Category: Sport News

Shanghai Port FC has been impressive this season after a nervy 2022 campaign. Shanghai Port beat Nantong Zhiyun 1-0 in Friday's 27th round of the Chinese Super League (CSL).
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Issa Kallon’s Shanghai Port a win away from Chinese title

Shanghai Port FC has been impressive this season after a nervy 2022 campaign. Port beat Nantong Zhiyun 1-0 in Friday’s 27th Chinese Super League (CSL) round.

Their recent 1-0 win over Nantong Zhiyun away from home only means t that they are one win away from winning the Chinese Super League title.

They have an eight-point lead at the top of their standing ahead of second-placed team Shandong Taishan, who also registered A 2-1 win over Wuhan Three Towns on Friday.

Sierra Leone International Issa Kallon started the match against Nantong Zhiyun but was substituted in the 87th minute for Lü Wenjun.

Kallon, 27, and his side can lift the Chinese Super League title if they can secure a win next match against Beijing Guoan at home.

On 28 July 2022, Kallon joined the Chinese Super League club Shanghai Port.

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Tricky away Champions League contest for Bo Rangers
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Tricky away Champions League contest for Bo Rangers

Having suffered a heavy first leg 3-1 defeat to their Algerian counterparts, Bo Rangers travelled to face Chabab Riadhi Belouizdad for a place in the competition group stages.

Sierra Leone Champions Bo Rangers went down 3-1 at home to CR Belouizdad in the first leg of the second preliminary round of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League on Sunday, September 17 2023, at the Southern Arena.

As a result, Bo Rangers face a giant second-leg task as the return fixture is set to be played at the Oran Olympic Stadium in Algeria on September 30 2023.

Saturday’s meeting will be their fourth after both teams wrestled in this competition last season, but the Algerians again came off top with a 3-0 aggregate over two legs.

In the first leg at the Southern Arena, Sierra Leone back-back Champions started well when they capitalised on the 11-minute chance through Abu Komeh.

This will be the kind of start coach Alhaji Foray will be hoping for if they are to survive the wave in the Algerian city.

The Southern Province outfit departed Sierra Leone with a 23-man sqaud on Wednesday, September 27th, en route to Guinea for Algeria, highly motivated and determined to deliver a respectable result.

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Chabab Riadhi Belouizdad in Algeria training ahead of Bo Rangers tie on Saturday
Chabab Riadhi Belouizdad in Algeria training ahead of Bo Rangers tie on Saturday
FC Kallon eye CAF Confederation group stage ticket
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

FC Kallon eye CAF Confederation group stage ticket

Sierra Leone CAF Confederation Cup representative FC Kallon is in search of their first Inter-club group stage when they host Dreams FC on Saturday.

The Ghanain side won the first leg 2-1 at the Accra Sports Stadium, but with a narrow margin, Kallon as the host team at the Liberia Capital with genuine hope of reaching the competition group stage.

No Sierra Leonean club has reached the group stage of the second-tier competition of African club football since it was introduced in 2004.

In 2004, CAF merged the African Cup Winners’ Cup created in 1975 with the CAF Cup introduced in 1992 to form a new competition called the Confederation Cup, which has since been considered the second African club competition.

Dreams reached this competition stage after a 3-2 aggregate victory over Milo FC of Guinea.

Coach Karim Zito’s side came into the contest knowing their opponent was capable of goals. However, the coach is confident they can complete the job in Liberia.

“For us, reaching the next stage of the compoetition is our target- we are step closer of the two-sided game. Our obejective is to make sure we and qualify,” Zito was quoted as saying. 

The former Inter Milan and Monaco was the coach of his club (FC Kallon) in the CAF inter-clubs Confederation Cup last September when they progressed to the second qualifying stage of the competition. 

Under his guidance, they eliminated Buffles de Borgou of Benin 4-0 on aggregate – but they suffered a heavy defeat to the Egyptian side FC Future over the two legs in the second preliminary round.

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FC Kallon v Dreams CAF Confederation Second Round Second Leg
Official: Morocco to host 2025 AFCON
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Morocco awarded 2025 Afcon while joint bid gets 2027

Morocco was awarded the hosting right for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals on Wednesday whilst joint bids from East African nations were awarded the 2027 AFCON.

The North African nations set to host the 35th edition and the second time, 35 years after the North African country staged the competition in 1988.

Morocco replacing Guinea, who was stripped of the right to host the tournament last year. Algeria withdrew their bid to host one of two finals on the eve of the vote on Tuesday.

The 2027 rights were awarded to a joint bid from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The long-awaited decision to host the 2025 and 2027 finals has been sorted after almost a year since Caf stripped Guinea last October of the right to host the 2025 finals.

Morocco won by default after Algeria, Zambia, and a joint bid from Benin and Nigeria all withdrew before the vote of the Confederation of African Football’s executive committee in Cairo on Wednesday.

The North African country was a runaway favourite and will see the decision as a boost to their hopes of co-hosting the 2030 World Cup with Portugal and Spain.

Morocco set to host 2025 AFCON
Morocco set to host 2025 AFCON
East Africa Nations to host 2027 AFCON
East Africa Nations to host 2027 AFCON
Attacker Idris Kanu is on target as Barnet thumps York City
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Attacker Idris Kanu on target as Barnet thump York City

On Tuesday, Sierra Leone International Idriss Kanu was on target as his National League side Barnet turned on the style in the second half to crush York 4-2 at the LNER Community Stadium.

As a result, Barnet sits third on their table as they focus on promotion this season. 

The home opened the scoring in the ninth minute as they started the better. Dipo Akinyemi’s lobbed opener sent the fans into ecstasy stay.

However, the visitors hit back despite Idris Kanu’s goal being ruled out for offside, but Harry Pritchard levelled for the Bees from the edge of the box.

Kanu, who made his eleventh appearance of the season, gave his side a 2-1 lead ad from close range and the result was secured three minutes later when Reece Hall-Johnson headed in at the back post.

Zak Brunt nodded in a fourth with eight minutes to go as Barnet rubbed salt into the wound before Akinyemi’s last-minute consolation.

YORK CITY: Whitley, Fallowfield, Akinyemi, Kouhyar, Howe, Batty, Marsh (66’ Harriott), Siziba (46’ Dyson), Woodyard (80’ McLaughlin), Latty-Fairweather, Smith.

UNUSED SUBS: Watson, Kennedy.

BARNET: Walker, Hall-Johnson, Collinge, Okimo, Kabamba (86’ Barratt), Stead (80’ Armstrong), Kanu, Pritchard © (82’ Gorman), Hartigan, Oluwo, Brunt.

UNUSED SUBS: Gillmore, Potter.

ATTENDANCE: 4,065 (163 Barnet supporters)