Category: Sport News

Sierra Leone-born Buba Fofanah has been selected as the 81st overall by the Seattle Sounders in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft on Tuesday.
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Seattle Sounders draft Sierra Leone-born Buba Fofanah

Sierra Leone-born Buba Fofanah has been selected as the 81st overall by the Seattle Sounders in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft on Tuesday.

Fofanah, 22, who has been a pivotal player with the Portland Pilots, has been handed a fresh start in the Major League Soccer ranks. It’s the first time the Pilots have had three players taken in the same draft.

Fofanah finished the year with nine goals and six assists for 24 points, with his goal and point totals ranking second, respectively, in the WCC. 

He was named Fofanah in the All-WCC Second Team selection and also earned CSC Academic All-District honours.

Fofanah, 22, appeared in 54 matches (30 starts) for Portland from 2020-2023, recording 16 goals and 11 assists. 

The forward was an All-West Coast Conference Honorable Mention as a freshman and made the All-WCC Freshman Team after scoring four goals and adding two assists in 2020. 

Fofanah scored an additional three goals from 2021-2022 before scoring nine goals in 2023, including a brace against UC Santa Barbara on September 1. His performance in 2023 earned him All-WCC Second Team honours as Portland finished third in the WCC.

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Sierra Leone-born Buba Fofanah has been selected as the 81st overall by the Seattle Sounders in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft on Tuesday.
Sierra Leone-born Buba Fofanah has been selected as the 81st overall by the Seattle Sounders in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft on Tuesday.
East End Lions sack Wright after first defeat in seven games
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

East End Lions sack Wright after first defeat in seven games

Struggling East End Lions parted ways with Coach Charlie Wright on Wednesday, a day after they suffered their first defeat in seven Sierra Leone Premier League games.

Wright was appointed in October with the expectation to lead the club to glory this season. The Eastern giant club suffered a 1-0 defeat to rivals Ports Authority on Tuesday at the Attouga Mini Stadium.

Lions stand 10th on eight points following five draws, one win and one defeat this campaign, a statistic that doesn’t go down well with the club’s management.

The club confirmed it was a mutual agreement to let Coach Charlie Wright depart, effective immediately. They also handed the mantle to assistant Coach Raymond Gerard Hunter, who will take over as interim coach during the transition.

“The decision to part ways with Coach Wright was made after careful consideration, recognizing and appreciating his significant contribution and dedication to the club during tenure,” Lions noted. 

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Yayah Kallon ready for Serie A first-team action
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Yayah Kallon ready for Serie A first-team action

Hellas Verona has received a massive boost as Sierra Leone-born attacker Yayah Kallon has regained full fitness.

On Saturday, Kallon could play for the first time this season in front of the home fans against Cagliari as they battle to move out of the relegation zone. 

The 22-year-old has not featured for the Italian side yet this season due to nursing a hamstring injury sustained in July before the season commenced.

Last Sunday, the attacker was an unused substitute for the Hellas Verona as they suffered 1-0 Fiorentina in the Serie A round of sixteen.

Kallon, who scored his first goal for Genoa in a 3–2 Coppa Italia win over Perugia, joined Hellas Verona initially on loan with an option to buy.

He completed his Verona move in the summer but has yet to future for the club this season. Kallon featured in 22 games last season while on loan for The Yellow and Blues.

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Al Ahly's Club World Cup dream ended by Fluminense
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Al Ahly’s Fifa Club World Cup dream ended by Fluminense

Egyptian giants Al Ahly’s hopes of lifting the Fifa Club World Cup were dashed as they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Fluminens in the semi-final on Tuesday, CAF reports.

The African champions started brightly but were ultimately outdone by the Brazilian outfit, who advance to face either Urawa Reds or Manchester City in Friday’s showpiece finale.

Al Ahly talisman Percy Tau spurned an early opening when veteran defender Felipe Melo made a crucial last-ditch sliding tackle.

Ten minutes before half-time, Fabio made an excellent, one-handed save from a Kahraba header.

Tau was then involved in the game’s pivotal moment, bringing down Marcelo in the box with a clumsy foul. Jhon Arias converted the penalty to give Flu a 71st-minute lead.

The Red Devils almost responded instantly when Tau met a low cross but lacked power on his close-range effort.

Yet there was to be no dramatic Ahly comeback as substitute John Kennedy curled home Fluminense’s second goal late on to seal victory.

While Al Ahly’s decorated veterans failed to seize their opportunity on the global stage, Fluminense’s emerging talents punished them ruthlessly.

The newly-crowned South American champions now stand one win away from completing a fairytale story in Friday’s Club World Cup finale.

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Abu Kamara brace helps Inform Portsmouth defeat Shrewsbury Town
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Abu Kamara’s brace helps Portsmouth defeat Shrewsbury

A brace from Sierra Leone native Abu Kamara on either side of the game was enough for John Mousinho’s side to take all three points as they move seven points clear at the top of League One.

Shrewsbury Town suffered a 3-0 home defeat to in-form Portsmouth on a disappointing afternoon at the Croud Meadow on Saturday.

Despite a solid opening 45 minutes from the home team, it was Portsmouth, who took the lead at the end of the first half through their loan striker Abu Kamara.

His goal came when Pack launched a long throw to the back post and Kamara bundled the ball into the net.

Pompey doubled their lead in the 62nd minute when Lane cut in from the left to reach the near post and lay the ball off to Pack, who poked it in from close range.

Shrewsbury came close to pulling a goal back with under 20 minutes remaining. Mal Benning fed a ball into fellow substitute Max Mata in the box. The striker held off a defender before shooting, but his effort went over.

Kamara completed his brace to record his sixth of the season with six minutes remaining through Christian Saydee’s assists as he rifled the ball into the net.

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