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Six Days to the 35th edition AFCON 2025 draw in Morocco
by Football Sierra Leone

Six Days to the 35th edition AFCON 2025 draw in Morocco

The TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 Final Draw is set to happen in Rabat on January 27, 2025. This event will reveal the opponents for the 24 competing teams.

The draw kicks off at 19:00 local time (18:00 GMT/20:00 Cairo time) with delegates from all 24 AFCON 2025 qualifiers in attendance.

Teams will get a chance to check out Morocco’s game locations, practice spots, and hotels during this gathering.

Organizers will split the 24 teams into six groups of four. The top two from each group, plus the four best third-place finishers, will advance to the Round of 16.

Morocco hosts the finals for the first time since 1988. This marks a big moment for Morocco, as it gears up to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup with Spain and Portugal.

This marks the 35th time the AFCON has taken place, with its origins dating back to 1957. Among continental soccer tournaments, it ranks as the third oldest coming after those in South America (1916) and Asia (1956).

The 24 teams that will be in the draw for the 2025 finals are as follows, with their previous appearances and best finish included:

Algeria (21st appearance, champions in 1990, 2019)

Angola (10th appearance, quarter-finalists in 2008, 2010, 2023)

Benin (5th appearance, quarter-finalists in 2019)

Botswana (2nd appearance, group stages in 2012)

Burkina Faso (14th appearance, runners-up in 2013)

Cameroon (22nd appearance, champions in 1984, 1988, 2000, 2002, 2017)

Comoros (2nd appearance, round of 16 in 2021)

Cote d’Ivoire (26th appearance, champions in 1992, 2015, 2023)

Democratic Republic of Congo (21st appearance, champions in 1968, 1974)

Egypt (27th appearance, champions in 1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008, 2010)

Equatorial Guinea (5th appearance, fourth place in 2015)

Gabon (9th appearance, quarter-finalists in 1996, 2012)

Mali (14th appearance, runners-up in 1972)

Morocco (20th appearances, champions in 1976)

Mozambique (6th appearance, group stages in 1986, 1996, 1998, 2010, 2023)

Nigeria (21st appearance, champions in 1980, 1994, 2013)

Senegal (18th appearance, champions in 2021)

South Africa (12th appearance, champions in 1996)

Sudan (10th appearance, champions in 1970)

Tanzania (4th appearance, group stage in 1980, 2019, 2023)

Tunisia (22nd appearance, champions in 2004)

Uganda (8th appearance, runners-up in 1978)

Zambia (19th appearance, champions in 2012)

Zimbabwe (6th appearance, group stage in 2004, 2006, 2017, 2019, 2021)

Madueke hails Trevoh Chalobah's 'leadership' after Man of the Match performance
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Noni Madueke hails Trevoh Chalobah’s ‘leadership’ after top performance

Sierra Leone-born Trevoh Chalobah was named Man of the Match after his impressive performance upon his return to the London side Chelsea.

Chelsea were level at half-time during their 3-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League. However, they managed to recover in the second half to secure all three points.

This win allowed them to climb back into the top four of the league, with returning central defender Trevoh Chalobah playing a pivotal role. His teammate, Noni Madueke, praised the 25-year-old for his outstanding performance.

Madueke described Chalobah’s display as “unbelievable” in the match on Monday. The victory for Enzo Maresca’s men was significant, especially for Chalobah, who had spent the first half of the season on loan at Crystal Palace.

“He did an amazing job,” Adarabioyo told Sky Sports post-match. “He did everything flawlessly from a tactical point of view, so I am very happy for him.”

At one point, it seemed that he had no future with the current manager, who had trimmed the squad at Stamford Bridge upon his arrival.

Ivorian giant outfit Asec Mimosas pick quarter-final ticket
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Ivorian giant outfit Asec Mimosas pick quarter-final ticket

From Group C, ASEC Mimosas reached the CAF Confederation Cup quarter-finals with a 4-0 win over Orapa United, with Celestine Ecua scoring twice. USM Alger topped Group C by defeating ASC Jaraaf 2-0, thanks to late goals from Ismail Belkacemi and Saadi Redouani.

In Group B, Renaissance Berkane made a strong statement by beating Stellenbosch 5-0 in their last group match. Berkane’s performance featured two goals from Pape Bassène and early strikes from Omar Lamlioui and Youssef Mehri, securing them a total of 14 points as group winners.

