Author: Alie Bittar @bittar32

Burkina Faso attacker Dango Ouattara nets in Brentford win over Burnley
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Burkina Faso attacker Dango Ouattara nets in Brentford win over Burnley

Burkina Faso attacker Dango Ouattara scored as Brentford moved up to eighth place in the Premier League after defeating Burnley 3-1. The game featured three late goals, all scored within 11 minutes.

Igor Thiago scored two late goals as Brentford secured the victory at the Gtech Community Stadium. After missing a crucial penalty against Brighton last week, Thiago was once again in the spotlight during an exciting finish to Saturday’s match.

The first half was uneventful, but five minutes into the second half, Thiago had a goal disallowed for offside. He broke the deadlock in the 81st minute with a penalty after Dango Ouattara was fouled by Axel Tuanzebe.

Burnley equalised just four minutes later with a penalty from Zian Flemming after Jaidon Anthony was fouled. However, Thiago quickly regained the lead for Brentford with another goal after a cross from Jordan Henderson, just 72 seconds later.

In stoppage time, Ouattara secured the win with a goal past Martin Dubravka. Thiago’s performance has been exceptional, reaching 11 goals this season, second only to Erling Haaland, and setting a record for the fewest matches played for a Brentford player to achieve this milestone.

With this victory, Brentford has now won three home games in a row for the first time since December 2024, scoring three goals in each match and temporarily rising to eighth in the league table.

Attacker Mustapha Bundu nets first Bundesliga 2 goal
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Attacker Mustapha Bundu nets first Bundesliga 2 goal

Sierra Leone player Mustapha Bundu scored his first goal of the season in Bundesliga II. His team, Hannover, won 3-0 against Karlsruhe on Friday.

The first half ended without any goals, but after halftime, the Reds quickly took control of the game with two quick goals. Key moments included Benedikt Pichler’s comeback goal and Mustapha Bundu’s first goal of the season.

Goals:- 1-0 (68th minute): Aseko runs down the wing and passes to Chakroun, who places the ball perfectly into the bottom right corner of Bernat’s net.

2-0 (70th minute): Aseko pushes past several KSC defenders. Despite pressure, the on-loan Bayern Munich player plays a through ball to Pichler, who chips it over Bernat into the net.

3-0 (77th minute): Neubauer steals the ball and passes to Bundu, who is unmarked. Bundu stays calm in front of Bernat and scores, marking his first goal in the Reds’ jersey!

The highlight of the game: Benedikt Pichler made a fantastic comeback after a long injury. He scored just four minutes after returning to play following a knee injury.

The statistics of the game: Just two minutes separated the goals by Chakroun and Pichler, which helped secure a comfortable home win over KSC.

What’s next: In a week, the team will play again. They will start matchday 15 on Friday at 6:30 p.m., away at the LVM-Preußenstadion. Head coach Christian Titz is eager to lead the team to another victory.

Keeper Mamadou Jalloh extends VPS loan deal until 2026 from Brøndby
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Keeper Mamadou Jalloh extends VPS loan deal from Brøndby until 2026

Sierra Leone International Mamadou Jalloh, who has been strengthening VPS's goalkeeping since the end of August, will continue as the team's goalkeeper next season.

VPS and Brøndby IF have reached an agreement on the loan of the young Danish goalkeeper. Sports director Tommi Pikkarainen mentioned that the process was challenging, but the effort proved worthwhile.

“Madu demonstrated in the latter part of the season what an excellent young goalkeeper he is. Negotiations weren’t easy, but both parties worked hard to make it happen. In the end, we found common ground, which is fortunate for everyone involved,” said VPS Sports director Tommi Pikkarainen.

Jalloh himself is excited about the successful agreement. “I am really happy that the deal was completed. I’ve wanted to return to the club since the end of last season, and it feels great to officially be a VPS player again.”

The 18-year-old goalkeeper is also very grateful for the trust he has received at Raida. “Last season, I learned a lot in a short period of time. I felt like I was improving with every training session and match while working with the VPS coaching staff. The club believed in me from the start, and I want to repay that trust in the coming season.”

