by FSL News | 27 Jun, 2017 | Players Abroad News
Seattle Sounders have recalled Victor Mansaray from his loan spell at FC Cincinnati on Friday, the striker has confirmed.
Mansaray, 20, was sent on loan to the USL’s side until the end of the 2017 season.
Asked why his loan move was cut short he said, “Seattle wanted me back, I was playing at Seattle before my loan move and after my first international call-up Seattle decided they want me back.”
The youngster, who was part of the Sierra Leone team preparation ahead of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations first leg qualifying tie in Freetown on June 10 will be hoping to impress the Sounder’s head coach Brian Schmetzer.
The former US U20 striker did not feature in the match when Sierra Leone defeated Kenya 2-1 and was disappointed.
“I was disappointed because I didn’t have my FIFA clearance on time,” Mansaray told footballsierraleone.net
He made eight appearances at FC Cincinnati— three starts — but no goals and no assists. However, he did score three goals for Cincinnati during the preseason.
He had previously played for the United States at various youth international levels, most recently with the U20s during the Four Nations tournament that took place back in October 2016.
He featured twice in that tournament with one start and one substitute appearance.
Mansaray will face a tough competition at Sounders, 34-year-old Clint Dempsey is their top striker. Dempsey has four goals so far this season; he was on target against the Timbers on Sunday.
Mansaray has been a member of the Sounders since midway between the 2012-2013 seasons when he joined the Sounders Academy.
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by FSL News | 26 Jun, 2017 | African News
Premier League Champions Chelsea FC have confirmed the departure of their Burkina Faso international, Bertrand Traoré. (Photo Credit OLWED)
After he failed to break into the Chelsea first team, Traore, 21 has moved on a permanent transfer to French top-flight side, Lyon on a five-year deal.
The attacker, who joined Chelsea from Association Jeunes Espoirs De Bobo-Dioulasso in his native Burkina Faso, became a first-team player at Stamford Bridge only a few days after his 20th birthday and proved capable of providing important back-up and support for Diego Costa during the 2015/16 season.
Traoré OLTV: “I am very happy to be here, to be Lyonnais. Lyon has always been an impressive club, with big players and a great history. It is an honour for me to play here.
“When I came here with Ajax a few months ago, I was attracted by the philosophy of the club, with several young players from the academy, and the magnificent Parc OL. With Ajax, we had a bit of a similar style of play and that enticed me to come here.
“I am coming to bring something extra to OL and I hope to continue progressing and to learn with the coach and my new team-mates.”
Traore, who scored in three consecutive games early in 2016 for Chelsea in the FA Cup at MK Dons and then at home to Newcastle and Manchester City, has spent recent seasons on loan at the Dutch clubs Vitesse Arnhem and Ajax and will continue his trade with Lyon – contract until 2022.
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by FSL News | 25 Jun, 2017 | African News
African Champions Cameroon have been dumped out of the 2017 FIFA Confederation Cup after they lost 3-1 to Germany in their final Group B match at Fisht Olympic Stadium on Sunday, June 25, 2017, in Sochi, Russia.
Cameroon only managed a draw from three matches losing twice in Group B.
After a goalless first half, a brace from Timo Werner and Kerem Demirbay (47’) opener was enough to send Cameroon home.
They were reduced to ten men in the 64th minute when, after a video assistant referee review, Ernest Mabouka was sent off for a late challenge on Emre Can.
Werner then gave Germany a two-goal cushion with a diving header, his first goal at senior international level, from Joshua Kimmich’s cross on the right wing.
Vincent Aboubakar found the net with a glancing header with ten minutes remaining, but Werner restored Germany’s two-goal lead, ensuring their first-place position in the group and becoming the first German to score two goals in a single Confederations Cup match with his close-range, accurate finish.
The victory means that Joachim Low’s side will stay in Sochi for their semi-final against Mexico on 29 June.
Meanwhile, Chile reached the FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 semi-finals after coming from behind to draw 1-1 against Australia in front of 33,639 fans in Moscow.
James Troisi had Robbie Kruse partly to thank for the opener. The No10 stole possession from the Chileans around the halfway line before persevering with the ball. His cross-shot found its way to Troisi, who lofted the ball delightfully over Claudio Bravo.
