Author: Alie Bittar @bittar32

Côte d'Ivoire's Émerse Faé names strong squad for October's qualifiers
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Côte d’Ivoire’s Émerse Faé names strong squad for October’s qualifiers

Head coach of Côte d'Ivoire, Émerse Faé, has presented his team for the ninth and tenth matches of the World Cup qualifiers 2026.

In the vital 9th and 10th qualifying matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Côte d’Ivoire will play Seychelles and Kenya this October.

For these critical meetings, Ivorian coach Émerse Faé has named a 23-member team. The coach has recalled that Côte d’Ivoire need to win both of these last matches to guarantee their ticket to the World Cup.

Presently, leading Group F, they’ll hope to wrap up their place in the USA, Canada and Mexico next year with a win away to Seychelles before hosting Kenya this October. 

The 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification will decide the 45 teams that will join hosts Canada, Mexico, and the United States at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The 23-man Elephants squad:

Goalkeepers:

1 – Yahia Fofana, 2 – Alban Lafont, and 3 – Mohamed Koné

Defenders:

4 – Evan Ndicka, 5 – Wilfried Singo, 6 – Emmanuel Agbadou, 7 – Guéla Doué, 8 – Jean-Philippe Gbamin, 9 – Ghislain Konan, 10 – Odilon Kossounou and 11 – Christopher Opéri

Midfielders:

12 – Seko Fofana, 13 – Franck Kessié, 14 – Ibrahim Sangaré

15 – Pacôme Zouzoua

Forwards:

16 – Simon Adingra, 17 – Oumar Diakité, 18 – Amad Diallo, 19 – Yann Diomandé, 20 – Evann Guessand, 21 – Sebastien Haller, 22 – Nicolas Pépé and 23 – Bazoumana Touré

Sierra Leone coach Mohamed Kallon names squad for doubleheader
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sierra Leone coach Mohamed Kallon names squad for final hurdles

Head coach Mohamed Kallon has unveiled his squad for their final two crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers against Burkina Faso and Djibouti.

Sierra Leone will face Burkina Faso in the Liberian capital on October 8 before travelling to Djibouti for their last Group A match of the qualifying campaign.

In a bid to secure back-to-back victories for the first time in the qualifiers, Sierra Leone takes on Burkina Faso on Tuesday in Liberia as part of the Group A qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

Burkina Faso, who recently played to a goalless draw against the group leaders, currently sit second in the standings with 15 points—three points ahead of Sierra Leone.

Meanwhile, Sierra Leone celebrated their third victory in the qualifiers when it defeated Ethiopia for the first time in history during matchday 8 at the SDK Stadium in Liberia last month.

Coach Kallon has stuck with Alhassan Koroma, Saidu Fofanah, Mohamed Kabia, and Abu Dumbuya, who will bring creativity and energy to the team’s play.

Additionally, a sturdy defensive lineup featuring Abdulai Juma Bah, Emmanuel Samadia, Nathaniel Jalloh and Alpha Turay is poised to keep the opposition at bay.

Although Mustapha Bundu will be out due to injury, the attack will be spearheaded by Kei Kamara, Buya Turay, and Augustus Kargbo, all ready to make their mark.

https://twitter.com/football_sierra/status/1973629632709796287

Head coach Mohamed Kallon has announced his team for the last two important qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They will play against Burkina Faso and Djibouti.
Head coach Mohamed Kallon has announced his team for the last two important qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They will play against Burkina Faso and Djibouti.
Morocco set for another cracker against Brazil inn U20 world Cup
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Othmane Maamma is optimistic as Morocco set to face Brazil

After a stellar performance in Morocco's opening match of the FIFA U-20 World Cup against Spain in Santiago, Othmane Maamma felt at ease as he looked back on his team's fantastic start to the tournament.

Maamma played a key role in the win against Spain, helping to score the team’s second goal just 13 minutes into the second half.

On Thursday. Morocco take on Brazil at the Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos in the second World Cup U20 Group C contest.

He received the ball on the right, then used his speed to dash into the Spanish box, pulling two defenders with him. This gave him space to make a low cross into the middle, which Gessime Yassine scored first-time, sealing Spain’s fate.

As Morocco faces tougher matches against Mexico and Brazil in Group C, dubbed the ‘Group of Death,’ Maamma isn’t worried. “Football is football. It doesn’t matter where or who you’re up against,” he told FIFA. “You just need to keep a cool head and your emotions in check. Today we did that.”

When asked how it felt to impress on the global stage against a strong opponent, the striker opened up a little bit more.

