Category: Sport News

John Keister's Bo Rangers set for third successive league title

John Keister’s Rangers set for third successive league title

John Keister and his team, Bo Rangers, are focused and determined to secure a victory and claim their third straight title this weekend as they face Old Edwardians in their 29th league match at the Southern Arena.

His team may encounter a formidable challenge when they face the May Park Boys, particularly after their remarkable 4-3 comeback victory against FC Kallon in the previous game. This result may have boosted the confidence of the Edwardians.

The Southern league leaders are 17 points top of the table, and a win against the Edwardians will secure them 69 points to lift the title under his leadership with five games to spare.

Rangers have consistently performed well in the Sierra Leone Premier League since the new administration under chairman Babadi Kamara took over in 2019.

“Recent results in the league, such as Bhantal’s defeat to Ports and FC Kallon’s match against Edwards, have put us in a better position to achieve our goal of winning the title,” Keister to Football Sierra Leone. 

“However, we have to keep our focus and stay grounded. I have been involved in football long enough to know that you can’t take anything for granted. We need to respect Edward. We have to approach this match with total seriousness.”

The former Sierra Leone coach is aiming for his second top-flight title after winning his first with East End Lions in 2019 when he went unbeaten.

“Securing this title would be an incredible achievement for Bo Rangers, benefitting the club, the fans, and all those affiliated with it. The chairman, executives, and players have played pivotal roles in driving the team’s success.”

Link to The Sierra Leone Premier League Standings

The upcoming match could potentially determine the title winner if Bo Rangers can secure the maximum points.
The upcoming match could potentially determine the title winner if Bo Rangers can secure the maximum points.
Moroccan forward Ayoub El Kaabi shines in Europa Conference final

Morocco’s Ayoub El Kaabi shines in Europa Conference final

El Kaabi scored eleven goals in the Europa Conference League, setting a new record in the UEFA knockout stage and helping the Greek club side win a European trophy.

The Olympiacos striker scored the winning goal against Fiorentina, securing a 1-0 victory at the AEK Arena with just four minutes remaining in extra time.

El Kaabi’s achievement surpasses the records of Falcao, Ronaldo, and Benzema, who have each scored 10 goals in a single UEFA campaign.

He is the first non-European player to score 14 goals in a major European competition in a single season since Lionel Messi in 2011-12.

Olympiakos is the first Greek side to win a major European competition, with El Kaabi playing a crucial role in their success. Fiorentina’s loss adds to their history of failures in this tournament, losing five of their last six European finals.

The defeat also ended Fiorentina’s longest unbeaten run in Europe, abruptly halting a 13-match undefeated streak.

Bristol Rovers midfielder Kamil Conteh back in Sierra Leone squad

Bristol Rovers’ Kamil Conteh named in Sierra Leone squad

Kamil Conteh has been selected for the Sierra Leone national team for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Djibouti and Burkina Faso.

He will be representing his country for the first time since March last year. Sierra Leone is currently fourth in Group A with one point from two matches.

The squad includes former Liverpool defender Steven Caulker, recently released Cheltenham Town centre-back Curtis Davies, and Charlton Athletic striker Daniel Kanu.

Conteh has been performing well since joining Rovers from Grimsby Town in January, quickly adapting to life in League One after playing in League Two and the National League for the previous year and a half.

On March 17, 2022, Conteh was called up to the Sierra Leone squad for their friendly matches against Togo, Liberia, and Congo. Conteh earned his first cap during their 3-0 loss to Togo, playing the full 90 minutes.

Samuel Gandi’s hat-trick helps Edwards to a comeback victory

Samuel Gandi’s brace helps Edwards to comeback victory

Old Edwardians staged a remarkable comeback to defeat FC Kallon 4-3 on Wednesday at the SLFA academy playing field.

Despite Kallon taking an early three-goal lead in the first 30 minutes, the May Park Boys put on an impressive performance, scoring four goals to secure the win.

Abu Bakarr Jallon opened the scoring for Kallon in the 2nd minute, and Sam Komba Sylla added two more goals in the 25th and 30th minutes, seemingly securing the home side’s bright start.

In spite of everything, the Edwardians demonstrated resilience and character during the last hour of the game. Alusine Kamara, who was named Man of the Match, initiated the comeback for the May Park Boys in the 31st minute when he capitalized on a loose ball to beat the Kallon keeper.

Samuel Gandhi Impressively scored a brace. The best of his goals came in the 70th minute when he outpaced his marker and unleashed a fine strike to beat the Kallon keeper.

This victory moved Old Edwardians to fourth place, leaving Kallon trailing by seventeen points behind the league leaders, Bo Rangers.

The Edwardians’ next match is against the runaway leaders Bo Rangers, who could clinch the title with maximum points at the South Arena on Saturday, 1st June 2024.

View the Sierra Leone Premier League standings 

Africa World Cup 2026 Qualifying Dates confirmed

Africa World Cup 2026 Qualifying Dates & Venues Confirmed

The African nations will continue their journey to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026 next week. Match Day Three and Match Day four of the qualifiers will take place between June 5th and June 11th, 2024.

Nine African teams are guaranteed a spot in the World Cup, while another team will participate in the Play-off Tournament, as the tournament will now feature 48 teams for the first time.

