Category: Sport News

Laurent Pokou Stadium to host Ivory Coast's crucial AFCON qualifier against Sierra Leone
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Laurent Pokou Stadium to host Ivory Coast’s crucial AFCON qualifier against Sierra Leone

The Laurent Pokou Stadium has been confirmed as the venue for the upcoming match between the African Champions Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone for the crucial match day three 2025 qualifier.

The Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) announced on Tuesday that the first leg of the double header will be held on October 11 at the Laurent Pokou Stadium in San Pedro, Côte d’Ivoire.

In January this year, Ivory Coast defeated a local stars team from Sierra Leone 5-1 in a friendly match. The two teams will face each other again in a doubleheader that could prove decisive in their quest for a spot in the tournament, this time with a much stronger Leone Stars team.

The return leg between Côte d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone is scheduled for four days later, on October 15, at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium in Monrovia, Liberia. 

Côte d’Ivoire – led by head coach Emerse Faé, has had a flawless start in the AFCON 2025 qualifiers, collecting maximum points by defeating Zambia 2-0 and Chad 2-0, placing them at the top of Group G with six points.

After a disappointing draw with Chad, the Leone Stars suffered a defeat in Zambia due to Kings Kangwa’s superb free kick. They must avoid consecutive losses to revive hopes of reaching Morocco in 2025.

Sierra Leone to battle Gambia for a place in U20 AFCON
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sierra Leone to battle Gambia for a place in U20 AFCON

On Wednesday, Sierra Leone will face off against The Gambia at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium for a spot in the U20 Africa Cup of Nations tournament. The match will kick off at 1 pm local time.

A win for the Shooting Stars would mean they reach the AFCON U20 tournament for the first time in the history of Sierra Leonean football.

The semifinals are scheduled for Wednesday, September 25, promising high-stakes action as each team vies for a chance at the championship.

The Gambia advanced to the semifinals of the 2024 WAFU A U-20 AFCON Qualifiers after playing to a goalless draw with Mali on Sunday, September 22, at the SKD Sports Complex.

This result placed The Gambia in the second spot in Group B, alongside group winners Senegal. The next stage will involve the four qualifying teams competing for a place in the finals.

In Group A, Sierra Leone’s Shooting Stars finished as group winners with seven points from three games. They will face The Gambia, who finished as runners-up in Group B, in the battle for one of the two AFCON slots.

Senegal finished at the top of Group B with four points from two games, while The Gambia secured qualification for the semifinals with just two points from two games. They put up a strong fight in their opening match against Senegal, forcing them to a 2-2 draw.

Guinea finished as runners-up in Group A with five points, a point adrift of hosts Liberia. They will face defending champions Senegal in the semifinals.

Wednesday Semi-final lineups

Senegal vs. Guinea

Sierra Leone vs. Gambia

The two finalists will automatically qualify for the 2025 U-20 AFCON Finals.

The semifinals are scheduled for Wednesday, September 25, promising high-stakes action as each team vies for a chance at the championship.
The semifinals are scheduled for Wednesday, September 25, promising high-stakes action as each team vies for a chance at the championship.
Sierra Leone down to 125 in Fifa Ranking after defeat to Zambia
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sierra Leone down to 125 in Fifa Ranking after defeat to Zambia

Sierra Leone’s national football team, the Leone Stars, has experienced a significant decline in the latest FIFA rankings, dropping three places to 125th in the world and 35th in Africa.

The African Cup of Nations team had a goalless draw against the underdog team Chad in Liberia and suffered a 3-2 defeat to Zambia. As a result, the head coach, Amidu Kamara, has faced heavy criticism from soccer fans at home and abroad, with many calling for his immediate resignation.

The decline in ranking comes on the heels of the Leone Stars’ ongoing struggle in the CAF qualifiers, where they have failed to secure a win in their last three international matches.

Since his appointment by the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA), the coach has only managed to secure two wins out of eight games. Despite these setbacks, Sierra Leone still maintains a higher rank than countries such as The Gambia, India, and Rwanda.

The pressure is mounting on the Leone Stars squad to reverse their fortunes as they gear up for a crucial double-header against Ivory Coast in October as part of the 2025 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.

With about 95% of football pundits expressing doubt about the Leone Stars’ qualification prospects due to their recent poor performance, the team faces an uphill battle to turn things around.

Sierra Leone’s next outing is a back-to-back against reigning African Champions Ivory Coast next month as part of the AFCON 2025 qualifiers.

In the global rankings, Argentina remains in the top spot, followed by France, Spain, England, Brazil, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, Colombia, and Italy.

The next FIFA rankings will be released on October 24, 2024.

CAF confirms date for Inter-club group stage draw
by FSL News

CAF confirms date for Inter-club group stage draw

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has released the schedule for the 2024/25 CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup Group Stage Draw.

Both draws are scheduled to take place on Monday, 07 October 2024.

The CAF Confederation Cup Group Stage Draw is set to commence at 13:00 local time in Cairo (11:00 GMT), followed by the CAF Champions League draw at 14:00 local time (11:00 GMT).

The complete list of qualified teams will be announced on the evening of Sunday, 22 September 2024.

In the latest matches, FAR Rabat and Djoliba AC of Mali secured spots in the group stage of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League. FAR Rabat won 2-0 against Sudan’s Al Merreikh with goals from Hammoudan and Joël Beya.

Meanwhile, Stade d’Abidjan advanced despite a 2-1 defeat against Milo FC, and San Pedro fell 1-0 to Al-Hilal. Djoliba AC sealed their spot with a 1-0 victory over ASKO in Lomé.

These results complete the line-up for the CAF Champions League group stage.