Category: Sport News

Tanzania and Mali reach quarter-finals and the World Cup as Mozambique secure a playoff spot
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Tanzania and Mali reach quarter-finals and the World Cup as Mozambique secure a playoff spot

Following an electrifying final round of matches in Group C, Tanzania and Mali advanced to the quarter-final stages of TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations, having both booked their ticket to FIFA U-17 World Cup 2026. Mozambique qualified for the playoff of the global tournament.

Mali 2-1 Tanzania | Goals: bdoulaye Touré (3’, 41’), Hassan Mkindai (82’)

What a finale we witnessed in Group C as play began with the match already underway.

Mali began life of the Final Round in dazzling fashion as league’sstarplayerAbdoulaye Touré found the back of the net in just three minutes.

He doubled his team’s lead just before half-time in the 41st minute. Tanzania came storming back in injury time through Hassan Mkindai which proved fruitless as Mali hung on to win the match. Tanzania topped the group on six points but both sides celebrated progression to the Quarter-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations and qualification for the FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Angola 1-2 Mozambique | Goals: Francisco Eliseu (27’), Allan Figueiredo (22’), Charif Carlos (55’)

Both Angola and Mozambique needed a win from this match to progress further. Mozambique stunned Angola in the opening minutes of the game through Allan Figueiredo in the 22nd minute.

Angola equalised just five minutes later through Francisco Eliseu, but they seemed to tire off after that goal. Charif Carlos made it two goals apiece in the second half as he scored in the 55th minute to hand the lead back to Mozambique, who held on strongly to the final whistle.

This victory gave Mozambique third place in the competition and a chance for qualification for the FIFA U-17 World Cup via the playoff, while for Angola, the tournament came to an end.

Super Eagles coach Éric Chelle names squad for Unity Cup
by Football Sierra Leone

Super Eagles coach Éric Chelle names squad for Unity Cup

Super Eagles coach Éric Chelle has named squads for friendly matches against Poland and Portugal as well as for the Unity Cup against Zimbabwe in England at the Valley Charlton stadium. 

Captain Wilfred Ndidi, as well as Bruno Onyemaechi, Igoh Ogbu, Moses Simon, Akor Adams and Terem Moffi have been named in the side that will contest the Unity Cup.

Some players making their debut with the team are goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo and defenders Emmanuel Fernandez and Tochukwu Nnadi. Their opponent in the semi-final will be Zimbabwe on May 26.

For the friendlies, Chelle named a 24-man squad that includes Alex Iwobi, Maduka Okoye, Zaidu Sanusi and Victor Osimhen.

The Super Eagles will take on Poland in Warsaw on June 3 and Portugal in Leiria four days later on June 10.

Unity Cup squad

Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (Omonia FC, Cyprus); Arthur Okonkwo (Wrexham FC, England); Michael Atata (Ikorodu City)

Defenders: Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos, Greece); Emmanuel Fernandez (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Chibuike Nwaiwu (Trabzonspor AS, Turkey); Igoh Ogbu (Slavia Prague, Czech Republic); Obinna Igboke (Enugu Rangers); Elias Ochobi (Rivers United); Chibueze Oputa (Enugu Rangers)

Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas FC, Turkey); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Tochukwu Nnadi (Olympic Marseille, France); Ebenezer Akinsanmiro (Pisa FC, Italy); Alhassan Yusuf (New England Revolution, USA); Aderemi Adeoye (Ikorodu City); Samson Tijani (FK Dukla Prague, Czech Republic); Ayobami Junior (Shooting Stars); Tosin Oyedokun (Ikorodu City)

Forwards: Simon Moses (Paris FC, France); Akor Adams (Sevilla FC, Spain); Philip Otele (Hamburger SV, Germany); Owen Oseni (Plymouth FC, England); Zadok Abu Yohanna (AIK, Greece); Terem Moffi (FC Porto, Portugal); Rafiu Durosinmi (Pisa FC, Italy); Femi Azeez (Millwall FC, England)

Friendly squad

Goalkeepers: Maduka Okoye (Udinese FC, Italy); Arthur Okonkwo (Wrexham FC, England); Francis Uzoho (Omonia FC, Cyprus)

