Author: Alie Bittar @bittar32

Back-to-back wins for Osman Kakay's Queens Park Rangers
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Back-to-back wins for Osman Kakay’s Queens Park Rangers

Under new boss Martí Cifuentes, Queens Park Rangers have registered back-to-back English Championship victories after a 2-0 win in wintry conditions at Deepdale.

The Sierra Leone International started on the bench but was substituted in the 65th minute, replacing Reggie Cannon to bookmark his 20th appearance. 

In a game of few chances, the visitors took the lead ten minutes into the second period through Paul Smyth’s close-range finish before Chris Willock made it two in the closing stages.

On Tuesday, they defeated Stoke City 4-2 in their home win this season, coming from behind to beat 10-man Stoke City.

Marti Cifuentes made four changes from the side that recorded a dramatic 4-2 win over Stoke City in W12 on Tuesday night, with Jake Clarke-Salter, Reggie Cannon, Andre Dozzell and Chris Willock coming in at the expense of Steve Cook, Osman Kakay, Elijah Dixon-Bonner and Ilias Chair.

However, they remain in the Championship bottom three but as a much-improved side under new boss Marti Cifuentes, having lost only one of the Spaniard’s five matches in charge.

Connect with us @football_sierra – on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone, Players Abroad News, Queens Park Rangers News. 

Amadou Bakayoko's Dundee travel to face Motherwell
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Amadou Bakayoko’s Dundee travel to face Motherwell

On Saturday, Sierra Leone International Amadou Bakayoko’s Dundee set to travel to Motherwell in the cinch Premiership round fifteen.

Their first away match since Saturday, 28th October, when they defeated Livingston 0-2 at the Tony Macaroni Arena as the Dee hunt for another successful away day tomorrow at Fir Park.

Motherwell, standing 9th, will be looking to take maximum points at home after coming from a 1-1 draw at Celtic Park last weekend.

Only four points separated Dundee in 7th place and Motherwell in 9th place with Dundee having played one less game.

The teams last met on the first day of the league season in Dundee and played out an entertaining 1-1 draw.

Theo Bair scored for Motherwell just before half-time, and in the second half, Lyall Cameron scored the equaliser for The Dee in the 68th minute.

Since joining on a season-long deal for the 23/24 season from English League Two side Forest Green Rovers, Bakayoko has scored three times for the Dee.

He made his Dee debut against Inverness CT in the Viaplay Cup on 30th July 2023.

Connect with us @football_sierra – on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone, and Players Abroad News, Cinch Premiership.

Sierra Leone line-up friendlies for World Cup qualifiers
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sierra Leone nosedive five places in latest Fifa ranking

Sierra Leone has plummeted five places from 122 in October to 127 in November’s FIFA ranking after their two 2026 World Cup opening qualifying matches.

The Leone Stars of Sierra Leone played to a goalless draw against Ethiopia and suffered a 2-0 defeat to Egypt this month – they were ranked 122 before the 2026 World Cup qualification started.

November’s Fifa ranking also affected the West African nation’s place in the continent as they dropped to 36th place from 32nd in October with 1138.53 points scored globally.

In Africa, Morocco ranked as the best football team in the continent after its victory against Tanzania in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, seeing the Atlas Lions maintain the 13th spot globally.

Senegal, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali and Burkina Faso make the top ten. 

England impressively climbed to third in the Fifa world rankings after completing an unbeaten qualifying campaign for Euro 2024.

Argentina, France, England, Belgium and Brazil sit top of the World.  

Connect with us @football_sierra – on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone, and National News & Fifa Ranking News. 

Sierra Leone nosedived five places from 122 in October to 127 November in the latest Fifa ranking
Sierra Leone nosedived five places from 122 in October to 127 November in the latest Fifa ranking
Alex Bangura bags first Boro goal in win over Preston
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Alex Bangura bags first Boro goal in win over Preston

Defender Alex Bangura scored his first goal for Middlesbrough as they thrashed  Preston North  4-0 on Tuesday

Isaiah Jones scored twice – summer signings Rav van den Berg and Alex Bangura were the other scorers as Middlesbrough thrashed their visitors at the Riverside.

Stuttering Preston’s defeat was their sixth in 10 matches, another blow for the Lancashire side after Cardiff scored twice in stoppage time to beat them on Saturday.

The defeat means they dropped out of the play-off places and just one point better off than Boro, whose win moved them up to ninth in the Championship table, three points off the play-off spots.

Bangura, 24, joined the club on the 1st of September, 2023, on a four-year contract for £1 million.

Connect with us @football_sierra – on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone, and Players Abroad News & Middlesbrough FC.

Sierra Leone International pens Hartford Athletic deal
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sierra Leone’s Emmanuel Samadia pens Hartford Athletic deal

USL Championship side have confirmed the signing of Sierra Leone international Emmanuel Samadia ahead of the 2024 season, pending league and federation approval.

He made 89 appearances from 2020-2023, recorded ten assists and scored two goals. In January 2023, he helped his side win the Liga Leumit Toto Cup.

The defender/winger has been an integral part of the Sierra Leone national team since his debut against Niger in 2020.

He has gone on to make thirteen total international caps. Most recently, the 22-year-old recorded assists in back-to-back matches against Ethiopia and Egypt in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

“Samadia comes to Hartford after a three year stint with Hapoel Umm al-Fahm and Hapoel Rishon leZion of Liga Leumit, the second division of the Israeli Football League,” the USL side confirmed. 

“Emmanuel is a young ambitious player that has great potential. He is an exceptional athlete who has shown well for his national team against some of Africa’s best teams,” Hartford Athletic CEO Nick Sakiewicz told club’s website. 

Samadia, a native of Freetown, Sierra Leone, began his professional career playing with FC Kallon of the Sierra Leone Premier League from 2019 to 2021. 

Connect with us @football_sierra on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone, and Players Abroad News.