by FSL News | 11 Feb, 2017 | African News
Panic grips crowd at a league game in Angolan capital with scores wounded and children among the dead.
At least 17 football fans were killed after a stampede broke out at a stadium in northern Angola, police said, in an incident that also left scores of people wounded.
A wave of panic spread through the crowd on Friday, at a league game in the town of Uige, between the Santa Rita de Cassia and Recreativo do Libolo football clubs.
“There was a blockage at the entrance to the January 4 stadium … this obstruction caused multiple fatalities and there are 56 injured in the hospital,” police spokesman Orlando Bernardo told the AFP news agency.
Bernardo said several children had been killed.
Police said the dead were either trampled or suffocated after they were pushed to the ground. Hundreds of people with tickets had reportedly attempted to enter the already overcrowded stadium.
President Jose Eduardo dos Santos expressed condolences to the victims’ families and ordered an investigation, the Luanda-based Angop news agency reported.
A history of stampedes
“It is all the fault of the police. It was easy to avoid. They just need to extend the safety cordon,” Pedro Nzolonzi, the president of the Santa Rita de Cassia club, told Portuguese news agency, Lusa.
“There was serious police error in letting the people so close to the field … Many of them did not want to pay and those who had tickets could not get in. Then, the confusion began.”
The Recreativo do Libolo club said in a statement: “While the players were on the field, outside fans were trying to get into the stadium and a gate probably gave way to the pressure of the crowd causing several people to fall who were literally trampled on by the crowd.”
Angola, ranked 148 in the world, is a minor power in African football.
Football matches in Angola have a history of stampedes and deaths, often caused by overcrowded stadiums. There is also periodic crowd violence at matches.
Source: News agencies
by FSL News | 11 Feb, 2017 | International, National Sport News Sierra Leone
Photo: Rabat’s last training session at the Siaka Stevens stadium in Freetown on Friday ahead of the first leg of the CAF Champions League match against FC Johansen.
Matchday: The 2016 FA Cup Champions, FC Johansen, have set sights on victory at home later today when they square up against their guests FUS Rabat from Morocco at the Siaka Steven Stadium.
The club owned by the President of Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) Isha Johansen is one of the 46 teams looking to go past the preliminary stage of this year’s annual international club football competition run by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Soccer fans are upbeat that a comfortable victory for the home team will make the return fixture at the Stade de FUS, in Rabat a mere formality.
However, this is a game that is expected to be a cracker – the Moroccans on paper are very experienced in continental football, they were last season’s Confederation cup Semi-finalist, five times top-flight titles at home.
And despite Rabat’s unconvincing run in their domestic league this season, they are one of the only five Moroccan teams that succeeded to have African titles following their 2010 triumph in CAF Confederation Cup.
The Rabat-based club in recent years has been a regular in Africa’s elite’s competitions.
Unlike their hosts, back in 2013, Johansen – then debutants in the CAF confederation were eliminated by Barrack YC II following a 1-0 aggregate defeat.
James Sandy explained why Johansen will be a force as a debutant in this year’s CAF Champions League: “We are indeed very glad to be part of this competition and hopefully we shall not disappoint.
“The team has been together now for few years under head coach John Keister, and three or four of the lads were part of recent qualifiers with the National team. They’ve already exposed to this type of atmosphere and with the home theory a convincing victory is what we are targeting,” he passionately told footballsierraleone.net.
Bobson Sesay another fan was more pragmatic on his views: “We know is not going to be that easy, I believe that we have all it takes to achieve our target against our visitors. “We know that they are a good side but we are at home – playing with confident, but let see what happens.”
According to reports, Keister’s men are physically, mentally and psychologically prepared for this encounter but only a victory will boost their chances in Rabat.
The winner will play either side – the Ghanaian champions Wa All Stars or the Libyan outfit Al Ahly Tripoli in March.
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by FSL News | 9 Feb, 2017 | International, National Sport News Sierra Leone
Wiki Tourists captain, Mustapha Ibrahim has declared Sunday’s first leg CAF Confederation Cup fixture in Sierra Leone against Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) FC is a must-win game.
Sierra Leone 2016 FA Cup Runners-Up: Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) in Photo.
The right-back of the Nigerian Premier side has reiterated that his side’s unconvincing performance in the domestic top-flight will count for nothing when his side squares up against the Sierra Leone Confederation Cup representative, RSLAF FC.
“We are hoping to come back with the maximum three points, we want to win convincingly so as to make the reverse fixture in Nigeria more or less a mere formality,” Ibrahim told Supersport.
He explained: “Our domestic league and continental assignment are completely different games entirely I think our focus is more on the continent.
“After our league match at Lobi Stars, we went straight to camp to start intense preparation for our continental assignment in Sierra Leone against RSLAF FC.
“We lost the top-flight clash against the Makurdi outfit but our performance in the match was quite encouraging.
“We hope to recreate and improve the performance when we engage the Sierra Leonean side, RSLAF FC.
Wikki Tourists delegation are expected on Friday in Sierra Leone via Nigeria Capital Lagos.
The second fixture is slated for next week at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium in the City of Bauchi.
@football_sierra
by FSL News | 9 Feb, 2017 | International, National Sport News Sierra Leone
The Leone Stars of Sierra Leone moved up two places from 96th to 94th position in the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola global ranking released on Thursday and on the Continent they now occupy Twenty-fourth (24) places.
It is worth mentioning that Leone Stars last competitive football was back in September 2016, when they were eliminated by the former African champions Ivory Coast in Bouake during the qualifiers of the just concluded 2017 African Nations Cup, despite a 1-1 score-line.
However, Leone Stars will battle it out in Group F alongside Ghana Black Stars, Kenya, and Ethiopia, in the qualifiers for a place in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations to be hosted by Cameroon.
Meanwhile, Egypt have jumped up 12 spots in the latest FIFA world rankings and is currently in the 23rd position worldwide and sits on top of the African ranking.
Cameroon winning the AFCON 2017 in Gabon helped them climb 29 places into 33rd position in the world and third on the continent.
Argentina (1), Brazil (2), Germany (3), Chile (4) and Belgium (5) hold onto their positions respectively.
@football_sierra
by FSL News | 7 Feb, 2017 | Players Abroad News
Alhassan Crespo Kamara scored twice but his goals could not stop Molde cruised past BK Hacken 3-2 in their first pre-season friendly on Saturday.
The Sierra Leonean star scored in the 75th and 84th minutes on Wednesday for Hacken after the Norwegian giant took a 3-0 lead in the Dubai International Cup tournament at the Sevens Stadium.
Kamara speaking with FSL, Kamara noted he is currently very happy with life and his performance at Hacken, football is a strange game anything can happen and things can change very quickly but I am happy and committed here.
“I want to play more games, score more games and raise my game. I’m in a happy place, a good moment personally as they have assured me more games.”
“Am happy for my brace despite the defeat, Was happy because we played some good football against Molde,” Kamara told footballsierraleone.net
Hacken’s next match in Dubai is against Danish Superliga side FC Midtjylland on the 10 February 2017, at the JA Centre of Excellence Pitch.
The Allsvenskan side will start their 2017-18 season away to AIK Sunday, April 2, 2017, 15:00 at the friends Arena.
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Sierra Leone | Highlights -