Category: Sport News

Senegal ease past Burundi in final AFCON Group L qualify
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Senegal ease past Burundi in final AFCON Group L qualifying tie

On Tuesday, Senegal concluded their CAF AFCON 2025 qualifying campaign with an impressive 2-0 victory over Burundi at the Diamniadio Stadium.

The highlight was 20-year-old Habib Diarra, who scored both goals to help Senegal finish at the top of Group L with 16 points from six matches.

The Tarenga Lions dominated early, controlling over 70% of possession but struggled to convert that into goals until the 35th minute when Diarra, assisted by Iliman Ndiaye, skillfully chipped the ball over Burundian goalkeeper Jonathan Nahimana. Diarra doubled the lead early in the second half with another well-placed chip, assisted by Cheick Sabaly.

Sadio Mané had several chances, including a powerful header saved by Nahimana, but the score remained unchanged. Burundi, finishing third in the group, could not match Senegal’s intensity. Senegal’s unbeaten run strengthens its status as one of Africa’s top teams ahead of AFCON 2025 in Morocco.

In another Group L match, Malawi delivered a stunning performance to defeat Burkina Faso 3-0 at the Bingu National Stadium. Despite the win, Malawi finished bottom of the group due to an inferior goal difference.

Gabadinho Mhango opened the scoring with a long-range strike, followed by goals from Richard Mbulu and Lloyd Aaron.

Burkina Faso, having already secured qualification, struggled throughout the match, finishing second in the group with 10 points.

Zambia worsens Sierra Leone woes to end qualifying campaign on high
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Zambia worsen Sierra Leone’s misery to wrap up qualifying campaign on high

Sierra Leone suffered its third defeat, a 2-0 loss to Zambia in the last match of the 2025 African Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.During the campaign, Sierra Leone conceded ten goals and scored five in their six qualifying matches.

With goals from Kennedy Musonda and Emmanuel Banda at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium in Monrovia, the visitors enjoyed a resounding victory.

The victory means, Zambia topped Group G with 13 points, finishing one point ahead of the African champions, Côte d’Ivoire.

The Leone Stars have once again failed to secure a place in the continent’s most prestigious football tournament, missing the opportunity since their appearance in the 2021 finals in Cameroon.

This outcome has left many soccer enthusiasts disheartened, as they feel that the financial support provided by the government should have empowered Sierra Leone to compete against the top teams across Africa.

Fans had hoped to see their national team rise to the challenge and make a mark on the international stage, but the disappointment lingers as they reflect on what could have been.

Meanwhile, several nations qualified with good performances. Nigeria, Tunisia, and South Africa also secured their places, bringing in some of Africa’s most famous teams.

Some nations made a comeback, including DR Congo, Angola, and Gabon. Botswana returns to the tournament after many years, showing the growing competitiveness of African football. Sudan and Benin qualified on the last day of matches.

Last week, Zambia, Mali, Zimbabwe, and Comoros secured their spots, creating a balanced mix of established and new teams.

Equatorial Guinea and Uganda, known for their strong past performances, will join the tournament in Morocco.

This will be Botswana’s first appearance in 12 years, while Tanzania and Mozambique have fought hard to qualify.

The qualification rounds show that the level of football in Africa is rising. Now that all 24 slots are filled, excitement is growing for what will be a memorable tournament.

Group G Match Day Six Results

Ivory Coast 4-0 Chad

Sierra Leone 0-2 Zambia

The 24 nations competing in the 2025 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) have been confirmed. The tournament will kick off in December next year in Morocco, the host nation.
The 24 nations competing in the 2025 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) have been confirmed. The tournament will kick off in December next year in Morocco, the host nation.
Tanzania stun Guinea to reach AFCON 2025 in Morocco
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Tanzania stun Guinea to reach AFCON 2025 in Morocco

Simon Msuva scored a key header in the second half, giving Tanzania a 1-0 victory over Guinea at the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium on Tuesday. This win qualified the Taifa Stars for the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025.

Tanzania finished second in Group H with 10 points, making it impossible for Guinea and Ethiopia to catch up.

Msuva’s goal in the 61st minute came from a cross by Mudathir Yahya, exciting the home fans and bringing Tanzania closer to their fourth AFCON appearance. This was Msuva’s third goal of the qualifying campaign.

Although Guinea pressed for an equalizer, they could not break through Tanzania’s strong defence. Their best chance came when Mady Camara hit the crossbar, but they failed to score.

With this loss, Guinea ended their hopes of qualifying with nine points in third place. Tanzania’s victory secured their spot in their second consecutive AFCON and their fourth overall.

Group H Standings (Finalized for Tanzania):

  1. DR Congo – 12 points (5 matches played)
  2. Tanzania – 10 points (6 matches played, qualified)
  3. Guinea – 9 points (6 matches played)
  4. Ethiopia – 1 point (5 matches played)
Ghana’s head coach Otto Addo's response to critics
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Ghana’s head coach Otto Addo’s response to critics

Ghana’s head coach, Otto Addo, has addressed the recent criticism following the Black Stars’ elimination from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification race. He emphasized the importance of shifting focus toward the upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

The Black Stars’ aspirations to participate in the AFCON tournament in Morocco next year were hindered by a 1-1 draw against Angola last Friday.

The team has experienced a challenging qualification process, failing to secure a victory in their five matches, which has placed them in fourth position in Group F with three points, comprising three draws and two losses.

This marks the first time Ghana will miss the AFCON since 2004, leading to considerable scrutiny of Coach Addo’s performance and calls for his dismissal.

In response to the feedback, Addo remarked, “I have trained under esteemed coaches such as Sammer and Klopp, and served as an assistant to Edin Terzic at Dortmund. Their insights are valuable, and I recognize that I will be evaluated based on my results, which have not met expectations.”

Coach Addo acknowledged the disappointment felt by fans and stakeholders but stressed the need to move forward and prepare for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Coach Karim urges players to record positive results against Copper Bullets of Zambia
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Coach Karim urges players to end AFCON campaign on high against Zambia

Despite the disappointment of not qualifying for the upcoming African Cup of Nations in Morocco, Sierra Leone coach Amidu Karim has urged his team to finish their AFCON qualifying campaign on a positive note as they face Zambia in their final Group G match on Tuesday.

Sierra Leone and Zambia will play their final match in the Liberian capital. This match will not affect their standings because Avram Grants side along with Ivory Coast, have already secured their advancement.

Karim’s team could not secure qualification after the Leone Stars’ 1-1 draw against Chad and Zambia’s victory over Ivory Coast. Their hopes of reaching Morocco in 2025 were dashed.

However, the coach is determined to achieve a positive ending, stating, “We are disappointed as technical staff and as a head coach for not making it to Morocco this time. Nonetheless, we want to assure our people and fans that we will fight and give our best against a difficult Zambia side.

“Just because we have been eliminated does not mean we cannot give our all for the people of Sierra Leone. We need to finish the group strongly, which means securing a positive result against Zambia.”

Sierra Leone will be without skipper Steven Caulker, and Kei Kamara and a couple of injured players might force the coach to make a few changes to his starting eleven.

Read related News – Zambia edges Sierra Leone in Group G AFCON qualifier.

Meanwhile, with only a few matches remain in the qualifiers for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025. So far, 21 teams have secured their spots for the tournament, which will take place in Morocco.