Author: Alie Bittar @bittar32

Ex-Sierra Leone skipper Caulker pens Assistant first-team Coach deal at Konyaspor
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Ex-Sierra Leone skipper Caulker pens Assistant first-team Coach deal at Konyaspor

Ex-Sierra Leone captain Steven Caulker has officially joined Süper Lig club Konyaspor as an assistant head coach under İlhan Palut.

The club announced, “Caulker has signed a contract with us and will be part of the technical staff alongside our Head Coach İlhan Palut as an assistant coach.”

Caulker began his football journey in the Tottenham youth academy and has since played over 100 Premier League matches for renowned teams such as Liverpool, Southampton, and Cardiff City.

In addition to his Premier League experience, Steven Caulker has also represented several Süper Lig teams, including Alanyaspor, Fenerbahçe, Gaziantep FK, and Karagümrük.

Most recently, in 2025, he took on a dual role as both player and assistant coach for the Icelandic club Stjarnan.

Caulker, who represented England in 2012 before switching allegiance to Sierra Leone in 2021, played an instrumental role in the Leone Stars’ revival with eighteen caps.

His three-year stint saw him captain the team and was part of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon, their first appearance in the tournament in over 25 years.

Kailahun Town Chief pours libation to begin Dr Saffa Abdulai's artificial turf distribution
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Kailahun Town Chief pours libation to begin Dr Saffa Abdulai’s artificial turf distribution

Town Chief Alpha Bingo Ndolleh emphasised the importance of the initiative for heritage, divine and ancestral blessings during the libation ritual at Kailahun Mini Stadium. He observed the once-decaying area would be a little stadium on Sunday.

National Stadium Manager Paul Damulay expressed appreciation to Dr Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai, the NSA Executive Director, for seeing local training in the installation of the synthetic turf. Caretaker Saidu Daboh stated the endeavour was a long-awaited dream and lauded President Bio’s selection of Dr Abdulai.

While Chairman Ahmed Kekeh Sahr Lamin presented ideas for a vocational college in cooperation with Dr Abdulai, Secretary General of the Kailahun District Descendant Association, Nasiru Deen Koroma recognised the years of work to improve the area.

Dr Abdulai stated that President Bio would officially launch the stadium following the turf installation and underlined the community’s ownership of the project, financed from his own funds.

Highlighting the progress achieved under Saffa’s direction at NSA, MP Sarty Banya urged for ongoing upkeep of the project. Philip Foday Momoh of the Kailahun District Football Association noted Dr Abdulai’s love of football.

Former MP Madam Navo Kaikai praised Dr Abdulai’s commitment to the community and pledged assistance for a basic pavilion with restrooms.

Senegal's Nicolas Jackson may return to Chelsea after loan spell
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Senegal’s Nicolas Jackson may return to Chelsea after loan spell

German football giants, Bayern Munich have decided not to extend Nicolas Jackson’s loan spell in Bavaria.

The Senegalese striker, who helped his national team clinch the Africa Cup of Nations title in 2025, joined Bayern on a loan deal from Chelsea, which included an option to buy under specific conditions.

Unfortunately for Jackson, it seems unlikely that he will meet the requirement to start 40 matches for Bayern, which would trigger the automatic activation of the purchase option.

In his time with the club, the former Villarreal forward made 21 appearances, scoring 5 goals and providing 1 assist. As a result, he will be heading back to Stamford Bridge before possibly seeking a new club in the upcoming transfer window.

Reports have surfaced suggesting that Jackson has caught the attention of several clubs, including Turkish giants Fenerbahce. There’s also a chance he could remain at Chelsea to integrate into Liam Rosenior’s squad, especially following the departure of Enzo Maresca, who didn’t have the best relationship with the Senegalese forward.

Having represented Senegal 31 times and scored 7 goals, Jackson played a crucial role in their AFCON success, netting 2 goals in 5 matches as they defeated the hosts, Morocco, 1-0 to secure their second AFCON title in January.

Pape Gueye nets an extra time stunner as Senegal win AFCON title
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations is set for the June–July slot

June and July next year will see the Confederation of African Football (Caf) president Patrice Motsepe reveal the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).

According to the South African, rumours that the event, co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, would be postponed or moved were utterly untrue. Doubts have been cast regarding the time frame for the readiness of the necessary infrastructure in the three East African nations to host the finals.

Meanwhile, Nicholas Musonye, the head of Kenya’s local organising committee, informed AFP on Thursday that postponing the event until 2028 would be beneficial for Kenya since the nation is preparing for general elections in August 2027.

According to Motsepe, the Afcon next year in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda will be really well received.

“I have great assurance. Challenges abound always. As Africans, we must have faith in ourselves and in our people. World class are the calibre of people leading African football.”

Following a meeting of Caf’s executive committee in Dar es Salaam on Friday, Motsepe was addressing a news conference as an inspection of infrastructure and facilities in the three host countries by officials from the governing body would continue till Tuesday.

Starting in 2019, Caf vowed to hold Afcon mid-year, but the previous three tournaments have been scheduled for January-February or December-January.

Scheduling the competition during the European club season has caused arguments about player release dates; from 2028, Afcon will be run every four years rather than biannually.

The exact dates of the 2027 Afcon will be made public in due time, Motsepe said. While stating he hoped to grow Afcon from 24 to 28 teams in the future, the Caf president made no mention of offers to host the 2028 finals.

Still set for Morocco WAFCON

Motsepe elsewhere states that Caf still have a connection with Morocco to stage the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon), set to start on 17 March.

Early this month, South Africa’s deputy sports minister said that her country would intervene toorganisee the championships.

South African sports minister Gayton McKenzie eventually clarified her remarks by saying that Wafcon 2026’s formally designated host is Morocco.

Some other nations said, “Please, can we host it?” but they want to move the date, Motsepe reported.

The [2027] Women’s World Cup qualifier demands the date; we cannot alter it.

The Wafcon continues; it will be a success. It must occur inside that window.

Inform Ademola Lookman nets in Atletico Madrid's win over Barcelona
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Inform Ademola Lookman’s nets in Copa del Rey win over Barcelona

Atletico Madrid showcased an impressive first-half performance, dominating La Liga leaders Barcelona in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final.

The visitors faced an uphill battle when a potential goal by Pau Cubarsi was ruled offside after an eight-minute VAR review. This was the second consecutive year the teams met at this stage, with Barcelona winning last season.

This time, Atletico exacted revenge by scoring four times before halftime. The rout began with an error from Eric Garcia, whose backpass slipped under goalkeeper Joan Garcia for an own goal.

Antoine Griezmann soon doubled the lead with a fine strike against his former club. Atletico continued to press, with Nigerian International Ademola Lookman adding a third goal, following a superb setup from Julian Alvarez. Just before the break, Alvarez thumped home a long-range effort, ending his goal drought.

In the second half, Barcelona thought they had scored when Cubarsi tapped in from a Robert Lewandowski assist, but VAR disallowed it for offside after a lengthy review.

Things only worsened for Barcelona, as Garcia received a red card for a foul on Alex Baena late in the game. With this defeat, Barcelona faces a challenging task in the return leg on 3 March.