The winners of each group will automatically qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026. The top four runners-up from the groups will compete in a CAF Play-Off tournament.

The winner of the CAF Play-Off Tournament will then advance to the FIFA Play-off Tournament. Here are the fixtures for the matches to be played over the next seven days (all kick-off times are in GMT):

List of fixtures

Match Day 3

Wednesday – 05 June, 2024

  • Sierra Leone v Djibouti (Group A) | 1600 | El Jadida, Morocco
  • Togo v South Sudan (Group B) | 1600 | Lome, Togo
  • Central African Republic v Chad (Group I) | 1600 | Oujda, Morocco
  • Namibia v Liberia (Group H) | 1600 | Johannesburg, South Africa
  • Tunisia v Equatorial Guinea (Group H) | 1900 | Rades, Tunisia

 

Thursday – 06 June, 2024

  • Malawi v  Sao Tome e Principe  (Group H) | 1300 | Lilongwe, Malawi
  • Guinea Bissau v Ethiopia (Group A) | 1600 | Bissau, Guinea Bissau
  • Mauritania v Sudan (Group B) | 1600 | Nouakchott, Mauritania
  • Libya v Mauritius (Group D) | 1600 | Tripoli, Libya
  • Congo v Niger (Group E) | 1600 | Kinshasa, DR Congo
  • Egypt v Burkina Faso (Group A) | 1900 | Cairo, Egypt
  • Senegal v DR Congo (Group B) | 1900 | Diamniadio, Senegal
  • Benin v Rwanda (Group C) | 1900 | Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire
  • Algeria v Guinea (Group G) | 1900 | Algiers, Algeria
  • Mali v Ghana (Group I) | 1900 | Bamako, Mali

 

Friday – 07 June, 2024

  • Zimbabwe v Lesotho (Group C) | 1300 | Johannesburg, South Africa
  • Mozambique v Somalia (Group G) | 1300 | Maputo, Mozambique
  • Kenya  v Burundi (Group F) | 1300 | Lilongwe, Malawi
  • Uganda v Botswana (Group G) | 1600 | Namboole, Uganda
  • Madagascar v Comoros (Group I) | 1600 | Johannesburg, South Africa
  • Angola v Eswatini (Group D) | 1600 | Luanda, Angola
  • Nigeria v South Africa (Group C) | 1900 | Uyo, Nigeria
  • Morocco v Zambia (Group E) | 1900 | Agadir, Morocco
  • Cote d’Ivoire v Gabon  (Group F) | 1900 | Korhogo, Cote d’Ivoire

 

Saturday – 08 June, 2024

  • Cameroon v Cape Verde (Group D) | 1300 | Douala, Cameroon
  • Gambia v Seychelles (Group F) | 1600 | Berkane, Morocco

 

Match Day 4

Sunday – 09 June, 2024

  • Sao Tome e Principe  v Liberia  (Group H) | 1300 | Oudja, Morocco
  • Djibouti v Ethiopia (Group A) | 1600 | El Jadida, Morocco
  • Congo DR v Togo (Group B) | 1600 | Kinshasa, DR Congo
  • Mauritania v Senegal (Group B) | 1600 | Nouachott, Mauritania
  • Namibia  v Tunisia  (Group H) | 1600 | Johannesburg, South Africa

 

Monday – 10 June, 2024

  • Somalia v Botswana (Group G) | 1300 | Maputo, Mozambique
  • Equatorial Guinea  v Malawi  (Group H) | 1300 | Malabo, Equatorial Guinea 
  • Madagascar v Mali (Group I) | 1300 | Johannesburg, South Africa
  • Guinea Bissau v Egypt (Group A) | 1600 | Bissau, Guinea Bissau
  • Benin v Nigeria (Group C) | 1600 | Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire
  • Uganda v Algeria  (Group G) | 1600 | Namboole, Uganda
  • Guinea  v Mozambique (Group G) | 1900 | El Jadida, Morocco
  • Ghana  v Central African Republic  (Group I) | 1900 | Kumasi, Ghana
  • Burkina Faso v Sierra Leone (Group A) | 1900 | Bamako, Mali

 

Tuesday – 11 June, 2024

  • South Sudan v Sudan (Group B) | 1300 | Juba, South Sudan
  • Mauritius v Eswatini (Group G) | 1300 | St. Pierre, Mauritius
  • Zambia v  Tanzania (Group E) | 1300 | Ndola, Zambia
  • Kenya v Cote d’Ivoire (Group F) | 1300 | Lilongwe, Malawi
  • Lesotho v Rwanda (Group C) | 1600 | Durban, South Africa
  • Cape Verde  v Libya (Group D) | 1600 | Praia, Cape Verde
  • South Africa v Zimbabwe (Group C) | 1600 | Bloemfontein, South Africa
  • Congo v Morocco (Group E) | 1600 | Kinshasa, DR Congo
  • Chad v Comoros (Group I) | 1600 | Oujda, Morocco
  • Angola v Cameroon (Group D) | 1900 | Luanda, Angola
  • Gabon v Gambia (Group F) | 1900 | Franceville, Gabon
  • Seychelles v Burundi (Group F) | 1900 | Berkane, Morocco