake.

After a goalless draw against Cape Verde, Williams denied the Blue Sharks four times in the penalty shootout to lead his team to the next round, where they will face Nigeria.

Williams gave credit to his entire team and technical staff for his heroic displays on Saturday. “It was tough. They played their part, and it was my time to play my part,” said Williams, crediting his teammates and back-end staff. “I am just glad that we are in the next round. This is not mine, but it is for the collective.” 

The Mamelodi Sundowns man added, “The staff, technical team, and each player. This journey has been tough, but we soldiered on as a team, so I will accept this on behalf of every player in Bafana Bafana.”

South Africa’s captain, Ronwen Williams, not only kept Cape Verde at bay during the 120 minutes of play but also helped his team reach the semi-finals of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023. 

Connect with us @football_sierra on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone, and the Writer Alie Bittar on Twitter @bittar32 African News.

Sierra Leone's Issa Kallon set to join Nantong Zhiyun
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sierra Leone’s Issa Kallon set to join Nantong Zhiyun

Sierra Leone’s winger Issa Kallon has confirmed joining Chinese Super League side Nantong Zhiyun on a two-year deal.

The former Shanghai Port winger will travel to China from Holland in the coming days. He won the 2023 title with Shanghai Port in October.

The former Cambuur winger moved to Shanghai Port in the Chinese Super League on July 28, 2022. Kallon, who was born in the Netherlands, has played as a former youth international for the Netherlands.

Kallon, 28, was part of the Sierra Leone 2021 Africa Cup of Nations squad. He played in Sierra Leone’s 2-2 draw against the Ivory Coast on January 16, 2022, in the Cup of Nations. 

DR Congo's Yoane Wissa focuses on AFCON semi-final
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

DR Congo’s Yoane Wissa focuses on AFCON semi-final

DR Congo forward Yoane Wissa expressed his determination to represent his nation well after their victory over Guinea, which secured their place in the Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals. 

Wissa scored a crucial penalty in the quarter-final match, which ended in a 3-1 victory for DR Congo, earning him the game’s man of the match. 

He mentioned that he and his teammates are proud to take on the responsibility of raising their country’s flag high and that they are ready to play in any position when called upon by their country. 

DR Congo, who have won the AFCON title twice before last in 1974, are now one step closer to the finals. 

Wissa stated that their team has no preference over their next opponent, whether it’s Mali or Cote d’Ivoire, as they are both great footballing nations, and DR Congo needs to be ready to face either of them. 

The Leopards, who played a great game against Guinea, are continuing to perform well and seem to be peaking at the right time in their pursuit of continental glory.