Lamlioui scored first just seven minutes in, followed by Mehri eight minutes later. In the second half, Bassène added two goals, and Youssef Zoughdi completed the rout.

Despite this loss, Stellenbosch advanced to the quarter-finals as runners-up with nine points. They succeeded thanks to Deportivo Luanda-Sul’s 1-0 victory over Stade Malien.

These results marked a significant achievement for Stellenbosch in their first continental tournament, though they will need to improve before the knockout stages.

Ivorian descent Romain Esse speaks after joining Crystal Palace
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Ivorian descent Romain Esse speaks after joining Crystal Palace

Ivorian descent Romain Esse has spoken for the first time since completing a club record £14.5 million transfer from Millwall to join South London rivals Crystal Palace.

The Lambeth-born winger was officially announced as a Palace player on Saturday morning, signing a five-and-a-half-year deal at Selhurst Park.

Esse, who made 66 appearances for Millwall after progressing through their youth system, will be eligible to play for Palace in their Premier League fixture next weekend against Brentford.

Eagles sporting director Dougie Freedman is known for discovering top young talent in the Championship, with notable successes including Adam Wharton, Michael Olise, and Eberechi Eze. Olise, who plays in the same position as Esse, left for Bayern Munich in the summer for £50 million.

“I’m very much looking forward to it – I’m really excited,” Esse told PalaceTV. “It’s a great project and opportunity – I can’t wait to get started. It’s been a long process, but I’m just happy it’s finally done. The club is heading in a fantastic direction.

“The next step in my development is very important. I believe this is the best place for me. I can’t wait to start playing under the manager.

“This is the perfect environment for opportunities and to elevate my game to the next level to advance my career. I’m eager to play in the Premier League, and most importantly, for Crystal Palace.”

International

On 22 March 2023, Esse debuted for England U18 in a 2-1 victory over Croatia in Medulin. Then, on 6 September 2023, he made his debut for England U19 during a 1-0 loss to Germany in Oliva.

CAF Champions League Quarter-finals line up for to wrap up this weekend
by Football Sierra Leone

CAF Champions League Quarter-finals line up to wrap up this weekend

The quarter-finals of this season’s CAF Champions League will be determined this weekend as the premier club competition in Africa concludes its group matches.

This season has been thoroughly engaging, characterized by unexpected outcomes, compelling moments, and a notable number of goals. To date, Al-Hilal SC (Sudan) and five additional clubs have secured their places in the quarter-finals.

These teams include the reigning champions, Al Ahly (Egypt), AS FAR (Morocco), Orlando Pirates (South Africa), Esperance (Tunisia), and Pyramids FC (Egypt).

Two remaining spots will be determined from Groups A and B. Al Ahly and Orlando Pirates have already advanced from Group C while Esperance and Pyramids FC have progressed from Group D.

In Group A, the match between MC Alger (8 points) and Young Africans (7 points) in Dar es Salaam promises to be highly competitive. Young Africans will aim to overcome their previous 2-0 loss to MC Alger in December.

In Group B, Raja Casablanca will compete against the eliminated Maniema Union while also looking toward AS FAR, who will take on Mamelodi Sundowns in Pretoria.

AS FAR aims to finish at the top of Group B, while Sundowns, currently just one point behind, require only a draw to advance. As five clubs have already qualified, there remains an element of pride to compete for in the final round of fixtures.

The Pirates will travel to Cairo to face Al Ahly, who previously held them to a goalless draw in Soweto two weeks ago.

Finally, Al Hilal seeks to recover from their recent home defeat to Young Africans with an away victory against TP Mazembe, who have already exited the competition.

TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Match Day 6 Fixtures: Saturday, 18 January

Group A

  • 13h00 GMT | TP Mazembe v Al Hilal FC
  • 13h00 GMT | Young Africans SC v MC Alger

Group C

  • 16h00 GMT | Stade d’Abidjan v CR Belouizdad
  • 16h00 GMT | Al Ahly SC v Orlando Pirates FC

Group D

  • 19h00 GMT | Esperance v Sagrada Esperança 
  • 19h00 GMT | Pyramids v Djoliba FC

Sunday, 19 January:

Group B

  • 16h00 GMT | Maniema Union v Raja Casablanca
  • 16h00 GMT | Sundowns v AS FAR