Author: Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sundowns and Wydad register slender wins in AFL semis
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sundowns & Wydad register slender wins in AFL semis

Mamelodi Sundowns and Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca managed a vital 1-0 home win over Egyptian giant Al Ahly and Tunisian side Esperance in the first leg of their African Football League semi-finals.

Thapelo Maseko sealed victory with his second-half goal for the South Africans at Loftus Versfeld Stadium as Hicham Bousfiane gave Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca a goal advantage over their North African counterparts on Sunday.

On Wednesday, four-time African champions Esperance will still fancy their chances of overcoming their visitors on home soil as African giant Al Ahly plans a pathway to the next stage against Sundowns at their Cairo fortress.

Both return leg matches are expected to be fireworks in Cairo and Tunisia, respectively. 

Connect with us @football_sierra on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone, the writer Alie Bittar on Twitter @bittar32, Contact Bi****@*****************ne.com. African Football League. 

Issa Kallon's Shanghai Port Clinch 2023 Chinese Super League title
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Issa Kallon’s Shanghai Port Clinch Super League title

Shanghái Port played a 1-1 draw against Shandong Taishan to clinch their second Chinese Super League (CSL) title on Sunday with a game to spare.

The hosts broke the deadlock in the 16th minute when Zhang Linpeng’s cross released Lyu Wenjun to side-foot home. Wenneng Xie levelled the scoreline in the 89th minute but was too late as the home team held on to the win.

Kallon was named on the bench as Shanghai had led Shandong by five points at the top of the table before the duel, and it was no surprise that the match brimmed with an intense atmosphere.

A physical altercation erupted before halftime between Chen Pu and Lyu as they vied for position inside the penalty area.

A scuffle broke out again when Shanghai’s Li Shuai brought down Fei Nanduo in the 75th minute, prompting the Shandong forward to retaliate by pushing Li to the ground. Fei received a red card, thus reducing both sides to nine players.

The Sierra Leone International contributed five goals in twenty-five appearances in all competitions for the Chinese side. 

On 28 July 2022, Kallon joined the Chinese Super League club Shanghai Port.

Elsewhere on Sunday, Tianjin Jinmen Tigers drew with Shanghai Shenhua 1-1, Zhejiang FC smashed Cangzhou Mighty Lions 6-1, Henan FC tied with Changchun Yatai 1-1, and Chengdu Rongcheng overcame Beijing Guoan 3-2.

After Shanghai Port’s championship win, all eyes are on the battle to avoid relegation in next Saturday’s season finale, with Nantong facing off against Tianjin and Dalian playing against Shanghai Port at home. 

Connect with us @football_sierra on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone, the writer Alie Bittar on Twitter @bittar32, Contact Bi****@*****************ne.com, Players Abroad News.

Kamil Conteh's Grimsby Town fall to fourth straight defeat
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Kamil Conteh’s Grimsby Town fall to fourth straight defeat

Sierra Leone International Kamil Conteh was in action as his League Two side, Grimsby Town, suffered an away defeat to Doncaster Rovers at the Eco-Power Stadium on Saturday.

After a goalless fierst half, Joe Ironside scored a second-half penalty for what proved to be the only goal of the game.

It was a fourth consecutive Sky Bet League Two defeat for Grimsby Town, leaving them four points from the releagtion zone.

Grimsby Town will now turn their attention to the FA Cup and a trip to face Slough Town on Sunday, November 5.

Since his move from Middlesborough to Town, Conteh, 20, has made sisteen appearnces in all comtitoon for the Mariners. 

“We’ve looked at data and performances over six weeks so it’s not a snap decision,” said chair Jason Stockwood.

Speaking to BBC Radio Humberside he added: “We’ve been talking at length for the past two weeks in particular. The performances haven’t been bad but there’s something which isn’t in the data which tells us that we’re not getting the rub of the green, so we feel like it’s time to turn the page.

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

John Kamara nets first Egaleo's League goal in the draw 
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

John Kamara nets first Egaleo’s League goal

Experienced Sierra Leone International midfielder John Kamara recorded his first Super League second-tier goal in Egaleo‘s 1-1 draw against Athens Kallithea on Saturday.

Kamara’s goal came in the 56th minute to cancel out the visitor’s opener from Panagiotis Kynigopoulous in the 48th minute. 

The veteran defensive midfielder was making his fifth appearance for Egaleo this campaign, having extended his contract in September. 

Kamara joined Egaleo last January and has been a pivotal player for the club. He made eleven appearances for the club, helping them avoid relegation as they finished tenth last season.

The draw moved Egaleo up to ninth on the league table after week five of the season. 

Egaleo’s next outing in the Greek Super League Two is an away trip to Panathinaikos B on the 5th of November.

Connect with us @football_sierra – on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone, and Players Abroad News Greek Super League 2 

John Kamara nets first Egaleo's League goal in Saturday's draw
John Kamara nets first Egaleo's League goal in Saturday's draw
ACV Assen midfielder Ibrahim Sillah reflects after Sierra Leone duty
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Assen midfielder Ibrahim Sillah reflects after Sierra Leone duty 

ACV Assen midfielder Ibrahim Sillah, who made his Sierra Leone debut against Togo on 24 March 2022 in an International friendly in Turkey, has been speaking out about the recent International call-up.

He was named in coach Amidu Karim’s squad for International matches in the 1-1 draw against Benin and the 2-0 triumph of Somalia in Morocco earlier this month.

The Kickers Emden player, who has won five caps with Sierra Leone, was pleased as he sat with Dutch media dvhn.nl sport to give an account. 

“Eight million people are living in Sierra Leone. Of these, Twenty players (25) have been selected for the national football team during the Fifa calender in October,” he told DVHN.nl sport.

“I am one of them. I’m proud of that. I dreamed of this as a child but never expected to achieve this, my parents would have been proud of me, but they’re gone.”

Since his return to the Dutch side, Sillah, 28, has been pivotal in making eight appearances in this campaign. 

The midfielder is hoping he has impressed enough to be selected for World Cup qualifying matches against Ethiopia and Egypt on November 15 and 19, respectively. 

The Leone Stars’ journey to qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in the USA, Mexico and Canada will begin in November 2023.

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