Category: Sport News

Serhou Guirassy brace helps Guinea strengthen qualification hopes
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Serhou Guirassy brace helps Guinea stay focus on qualification

Guinea won 3-0 against Ethiopia on Tuesday, 15 October in their 2025 CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier, with Serhou Guirassy scoring two goals. The match took place at the Ebimpe Stadium in Abidjan.

With this victory, Guinea secured three crucial points, moving to second place in Group H with six points. Ethiopia remained at the bottom with just one point.

Serhou Guirassy continued his impressive form, scoring two goals in the first half. He found the net in the 16th minute and then converted a penalty in the 23rd minute. Abdoulaye Touré scored a third goal in the 19th minute, sealing the win for Guinea.

Guirassy has now scored five goals in two games against Ethiopia, after having scored a hat-trick against them in the previous match.

Guinea’s next month’s, crucial matches will be held against DR Congo and Tanzania to conclude the race to Morocco.

DRC, Uganda and Senegal book 2025 Africa Cup of Nations spot
by FSL News

DRC, Uganda and Senegal book 2025 Africa Cup of Nations spot

DR Congo, Uganda, and Senegal confidently secured their spots in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco after clinching crucial victories in their qualifying matches on Tuesday.

DR Congo defeated Tanzania 2-0, with Meschack Elia scoring both goals in the 87th and 93rd minutes. This victory secured DR Congo’s place in the tournament in Morocco, as they now sit at the top of their group with 12 points.

Senegal secured a late 1-0 victory over Malawi with a stoppage-time free-kick from Sadio Mane. This win moved Senegal level with Burkina Faso at the top of their group, both on 10 points, ensuring their qualification for the tournament.

Sudan secured a 2-0 win over Ghana, breathing new life into their AFCON qualification campaign. This victory moved Sudan to second place in their group with 7 points, while Ghana’s qualification hopes are in jeopardy as they sit in third place with 2 points.

Uganda edged South Sudan 2-1, with an own goal from Alfred Leku proving decisive. This win placed Uganda at the top of their group with 10 points, while South Sudan remains at the bottom with 0 points from four games.

Zambia secured a crucial 1-0 win over Chad, with Kennedy Musonda scoring the game’s only goal in the 70th minute.

Despite a penalty save from Toaster Nsabata in the 85th minute to deny Chad a late equalizer, Chipolopolo held firm to clinch all three points. Zambia now sits second in the group with seven points, while Chad remains winless and at the bottom of the table with two points.

Gabon moved second in their group after a 2-0 win over Lesotho. Shavy Babicka opened the scoring in the 55th minute before Rody Effaghe sealed the victory in the 84th minute with a close-range finish. The win moved Gabon to 7 points, while Lesotho remains at the bottom of the group, just one point from four games.

Striker Amadou Bakayoko's last-gasp header helps Sierra Leone to victory
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Amadou Bakayoko’s last-gasp header helps Sierra Leone to victory

Sierra Leone secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory against the African Champions Ivory Coast in their round four Group G qualifiers at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium on Tuesday afternoon.

Amadou Bakayoko, a striker based in Japan, scored a last-minute header to secure the win for the West African team, marking their first victory in the qualifiers and against Ivory Coast.

Sierra Leone aimed to bounce back from their previous two defeats and they demonstrated resilience to keep their qualification hopes alive.

The match remained level until the 85th minute when Sierra Leone won a free-kick, which was successfully converted by Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo striker, resulting in their first win in the qualifiers and moving them above Chad with four points from four matches.

Meanwhile, Zambia also claimed a 1-0 victory in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium on Tuesday afternoon. The win placed them just two points behind Group G leaders Ivory Coast, who have a game in hand.

Zambia initially struggled in the match, with Chad having more shots on goal in the first 20 minutes.

However, Zambia found their rhythm by the half-hour mark and began to dominate possession. Kennedy Musonda scored the only goal in the 70th minute, and despite a late scare with a penalty awarded to Chad, Zambia held on to secure all three points in Cameroon.