“I’m really happy my team put on a great display against Spain. While I was satisfied with my performance, our focus is on the tournament. It’s a tough group, but ultimately, it’s just football.”

Morocco excelled in stifling Spain’s possession by maintaining compact defensive lines and executing quick counter-attacks, particularly down the flanks, an approach that aligns perfectly with the young striker’s playing style. “I like to exploit space and use my acceleration in one-on-ones,” he shared.

The young talent caught the attention of English club Watford, who signed him from Montpellier in July 2025. Although he hasn’t yet featured for Watford, he made his debut for Montpellier in May 2024, playing 14 Ligue 1 matches and scoring two goals.

Watford views him as a long-term investment, while his coach, Mohamed Ouahbi, sees him as a key player for Morocco. Ahead of their match against Brazil, he stated, “It’s going to be another big game, and we’ll do everything we can to win.”

Sierra Leone legend Koroma pays tribute to ex-teammate Roger Lukaku
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sierra Leone legend Koroma pays tribute to ex-teammate Roger Lukaku

Ex-Sierra Leone International Ibrahim Koroma paid a heart-breaking tribute to his FC Boom teammate Roger Menama Lukaku, 58, after the news of his passing.

Ex-Sierra Leone International Ibrahim Koroma paid a heartbreaking tribute to his FC Boom teammate Roger Menama Lukaku, 58, after the news of his passing on Sunday.

Roger Lukaku is the father of ex-Chelsea, Manchester striker Romelu Lukaku.

“Last night, I got a call from my brother in Belgium, Rashin Wurie. He told me that our former teammate, Roger Lukaku, passed away from a heart attack,” Koroma wrote on Facebook.

Lukaku was one of the best attackers in the Belgian first division league in the early 90s. He is the father of Romelu Lukaku, who played for Chelsea, Manchester United, Roma, Inter Milan, Napoli, and the Belgium national team. Lukaku was a good friend of mine.

He often encouraged me not to play for my country because of our partnership in the Belgian league. He would say, “Junior, you always make things easy for me when we play together.” He was a great striker with excellent ball control, good movement, and dribbling skills, and he scored a lot of goals.

I will always cherish our good memories with FC Boom in Belgium. May your soul rest in peace, my good friend and teammate.

In Photo, the Koroma and Roger Lukaku were both in Belgium playing for Belgian Second Division club FC Boom in the 90s

Ibrahim Koroma first bottom - I will always cherish our good memories with FC Boom in Belgium. May your soul rest in peace, my good friend and teammate.
Ibrahim Koroma first bottom - I will always cherish our good memories with FC Boom in Belgium. May your soul rest in peace, my good friend and teammate.
South Africa and Nigeria suffer opening U20 World Cup defeats
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

South Africa and Nigeria suffer opening U20 World Cup defeats

Both African teams competing in Monday's FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, South Africa and Nigeria, faced defeats in their opening matches against France and Norway, respectively, in Groups E and F.

France secured full points in their match against South Africa with a late goal. The competition in Group F was tightly contested, with Norway narrowly defeating Nigeria in a challenging match.

In Group E, A late goal from Lucas Michal secured a 2-1 victory for France over South Africa in Rancagua. France started strong, with Tadjidine Mmadi missing a shot wide and Mayssam Benama hitting the post, before Anthony Bermont scored the winning goal 25 minutes in.

However, their lead did not last long, as Kutlwano Letlhaku skillfully manoeuvred into the French penalty area and was fouled by Elyaz Zidane, the youngest son of legendary French player Zinedine Zidane. Jody Ahshene confidently converted the penalty kick into the net.

The decisive goal came in the 80th minute, when Michal turned at the edge of the box, drove inward, and fired a powerful shot into the bottom right corner.

In the match between Nigeria and Norway, an early penalty was sufficient for Norway to secure a 1-0 win against Nigeria in their first match in Talca.

Nigeria quickly grabbed Norway’s attention when Kparobo Arierhi hit the crossbar within three minutes. Nevertheless, it was Norway that struck first after a video review confirmed a handball offence in the Nigerian area, allowing Rasmus Holten to score from the penalty spot.

A dazzling run from Luca Hoyland set Norway up for a second goal, but Gustav Nyheim failed to convert the cross right in front of the net.

Nigeria applied pressure in their quest for an equaliser, and Tahir Maigana felt frustrated when his shot hit the post shortly after the hour mark. Ultimately, Norway managed to withstand Nigeria’s late surge to claim the valuable points.