Author: Alie Bittar @bittar32

by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sierra Leone’s Juma Bah impressive in Bundesliga debut with Augsburg

In a thrilling match, Sierra Leone’s Juma Bah was impressive as FC Augsburg secured a remarkable 2-2 draw against record champions Bayern Munich, having led twice.

Robin Fellhauer’s goal not only highlighted his talent but also made history as the fastest goal in Bundesliga history.

Augsburg’s coach, Manuel Baum, made four changes to the lineup from their last match, with Juma Bah and Youngwoo Seol making their first starts.

The Sierra Leone International was pivotal in their 2-2 draw on Friday night as they shared the spoils with Bayern Munich who were unable to capitalise on Borussia Dortmund dropping points.

Rodrigo Ribeiro and Arijon Ibrahimović joined the starting eleven, while Marius Wolf missed out due to an infection and Alexis Claude-Maurice due to muscular issues. Anton Kade returned from injury, and Sima Suso was included in the matchday squad for the first time.

The match kicked off with a bang when Augsburg scored just eight seconds in. After Bayern’s Manuel Neuer misplayed a chip pass, Fellhauer seized the opportunity, racing to the unguarded goal and calmly finishing to give Augsburg a stunning 1-0 lead.

Despite an early setback, Bayern quickly took charge of the match but found it difficult to penetrate Augsburg’s well-organised defence, which was always poised for counter-attacks

Bayern levelled in the 55th minute, but the home side regained the lead when Ribeiro scored in the 64th. However, the game was soon tied again at 2-2: Kane made a brilliant run down the left side of the penalty area and laid the ball off perfectly for Nathaniel Brown, who calmly slotted it home from about eight meters with his left foot in the 81st minute.

Augsburg 2-2 Bayern

Goals: 1-0 Fellhauer 1’, 1-1 Saibari 55’ (assist: Kane), 2-1 Ribeiro 64’, 2-2 Brown 80’ (assist: Kane)

by Alie Bittar @bittar32

CAF Strategy Conference Concludes Second Day in Cabo Verde

The 54 Member Associations of the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) wrapped up a successful second day of the CAF Strategy Conference, chaired by CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe, in Sal, Santa Maria, Cabo Verde on Thursday, 8 October 2026.

The opening session featured notable attendees, including Cabo Verde’s Head of State, Dr. Janira Hopffer Almada, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, both of whom delivered remarks addressing the significance of the event.

Day three of the CAF Strategy Conference is set to kick off on Friday, 9 October 2026, at 09:00 local time / 10:00 GMT / 13:00 Cairo time. FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development and former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger will participate in an engaging panel discussion alongside several successful coaches from Africa’s National Teams at the FIFA World Cup 2026, including Cabo Verde’s Bubista, Egypt’s Hossam Hassan, and DR Congo’s Sébastien Desabre.

A major goal of the CAF Strategy Conference is to elevate football in each of the 54 Member Associations to a world-class level and to ensure that it becomes self-sustaining, all while enhancing the competitiveness of CAF competitions on the global stage.

In recent years, CAF has significantly boosted its investment in football development and the growth of its Member Associations, leading to hundreds of millions of US dollars in funding. This includes increasing annual subsidies to CAF Member Associations and Zonal Unions, consistently bringing in new sponsorship and partnership agreements, finalizing mutually rewarding deals with television and other broadcasters, and continually enhancing the quality of the broadcasting product.

by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Guirassy Strikes as Guinea Edge Kenya in Conakry

Serhou Guirassy scored the lone goal as Guinea bounced back from an opening defeat to secure a 1-0 victory over Kenya in their TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations PAMOJA 2027 qualifier in Conakry on Thursday.

The Borussia Dortmund forward struck in the 32nd minute, earning Paulo Duarte’s team their first points in Group D after a 2-1 loss to South Africa in their previous match.

With this win, Guinea moved into second place with three points, three behind leaders South Africa, who triumphed 5-0 over Eritrea. Kenya remains at one point after their earlier 1-1 draw against Eritrea, yet they have already qualified for PAMOJA 2027 as co-hosts.

This situation leaves South Africa, Guinea, and Eritrea contending for the highest-placed non-host nation in the group to secure the remaining qualification spot.

Guinea started strong, coming close to scoring when Guirassy’s free-kick hit the crossbar. They kept the pressure on, with Guirassy eventually breaking through to score just after the half-hour mark. Kenya’s Byrne Omondi made key saves to keep the scoreline from widening before halftime.

In the second half, Kenya’s coach Benni McCarthy made tactical changes, bringing on Ryan Ogam and Timothy Ouma in search of an equaliser, but despite their efforts, Guinea’s defence held firm.

Duarte’s team successfully protected their narrow lead, clinching their first victory of the campaign, while South Africa leads Group D with six points.

by Alie Bittar @bittar32

QUEIROZ SACKED AFTER GHANA’S POOR AFCON QUALIFICATION START

Carlos Queiroz has been sacked as Ghana head coach following a disappointing start to their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

The Black Stars suffered back-to-back defeats, losing 2-0 to Côte d’Ivoire before a 4-2 home defeat to The Gambia, leaving them without a point from their opening two Group C matches.

Ghana had taken a 2-0 lead against The Gambia through Ernest Nuamah and Felix Afena-Gyan, but the Scorpions staged a dramatic comeback to claim all three points.

The Ghana Football Association has announced that both parties have ended their contract by mutual agreement. Queiroz had previously led Ghana to the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where they lost to Colombia.

CAS confirm Senegal appeal over CAF AFCON final decision
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

CAS to Hear Senegal-Morocco AFCON Final Appeal on October 8

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will hear Senegal’s appeal against the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) on October 8, 2026, in Lausanne, Switzerland. The hearing will be closed to the public.

Senegal and Morocco will attend, while CAF will be represented by its legal team. The dispute concerns the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, where Senegal initially won 1-0 but later had the match forfeited under Article 84, resulting in a 3-0 victory for Morocco.

Senegal is seeking to have this ruling overturned and to be recognised as the official 2025 AFCON champion. The three-member CAS panel will be chaired by Professor Gérald Simon from France. The hearing will be in French.

The panel will deliberate after the hearing, but they won’t announce a decision the same day. Senegal’s appeal was registered on March 25, 2026.