Category: Sport News

Six arrive as Nigeria start World Cup qualifying prep for Rwanda tie
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Six arrive as Nigeria start World Cup qualifying prep for Rwanda tie

The Nigeria Super Eagles have started preparing for an important World Cup qualifying match against Rwanda.

Six players, including Victor Osimhen from Galatasaray, defender Bruno Onyemaechi, and goalkeeper Kayode Bankole, arrived in Kigali on Sunday. They checked into the Radisson Blu Hotel, where the team is based.

They were later joined by Papa Daniel Mustapha, Amas Obasogie, and Tolu Arokodare. On Sunday evening, head coach Eric Chelle and his staff also arrived in Rwanda to help the team get ready for the match.

The Super Eagles will play against the Amavubi at Amahoro Stadium on Friday. After this match, they will return to Nigeria to host Zimbabwe four days later at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.

More players are expected to join the camp soon. The team is intensifying its preparations to secure crucial points in this double-header and improve their chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.

Isaac Babadi will not join Sierra Leone for U20 Tourney - Peter Bosz
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Isaac Babadi will not join Sierra Leone for U20 AFCON – Peter Bosz

PSV will not release their young midfielder to the Sierra Leone Under-20 team for the Africa Cup of Nations, as confirmed by head coach Peter Bosz ahead of the match against RKC.

Isaac, 19, played the full throttle of the match as PSV defeated RKC Waalwijk 3-0 in week 26 of the Eredisie.

Last week, according to brother Samuel Babadi, the nineteen-year-old PSV player was invited to Sierra Leone. “They have been after Isaac for a long time. From the time he was sixteen, they wanted him for the first team of Sierra Leone,” he explained in the ESPN program Tekengeld –However, that tournament will take place in Cote d’Ivoire between 26 April and 18 May 2025., which means that Babadi would have to miss the season finale with PSV. Peter Bosz has now decided to put a stop to that. “He will not go there, no.”

Isaac Babadi’s transition from the academy to the main squad is not surprising to many experts. He joined the PSV Academy at the age of 12 and made his professional debut in 2022 with Young PSV. Before he played thirty matches in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie, scoring five goals.

Isaac Babadi made his professional debut for Jong PSV on January 10, 2022. He replaced Johan Bakayoko during a 5–1 home win against Almere City, which was the team’s biggest win of the season at that time.

For the 2023–24 season, Babadi joined the senior team at PSV. He debuted on August 4, 2023, as a starter in the 2023 Johan Cruyff Shield, which PSV won 1–0, giving Babadi his first trophy in his first game.

Four days later, he played his first European match in a Champions League qualifier against Sturm Graz. Babadi scored the first goal in the 4th minute, contributing to a 4–1 victory for PSV. In March 2024, PSV and Babadi announced that they signed a new contract, which will last until 2028.

Regarding his international career, Babadi played for the Netherlands at the 2022 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. He captained the team, leading them to the final, where they lost to France. He scored the decisive penalty in the semifinal shootout against Serbia.

Sierra Leone U17 Women's bow out of World Cup qualifiers
by Football Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone U17 Women’s bow out of World Cup qualifiers

Sierra Leone National U-17 women’s team journey in the CAF U-17 World Cup qualifiers has ended after a challenging second-leg match. They were beaten 2-1 by Guinea at the Stade Mamadou KONATE in Mali, leading to a final aggregate score of 4-3.

Guinea will advance to face Ivory Coast in the third round of the qualifiers, scheduled for April 2025, after Ivory Coast eliminated Burundi in the second round.

In other news, the U-17 Women’s Team of Côte d’Ivoire achieved an impressive turnaround against Burundi in the second round of the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers.

After a 3-1 loss at home in the first leg, the young Elephants bounced back with a decisive 3-0 victory in the return match on Wednesday, March 12, securing their place in the third and final round of qualifiers.

Côte d’Ivoire is the first country to clinch its spot in the third round of the qualifying matches for the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

Attacker Abu Kamara helps Hull City earn a point at the Hawthorns
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Attacker Abu Kamara helps Hull City earn a point at the Hawthorns

Sierra Leone native Abu Kamara scored the equaliser as West Bromwich Albion was held to a 1-1 draw against Hull City, marking their 18th draw of the season.

Isaac Price gave Albion a deserved lead with a left-footed volley that went in off the post. The hosts nearly opened the scoring earlier when John Swift hit the crossbar.

However, Hull equalized through substitute Abu Kamara, who scored from Kasey Palmer’s knockdown of Lewie Coyle’s cross. Hull almost took the win late on, but Joe Wildsmith made a brilliant save from Brazilian playmaker Lincoln.

Albion, which has drawn more than any other team in the top four tiers, sits sixth, just above Bristol City on goal difference. With their unbeaten streak now at four games, Hull has seen their buffer over the relegation zone shrink to three points.

West Brom manager Tony Mowbray expressed frustration over not converting enough chances: “We had 16 shots but only three on target, which is not good enough. We need to improve our final product.”

Hull City’s Ruben Selles acknowledged West Brom’s quality: “They were more in control in the first half, but we responded well and created chances in the second half. It was a fair point for both teams.”

Salah, Marmoush & Trézéguet in Egypt squad for Ethiopia & Sierra Leone
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Salah, Marmoush & Trézéguet in Egypt squad for Ethiopia & Sierra Leone

Liverpool and Premier League top scorer, Mohamed Salah, Omar Marmoush, and Mahmoud Trezeguet have all been included in Egypt’s squad for the upcoming matches against Ethiopia and Sierra Leone.

Egypt’s national team manager, Hossam Hassan, has announced a talented squad ahead of their World Cup 2026 qualifiers this month.

The seven-time African champions currently lead Group A with 10 points from four matches, having achieved three wins and one draw. The group also includes Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, and Djibouti.

Egypt’s match against Ethiopia will be held in Morocco at 11:00 PM Cairo time, while the home match against Sierra Leone is scheduled for 9:00 PM on March 25th in Cairo.

In their second match of the campaign, Egypt claimed a 2-0 victory over Sierra Leone, with Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet scoring in the 18th and 62nd minutes. The match took place in Liberia in November 2023 of the African qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

Full Egypt’s 24-man squad
 

Goalkeepers: Mohamed El Shenawy (Ahly), Mostafa Shobeir (Ahly), Mohamed Awad (Zamalek), and Abdelaziz El-Balouti (NBE Club).

Defenders: Mohamed Abdel Moneim (Nice, France), Rami Rabia (Ahly), Mohamed Hani (Ahly), Ahmed Eid (Zamalek), Khaled Sobhi (Masry), and Hossam Abdelmaguid (Zamalek).

Midfielders: Hamdy Fathy (Al Wakrah, Qatar), Marwan Attia (Ahly), Ahmed Nabil (Ahly), Mohamed Shehata (Zamalek), Nabil Emad (Zamalek), Ahmed ‘Zizo’ Sayed (Zamalek), and Mahmoud Saber (Pyramids FC).

Forwards: Mahmoud Trezeguet (Al Rayyan, Qatar), Omar Marmoush (Man City, England), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, England), Mostafa Mohamed (Nantes, France), Mostafa Fathi (Pyramids FC), Ibrahim Adel (Pyramids FC), and Osama Faisal (NBE Club).