Author: Football Sierra Leone

Senegalese Pape Sarr nets in Spurs Carabao Cup win over City
by Football Sierra Leone

Senegalese Pape Sarr nets in Spurs Carabao Cup win over City

Senegalese International Paper Matr Sarr scored as Tottenham Hotspur won 2-1 against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday in North London. This victory gave Manchester City their first loss of the season.

With this win, Tottenham advanced to the quarter-finals of the tournament. Their manager, Ange Postecoglou, is one step closer to his goal of winning a trophy in his second season.

Manchester City made seven changes to their team, resting star player Erling Haaland. Spurs took advantage of this early, getting past City’s defence.

Dejan Kulusevski passed the ball to Timo Werner in the box, and Werner scored his first goal of the season.

Pape Matar Sarr scored the second goal for Tottenham in the 25th minute. After a well-executed corner, he received the ball outside the penalty area and curled it into the right corner of the net.

City got one goal back just before halftime. Matheus Nunes scored from a cross by Savinho, marking their first shot on target.

Tottenham draw Manchester United in the quarter-final set for December. 

On January 2, 2024, following a series of impressive performances, Sarr signed an extension with Tottenham that lasts until 2030.

Nigeria awarded three points and three goals as Libya penalized
by Football Sierra Leone

Nigeria awarded three points and three goals as Libya penalized

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has awarded Nigeria three points and recognized three goals in relation to the match against Libya.

CAF President Patrice Motsepe announced an investigation into Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Libya, stressing that unsportsmanlike behaviour will not be accepted.

On Saturday, Ousmane Kane, chair of the CAF Disciplinary Board, stated that Nigeria would be awarded the points after finding Libya guilty of mistreating the team. The Libyan Football Federation was also fined for this incident.

CAF determined that the Libyan Football Federation violated rules concerning the Africa Cup of Nations and the CAF Disciplinary Code. As a result, the match scheduled for October 15, 2024, in Benghazi has been declared a 3-0 win for Nigeria.

CAF stated that Libya violated Article 31 of the AFCON regulations, as well as Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF disciplinary code.

Libya is required to pay a fine of USD 50,000 within 60 days of this announcement.

The Nigerian team faced delays at a Libyan airport, lacking food and internet access while preparing for their match. They eventually departed after diplomatic and social media efforts.

With this CAF decision, Nigeria is well-positioned to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, having 10 points from four games—four points ahead of Benin Republic. Rwanda has five points, and Libya, with only one point, cannot qualify.

A win or draw against Benin Republic in Abidjan on November 14 will secure Nigeria a spot in the finals, set for December 2025 to January 2026 in Morocco.

CAF named Player of the Year Nominees for Award
by Football Sierra Leone

CAF named Nominees for African Player of the Year Award

The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has announced the nominees for the men’s categories of the #CAFAwards24, taking place on December 16, 2024, in Marrakech, Morocco.

The awards will recognize achievements from January to October 2024, with ten players shortlisted for the CAF African Player of the Year and another ten for the CAF Interclub Player of the Year. Notable nominees include:

– Amine Gouiri (Algeria / Rennes)

– Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso / Bayer Leverkusen)

– Simon Adingra (Cote d’Ivoire / Brighton)

– Achraf Hakimi (Morocco / Paris Saint-Germain)

– Ronwen Williams (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns), who is nominated in multiple categories.

The CAF Coach of the Year will also feature ten nominees, alongside awards for National Team of the Year, Club of the Year, and Young Player of the Year, all spotlighting emerging talent under 21.

Winners will be determined by a panel including the CAF Technical Committee, media professionals, and coaches from member associations.

The nominees for the Women’s categories will be announced soon. Last year, Victor Osimhen was named CAF African Player of the Year, while Asisat Oshoala took home the title for African Women’s Player of the Year. Read More

Opening defeat for Sierra Leone U17 in WAFU AFCON qualifier
by Football Sierra Leone

Opening defeat for Sierra Leone U17 in WAFU AFCON qualifier

Sierra Leone’s U-17 national team started their WAFU A U-17 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations qualifying tournament with a 1-0 loss to Mali. (Photo WAFU)

The only goal was scored in the eighth minute of the first half by the Malian wearing the number 10 jersey. He collected a clever pass and struck inside the area to beat the Sierra Leone keeper.

This loss puts Sierra Leone in a tough spot, but the team is determined to fight for a chance to advance.

Their next match is against Mauritania on Saturday, and winning is crucial for their hopes of moving forward in the tournament.

Senegal opened the tournament with a 2-1 victory over Liberia on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, in Thiès, Senegal. Group A now consists of three teams: Senegal, Liberia, and Gambia, after Guinea’s disqualification.

Senegal quickly took control, scoring early goals by Mouhamed Dabo in the 6th minute and El Hadji Sow in the 8th minute.

Liberia responded strongly in the second half, reducing the deficit with a goal from Moses Nyanfore in stoppage time (90th + 4 minutes).

Group B matches on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, featuring Mali’s win over Sierra Leone. Mauritania played to a goalless draw against Guinea Bissau in the day’s last game.

Sullay Kaikai nets in Cambridge's second league win of the season
by Football Sierra Leone

Sullay Kaikai nets in Cambridge’s second league win of the season

Sullay Kaikai from Sierra Leone helped Cambridge United win their second consecutive League One match, beating Stevenage 2-0. (Photo Cambrideg United)

Cambridge had also won against Wigan by the same score on Saturday, marking their first victory of the season after nine attempts.

Korey Smith scored the first goal for Cambridge in the 32nd minute at the Lamex Stadium. In the second half, the team focused on defending, blocking Stevenage’s attacks. Kaikai secured the win with a goal in the final minute.

Smith’s goal took a deflection, which helped the ball get past goalkeeper Murphy Cooper into the corner. Smith had a chance to score again, but Cooper made a good save on his shot from the edge of the box.

Stevenage struggled in the first half, and even after making three substitutions at halftime for more possession, they could not create good chances. Kaikai’s late goal ensured the victory for Cambridge.