Author: Football Sierra Leone

by Football Sierra Leone

Ram Kamara and Determine Girls share opening spoils

On Tuesday, Sierra Leone’s RAM Kamara FC, the reigning champions of the Women’s Premier League, proudly embarked on their inaugural journey in the CAF Women’s Champions League WAFU A qualifiers, currently underway in Senegal.

Under the bright lights of the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium, a fiercely contested clash unfolded against Liberia’s Determined Girls FC, culminating in a hard-fought goalless draw.

Despite the stalemate, Diatta Langama of the Determine Girls shone brightly with her remarkable performance, earning the coveted Woman of the Match award.

Earlier in the day, in an exhilarating opener of the qualifying rounds, USFAS emerged triumphant by besting Aigles de la Medina with a commanding score of 2-0, setting the stage for thrilling competition ahead.

Ram Kamara FC’s next match is against USFAS Bamako as Aigles de la Medina take on Berewulend FC at the same venue on Friday.

Guinea fend off Niger to begin CHAN 2024 with a win
by Football Sierra Leone

Guinea fend off Niger to begin CHAN 2024 with a win

At the Nelson Mandela National Stadium in Kampala, Guinea opened their 2024 CHAN campaign with a 1-0 victory over Niger.

Just two minutes after halftime, Mohamed Bangoura II’s second-half goal following a VAR review was his only one.

Both sides played with a physical approach and carefulness, which resulted in a chaotic first half with little obvious chances. Although Niger tried to equalize, including a near miss from replacement AbdoulLatif Goumey, Guinea’s defense held firm.

This victory puts Guinea in a good position inside Group C, while Niger struggles in their tournament after a dismal beginning.

Uganda, Algeria, and South Africa are among the group’s hosts as well.It was a frustrating beginning for Niger’s fifth CHAN participation, particularly after a promising fourth-place performance in 2022.

Coach Harouna Doula are now fighting an uphill struggle to preserve their hopes for a quarterfinal. On the other hand, Guinea would seek to gather steam in pursuit of another strong tournament showing.

Kenya beat two-time champions DR Congo in CHAN opener
by Football Sierra Leone

Kenya beat two-time champions DR Congo in CHAN opener

On Sunday at a sold-out Moi International Sports Centre in Nairobi, Kenya marked their long-awaited premiere at the CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) PAMOJA 2024 with a remarkable 1-0 victory over two-time champions DR Congo.

In a close opening Group A match, Austin Odhiambo’s first-half goal turned out to be the deciding element.Though their initial nervousness, the hosts confidently declared their presence on the continental stage before a packed audience of 60,000 supporters.

Giving a stage for budding local talent to shine—and Kenya’s fresh generation did not disappoint—the TotalEnergies CHAN is a biennial competition only for participants in their own country’s domestic leagues.

The game began with a disallowed goal for DR Congo due to offside in the fifth minute. Kenya took control, and just before halftime, Odhiambo scored from a pass by David Sakwa, giving Kenya a 1-0 lead in their CHAN final debut.

In the second half, DR Congo pressed for an equalizer, but Kenya’s defense, led by goalkeeper Byrne Omondi, held strong, with critical saves and effective clearances. Coach Benni McCarthy made tactical changes to secure the lead in the final minutes.

Despite seven minutes of stoppage time causing anxiety, Kenya clinched their historic first CHAN win. This victory marked them as the third debuting country to win their first game in the competition. DR Congo extended their winless streak to five games and will face Morocco next, while Kenya prepares to play Angola on Thursday.

Tanzania's Taifa Stars open CHAN campaign with a win over Burkina Faso
by Football Sierra Leone

Tanzania’s Taifa Stars open CHAN campaign with a win over Burkina Faso

Starting the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) cohost Tanzania with a powerful effort, defeated Burkina Faso 2-0 at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Saturday evening.

Just before halftime, Abdul Sopu scored a penalty, giving the Taifa Stars a ten lead. Zimbwe Jr. added a second goal in the 71st minute, helping Tanzania win the game and early lead in fiveteam Group B.

Coach Hemed Morocco’s team had not won their first match in the tournament during the 2009 and 2020 editions, but they started off well in Dar es Salaam. With early goal attempts, Clement Mzize and Feisal Salum both challenged Burkina Faso’s goalkeeper, Ladji Sanou.

With Souleymane Sangare and Papus Ouattara generating possibilities and putting Tanzania’s goalie Yakoub Suleiman under counterattacks to the test, Burkina Faso also had their opportunities.

Just before the break, Tanzania had a golden chance to score when Frank Tologo fouled Mzize in the box.Opening the Tanzanian scoring, Sopu took the penalty and sent Sanou the wrong way.

Tanzania kept applying pressure in the second half, which led to their second goal in the 71st minute. Zimbwe Jr. headed Mudathir Yahya’s cross to raise their advantage to 20.

Burkina Faso pressed forward in the last minutes of the match in search of a comeback.Tertius Bagre and Ouattara both battled to find their composure in important moments, therefore enabling the Taifa Stars to hold on to their advantage and claim victory.

Tanzania’s upcoming challenge is against Mauritania on August 6th, followed by a match with Madagascar on August 9th. They will conclude their group campaign with a game against the Central African Republic on August 16th.

Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda are co-hosting the CHAN finals, which feature 19 nations divided into four groups.

Moroccan forward Zakaria Aboukhlal pens move to Torino
by Football Sierra Leone

Moroccan forward Zakaria Aboukhlal pens move to Torino

Morocco national team forward Zakaria Aboukhlal has transferred to Italy’s Serie A side Torino on a four-year contract and aims to improve Torino’s attack, which struggled last season.

Torino announced the signing of Aboukhlal, 25, on Tuesday after bringing him in from Toulouse, a club in France, for €8.5 million.

They finished 11th in the 2024-25 Serie A season, scoring only 39 goals in 38 matches. Aboukhlal, who started his career at PSV, is a versatile forward known for his ability to play on either wing. His best season was in 2022-23, where he scored 10 goals and provided 5 assists in 37 matches for Toulouse.

He is skilled, quick, and strong on the ball, which gives Torino manager Marco Baroni several options to boost the team’s offense. Aboukhlal will compete for playing time with players like Ché Adams, Antonio Sanabria, and returning Colombian Duván Zapata. His versatility can help complement the team’s other goal scorers.

Before the season starts, Torino will play friendly matches against AS Monaco and Valencia. They will begin their season with a Coppa Italia game against Serie B club Modena on August 18.