Jalloh’s goals for next season align with those of his teammates. He is aiming for a top-six finish. “I want to compete in every match and help Vepsu return to the top half of the Veikkausliiga. My personal goal is to play as much as possible and improve every time I step on the field.”

Pyramids, Al Ahly, Young Africans and Sundowns register wins in CAF Champions League
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Pyramids, Al Ahly, Young Africans and Sundowns register wins in CAF Champions League

The group stages of the 2025/26 Caf Champions League kicked off with an exciting slate of matches, showcasing dominant performances from some of the biggest clubs.

In Group A, reigning champions Pyramids made a statement by defeating Nigeria’s Rivers United 3-0 in Cairo, thanks to a stunning hat trick from Ahmed Atef El Sayed.

Meanwhile, Caf Confederation Cup winners RS Berkane matched that scoreline against Zambia’s Power Dynamos, who had previously knocked out Vipers. Goals from Aaron Katebe, a clinical finish by Mounir Chouiar, and Paul Bassène’s second-half penalty sealed the victory for the Moroccans.

Over in Group B, record champions Al Ahly put on a show with a commanding 4-1 win against JS Kabylie in Cairo. Trezeguet found the net twice, Mohamed Sherif added another, and a late own goal from Kabylie capped off a convincing performance.

Tanzania’s Young Africans also got off to a solid start, clinching a 1-0 win over FAR Rabat in Zanzibar, courtesy of a sharp second-half finish from Prince Dube.

Group C saw wins for both Sundowns and Al Hilal. Sundowns triumphed 3-1 over DR Congo’s St. Eloi Lupopo, with Nuno Santos netting a brace and Marcello Allende adding another goal.

Al Hilal secured a gritty 2-1 victory against MC Alger in Kigali, with goals from Abdelrazek Omar and Mohamed Abdelrahman (“Al Gharbal”), even after finishing the match with 10 men.

In contrast, Simba faced a tough home loss, going down 1-0 to Angola’s Petro Atletico, with the lone goal scored by Benny. In the same group, Tunisia’s Esperance could only manage a draw against Mali’s Stade Malien in Tunis.

With match day two on the horizon, the excitement of the competition is set to continue next weekend.

  • Simba 0-1 Petro Atletico
  • RS Berkane 3-0 Power Dynamos
  • Pyramids 3-0 Rivers United
  • Al Ahly 4-1 JS Kabylie
  • Esperance 0-0 Stade de Malien
  • Mamelodi Sundowns 3-1 St. Eloi Lupopo
  • Young Africans 1-0 FAR Rabat
  • Al Hilal Omdurman 2-1 MC Alger
Striker Augustine Williams and Pittsburgh Riverhounds win USL title
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Striker Augustine Williams and Pittsburgh Riverhounds win USL title

Sierra Leone International Augie Williams and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds won the USL Championship, their first league title in 26 years, by defeating FC Tulsa 5-3 in a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw at ONEOK Field.

Goalkeeper Eric Dick earned the Most Valuable Player award for making five saves during the match, including a critical stop against Tulsa’s Stefan Lukic in the shootout. This was his 16th shutout of the season, a team record.

Bertin Jacquesson, Robbie Mertz, Chase Boone, Sean Suber, and Beto Ydrach successfully converted their penalty kicks.

The Riverhounds made history by winning the title without conceding a goal in the playoffs, ending the year with 632 minutes of scoreless play.

The match began with plenty of action. Luke Biasi almost scored with a shot that hit the crossbar. Charles Ahl set up Augie Williams, who was denied by Tulsa’s Tyler Deric.

Tulsa had several chances, outshooting the Riverhounds 17-6. Dick made a crucial save against Kalil ElMedkhar in the 40th minute. Williams had one last chance before halftime but missed the target.

After the recess, Tulsa pressed hard in the second half, nearly scoring after a defensive mistake, but Griffin saved the day. A dangerous cross led to more scrambles, but Dick secured the ball.

Extra Time and Penalties

In extra time, neither team could find a breakthrough. During the shootout, after the Riverhounds went ahead 2-1, Lukic’s shot was saved by Dick. Ydrach then ended it with a shot down the middle as Deric dove to the side.

Hounds top the league, winning USL Championship Final
Hounds top the league, winning USL Championship Final