Defenders: Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (Hull City, England); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City, England); Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos, Greece); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); Igoh Ogbu (Slavia Prague, Czech Republic); Emmanuel Fernandez (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland)

Midfielders: Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England); Frank Onyeka (Coventry FC, England); Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas FC, Turkey); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (SS Lazio, Italy); Tochukwu Nnadi (Olympique Marseille, France); Alhassan Yusuf (New England Revolution, USA)

Forwards: A: Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England); Frank Onyeka (Coventry FC, England); Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas FC, Turkey); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (SS Lazio, Italy); Tochukwu Nnadi (Olympique Marseille, France); Alhassan Yusuf (New England Revolution, USA)

DR Congo defender Rocky Bushiri ruled out of the World Cup
by Football Sierra Leone

DR Congo defender Rocky Bushiri ruled out of the World Cup

DR Congo squad suffers a blow ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers as Hibernian FC defender Rocky Bushiri pulled out of the squad on Monday.

Rocky Bushiri, who only featured for the first 16 minutes against ten-man Motherwell in Hibs 0-1 loss to Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership, walked off injured, but coach Sebastien Desabre included him in the 26-man FIFA World Cup squad following injury details unknown.

DR Congo Federation confirmed his omission from the squad in a press release on Tuesday morning, May 20. Bushiri has been replaced by Kilmarnock defensive midfielder Aaron Tshibola, who is 31 years old.

Rocky Bushiri featured for the Leopards during last year’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign as they were eliminated by Algeria in the Round of 16. They have since qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

2026 will be Congo’s first appearance at the World Cup finals since 1972, when they became the first sub-Saharan African country to qualify for the competition. At the time, the country was known as Zaire.

Bushir, who played for Belgium at the youth level, has seven caps and one goal for the DR Congo national team,m Leopards.

He will sadly miss his debut at next year’s World Cup taking place in Mexico, Canada and the USA as DR Congo were drawn in Group K with Portugal, Uzbekistan and Colombia.

Difficult task ahead of East Africa AFCON for Sierra Leone
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sierra Leone placed in Group E for the race to East Africa

The Leone Stars of Sierra Leone will compete with a stiff contest against African powerhouse DR Congo, stubborn Equatorial Guinea and improving Zimbabwe in Group E as they aim for their fourth appearance in the Cup of Nations in 2027.

This comes after the PAMOJA Qualifiers Draw held in Cairo, Egypt, on 19 May. The Leone Stars of Sierra Leone, who did not qualify for the last tournament in Morocco, are in search of a new head coach.

They participated in the Cameroon 2021 tournament but were eliminated in the group stage. Their last match was a 1-0 loss to Equatorial Guinea on 20 January 2022, finishing third in Group E behind Ivory Coast and Equatorial Guinea.

The road to East Africa will be challenging for whoever takes charge of the Leone Stars. There will be 48 teams divided into 12 groups, with four teams in each group. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Final Tournament.

The Qualifiers will take place during three FIFA International Windows:

– Matchdays 1 and 2: from 21 September to 6 October 2026
– Matchdays 3 and 4: from 9 to 17 November 2026
– Matchdays 5 and 6: from 22 to 30 March 2027

The tournament is scheduled from 19 June to 17 July 2027 and will be held in East Africa for the first time in 51 years, with Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania as co-hosts.

Sierra Leone Last Three and only appearances

3 (first in 1994) Group stage – (1994, 1996, 2021)

Sierra Leone Confirmed in Pot 3 for 2027 AFCON Qualifiers
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sierra Leone Confirmed in Pot 3 for 2027 AFCON Qualifying draw

Sierra Leone will be in Pot 3 for the draw of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualification series on Tuesday.

The Leone Stars, who did not qualify for the last tournament in Morocco, will find out who they will compete against as they work to secure a place in the event. The tournament will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

The country’s football association is seeking a new manager after firing former head coach Mohaed Kallon.

Pot 1 includes some of Africa’s top-ranked teams, such as the current champions Morocco, along with Senegal, Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Cameroon, DR Congo, Mali, South Africa, and Burkina Faso.

A total of 48 teams will compete, organised into 12 groups of four. Each group will have one team from each pot.

The top two teams from each group will qualify for the final tournament. Groups with a co-host nation will get an extra spot for qualification.