Category: Sport News

by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sierra Leone’s Juma Bah impressive in Bundesliga debut with Augsburg

In a thrilling match, Sierra Leone’s Juma Bah was impressive as FC Augsburg secured a remarkable 2-2 draw against record champions Bayern Munich, having led twice.

Robin Fellhauer’s goal not only highlighted his talent but also made history as the fastest goal in Bundesliga history.

Augsburg’s coach, Manuel Baum, made four changes to the lineup from their last match, with Juma Bah and Youngwoo Seol making their first starts.

The Sierra Leone International was pivotal in their 2-2 draw on Friday night as they shared the spoils with Bayern Munich who were unable to capitalise on Borussia Dortmund dropping points.

Rodrigo Ribeiro and Arijon Ibrahimović joined the starting eleven, while Marius Wolf missed out due to an infection and Alexis Claude-Maurice due to muscular issues. Anton Kade returned from injury, and Sima Suso was included in the matchday squad for the first time.

The match kicked off with a bang when Augsburg scored just eight seconds in. After Bayern’s Manuel Neuer misplayed a chip pass, Fellhauer seized the opportunity, racing to the unguarded goal and calmly finishing to give Augsburg a stunning 1-0 lead.

Despite an early setback, Bayern quickly took charge of the match but found it difficult to penetrate Augsburg’s well-organised defence, which was always poised for counter-attacks

Bayern levelled in the 55th minute, but the home side regained the lead when Ribeiro scored in the 64th. However, the game was soon tied again at 2-2: Kane made a brilliant run down the left side of the penalty area and laid the ball off perfectly for Nathaniel Brown, who calmly slotted it home from about eight meters with his left foot in the 81st minute.

Augsburg 2-2 Bayern

Goals: 1-0 Fellhauer 1’, 1-1 Saibari 55’ (assist: Kane), 2-1 Ribeiro 64’, 2-2 Brown 80’ (assist: Kane)

by FSL News

Lionel Mpasi Controversy Puts FIFA and Infantino Under Pressure

A controversy surrounding DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi’s eligibility has heightened scrutiny of FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino.

Mpasi contributed significantly to the DRC’s performance in the 2026 World Cup, helping the team reach the round of 32 before their defeat by England.

However, it has been reported that FIFA attorneys were aware as early as March, three months prior to the tournament, that Mpasi was ineligible to play for the Leopards.

Concerns regarding the use of ineligible players by DR Congo were raised in December 2025, when Nigeria filed a complaint alleging improper player usage during World Cup qualifying.

DR Congo ultimately prevailed against Nigeria in a penalty shootout, securing their place in the World Cup. Cameroon had also previously expressed concerns over the eligibility of several Congolese players born in Europe.

Critics argue this incident highlights a tendency within FIFA to overlook regulations in favour of political allies.

FIFA has refuted claims that its handling of Mpasi’s eligibility was influenced by support for Veron Mosengo-Omba, the newly elected president of the Congo football federation, stating that Infantino was not involved in the decision-making.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has yet to comment publicly, while CONCACAF has stressed the need for consistent eligibility regulations.

Nigeria is considering seeking financial compensation from FIFA, assessing potential damages related to lost World Cup revenue and other economic impacts. Jamaica also has grounds for grievance after missing out on significant financial rewards by not qualifying for the tournament.

by Alie Bittar @bittar32

CAF Strategy Conference Concludes Second Day in Cabo Verde

The 54 Member Associations of the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) wrapped up a successful second day of the CAF Strategy Conference, chaired by CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe, in Sal, Santa Maria, Cabo Verde on Thursday, 8 October 2026.

The opening session featured notable attendees, including Cabo Verde’s Head of State, Dr. Janira Hopffer Almada, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, both of whom delivered remarks addressing the significance of the event.

Day three of the CAF Strategy Conference is set to kick off on Friday, 9 October 2026, at 09:00 local time / 10:00 GMT / 13:00 Cairo time. FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development and former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger will participate in an engaging panel discussion alongside several successful coaches from Africa’s National Teams at the FIFA World Cup 2026, including Cabo Verde’s Bubista, Egypt’s Hossam Hassan, and DR Congo’s Sébastien Desabre.

A major goal of the CAF Strategy Conference is to elevate football in each of the 54 Member Associations to a world-class level and to ensure that it becomes self-sustaining, all while enhancing the competitiveness of CAF competitions on the global stage.

In recent years, CAF has significantly boosted its investment in football development and the growth of its Member Associations, leading to hundreds of millions of US dollars in funding. This includes increasing annual subsidies to CAF Member Associations and Zonal Unions, consistently bringing in new sponsorship and partnership agreements, finalizing mutually rewarding deals with television and other broadcasters, and continually enhancing the quality of the broadcasting product.

by FSL News

Sierra Leone Drops Eight Spots in latest FIFA World Ranking

Sierra Leone has slipped to 130th in the latest FIFA World Rankings after back-to-back defeats to Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea, 3–2 and 1–0, respectively.

The Leone Stars could not improve their global standing after two defeats in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in October.

Sierra Leone dropped nine places, from 122nd to 130th, and currently have 1,123.20 points, placing them behind Group E opponents Zimbabwe.

In Africa, the Leone Stars are currently ranked 37th, while Morocco tops the continent at 7th place. Following Morocco are Senegal at 18th, Egypt at 25th, Algeria at 28th, Ivory Coast at 29th, Nigeria at 30th, DR Congo at 40th, Cameroon at 42nd, Mali at 47th, and South Africa at 48th, rounding out the top ten teams under the Confederation of African Football.

On the global stage, Spain holds the number one spot, followed closely by Argentina, France, England, Portugal, Brazil, Morocco, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Mexico, completing the top ten rankings.

Sierra Leone recorded the biggest drop in this FIFA Ranking
Sierra Leone recorded the biggest drop in this FIFA Ranking
by FSL News

Aminata Bangura loses CAS appeal over SLFA election

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has thrown out the appeal filed by Aminata Bangura, who protested her eligibility to contest the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) presidential elections in August 2025.

The court dismissed the case, citing that Mrs Bangura provided inconsistent statements to back her appeal. Bangura was allowed to contest the election after she initially appealed to the SLFA Ethics Committee after she was ruled out for failing an integrity check.

“So weighing up the evidence she has provided, the Sole Arbitrator can understand why the SLFA Ethics Board would have found her untruthful,” Cas stated in its ruling published on Monday 5 October.

“The situation only got worse for the Appellant before the CAS. Her version of the events changed again and then again. If someone is telling the truth, they tend to find it quite easy to do so; they just repeat what happened. The Appellant’s version of events simply changed too much to be credible. She also has “drip-fed” her version of the events,” the ruling adds.

Babadi Kamara was elected as the new president of the SLFA, and he has spent over a year in office.

The SLFA on its part, called the CAS decision a victory for good governance. “The SLFA welcomes the award, which affirms the decision of it’s judicial bodies and underscores the importance of integrity, transparency and compliance within football governance,” the FA’s statement highlights.

The Case decision is expected to put an end to months and even years of tension within the SLFA, as the country can now focus on its campaign to qualify for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations finals in Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.