As it stands in Group G,  Ivory Coast on nine points, Zambia on seven, Sierra Leone amassed four points and Chad on two points ahead of the final two matches. 

Sierra Leone brace for vital win or face shaky path to Morocco
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sierra Leone brace for vital win or face shaky path to Morocco

The Leone Stars have never beaten Les Elephants in nine attempts. Sierra Leone will host defending champions Ivory Coast in the fourth round of the AFCON qualifiers at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium on Tuesday evening.

They aim to bounce back to winning ways after only securing one point from their first three matches, which currently places them at the bottom of the table. The three-time Cup of Nations representatives must demonstrate their hunger and resilience as they confront the African Champions for the second time in five days in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The second leg of the doubleheader is scheduled for October 15 at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium in Monrovia, Liberia at 16-hour GMT. Following their 4-1 defeat against Côte d’Ivoire at the Stade de San Pédro, the Leone Stars are focused on revitalizing their chances on Tuesday.

Sierra Leone’s Coach Amidu Karim may consider making several changes to the team that suffered a heavy defeat in Ivory Coast against the African Champions. In his pre-match conference, he noted that both matches are not the same. My team captain and I have observed that Tuesday’s match will be different. We are aiming to get a positive result on our side. We have analysed our mistakes and are not ready to repeat those mistakes on Tuesday.”

Skipper Steven Caulker also mentioned that they are aware of the current standings and that the Leone Stars must achieve a positive result.

Emerse Faé, the coach of Cote d’Ivoire, is fully aware of the task ahead. “The main goal will be to win again. I already mentioned before the first game that it was going to be tough because it’s a good team. This team has made the best impression on me in our group. It was confirmed in the first match, even though we won 4-1.

This is a team that has caused us some problems, so we are expecting a tough game tomorrow. The synthetic playing surface suits them better than us because they are more used to it. We play on this type of surface less often.”

A third consecutive loss for Sierra Leone in the group will certainly make it difficult to qualify for the tournament in Morocco next year. Côte d’Ivoire is determined to uphold its perfect record as it gears up for another strong match against its West African opponents. With nine points from three games, the Elephants are well on their way to securing an early qualification. But even with a defeat against Ivory, Leone Stars can still qualify with wins against difficult Chad and Zambia in their final matches depending on Zambia draw with Chad and lost to Ivory Coast. 

Coach Avram Grant’s team faces a tough challenge against Chad at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Chad is still looking for their first win, while Zambia, currently in second place with 4 points, is eager to secure a win to stay in contention.

Ivory Coast has enjoyed a perfect start in the AFCON 2025 qualifiers, securing victories against Zambia, Chad, and Sierra Leone, and claiming the top position in Group G with nine points. Zambia has four points, Chad has two, and Sierra Leone has one point.

Algeria beat Togo to seal Cup of Nations 2025 spot
by FSL News

Algeria beat Togo to seal Cup of Nations 2025 spot

Algeria confidently secured their place in next year’s Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco by defeating Togo at the Kégué Stadium in Lomé during Monday’s Group E qualifier. They have previously won the AFCON tournament twice.

This victory brings the total number of qualified teams to four. Algeria’s Ramy Bensebaini scored the only goal for the North Africans, maintaining their 100% record in the qualifiers.

They have secured 12 points from four matches. Bensebaini converted a penalty in the 18th minute to give Algeria the lead. Despite facing heavy pressure from the hosts, Algeria managed to hold on to their lead. Hosts Morocco, Cameroon and Burkina Faso have also qualified for the finals.

In another match, Zimbabwe defeated Namibia 3-1 in Johannesburg, bringing them in a strong position in their pool. With two matches remaining, they are eight points ahead of the third-placed Kenya.

Gambia moved into the second place in their pool, ahead of Comoros, based on head-to-head records, despite playing one more game.

Mozambique secured a 3-0 win over Eswatini in Nelspruit, taking them to the top of their pool. They are five points clear of third-placed Guinea Bissau, who will host Mali on Tuesday.