Germany: Ter Stegen; Ginter, Ruediger, Suele – Kimmich, Can, Rudy (Henrichs 74′), Plattenhardt – Demirbay (Brandt 78′), Draxler (Younes 80′), Werner
Cameroon: Ondoa; Mabouka, Teikeu, Ngadeu-Ngadjui, Fai – Anguissa, Siani, Djoum (Ngamaleu 58′); Moukandjo (Guihoata 70′), Bassogog (Ekambi 82′), Aboubakar
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by FSL News | 24 Jun, 2017 | International, National Sport News Sierra Leone
Fresh from their 2-1 victory over Kenya in the African Nations Cup qualifier in Freetown on June 10, the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) and Sports Ministry are now focusing their attention to the African Nations Championship qualifiers, CHAN.
Sierra Leone will start its quest to reach Kenya 2018 when they take on the Teranga Lions of Senegal in the first leg qualifiers on the weekend of 14-16 July before travelling to Dakar for the return fixture the following week.
And according to the Team Manager, Christian Dauda, (pictured), both bodies are committed to ensuring that the country excels in next month’s doubleheader.
“I can confirm to you that SLFA and the Sports Ministry are working harder to help the head coach Abubakar Tostao Kamara and the rest of the technical excel against Senegal next month,” Dauda said and admitted that the Senegal tie is going to be another tough outing in Freetown but upbeat the boys can pull through another good result.
“Is going to be a tough game against Senegal as always in African Football, no match is an easy game. But, I have to trust the technical department to assemble the best of our home talents,” he said.
The passionate Team Manager also commends the senior team for their notable victory over Kenya. “I want to appreciate the senior squad after a job was well done over the Kenyans, Dauda added.
“Defeating the Harambee Stars was the only way forward to kick-start our Cameroon 2019 qualifying campaign. However, the SLFA and the Government have set a new focus on the forthcoming continental event,” He told footballsierraleone.net.
The CHAN – is a tournament for locally-based African players featuring in their own country’s domestic leagues – will be staged in Kenya from 12 January to 4 February 2018.
The winner of the double-legged tie will face the winners of the Guinea-Bissau and Guinea clash in the second round with the first leg billed to take place between 11 and 13 August, and those of the return leg the following weekend.
Kenya 2018 (also referred to as CHAN 2018) will be the 5th edition of the African Nations Championship.
Sierra Leone was knocked-out from the 2016 tournament in the preliminary round by Mauritania thanks to a 4-1 aggregate win. The Mauritanians won the first leg 2-1 at the Nouakchott Stadium and six days later they registered a 2-0 victory at the same venue.
The home-based Leone Stars chose to host their home leg in Nouakchott because Sierra Leone was unable to host international games due to the Ebola outbreak in the country which forced an international ban on all football and sporting activities in the country then.
In 2014, Sierra Leone was eliminated from the qualifiers in their own backyard by Guinea. The Guineans forced Sierra Leone to a 1-1 draw at the National Stadium in Freetown as the first leg in Conakry ended in a goalless draw.
Senegal, on the other hand, has participated in the final phases of CHAN in 2009, 2011, 2014 and 2016. In 2014, they were eliminated by Mauritania (1-0 and 0-2) and in 2016; it was the Guineans who pushed them away.
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by FSL News | 23 Jun, 2017 | International, National Sport News Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone skipper and FC Zurich defender Umaru Bangura (Pictured with Sports Minister Ahmed Khanou) believes Leone Stars have enough quality to reach the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
Bangura, 29, is calling on the football authorities to get their act right for upcoming matches in Group F.
Since 1996 in South Africa, Leone Stars have not qualified for the Nations Cup. That was 21 years ago, however, the skipper is upbeat they will bounce back in 2019.
Sierra Leone in Group F together with Ghana, Kenya and Ethiopia and sit second behind Ghana who thrashed Ethiopia to go top of the group after the opening qualifying matches.
Bangura, scored one of Sierra Leone’s goals as they overcome Kenya 2-1 in Freetown on June 10 in their most recent qualifier.
“I’m confident that with good preparation we’ll qualify for the AFCON finals,” Bangura told the BBC.
“We don’t want any late preparations.
“We want players to be available at the right time for early training and play friendly matches against top-class African teams.
“I’m calling on the Sierra Leone FA and sports ministry to prepare us well for the remaining fixtures.”
In August 2016, Bangura signed a three years contract with Swiss second-tier side FC Zürich, since then he has been a pivotal figure in the Zurich club automatic promotion back to the Swiss top flight.
Bangura scored his first and only league goal in Zurich 5-0 thumping of Wohlen at the Niedermatten Stadium on Sunday 2 October 2016.
He will be playing in the Swiss top flight next season after helping the Zurich city club to automatic promotion.
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Sierra Leone | Highlights -