by FSL News | 26 Dec, 2016 | African News
Manchester City climbed to second place in the Premier League with a workmanlike victory over bottom side Hull City at the KCOM stadium.
Pep Guardiola’s visitors were far from their free-flowing best en route to their 12th win of the season, but were nevertheless good value for a win that keeps them seven points behind leaders Chelsea.
Yaya Toure’s penalty, awarded after Andrew Robertson’s clumsy challenge on Raheem Sterling, set the visitors on their way before Kelechi Iheanacho added a second from close range and Curtis Davies conceded an own goal in the dying seconds.
Hull have now conceded nine penalties so far in the league this season – four more than any other side.
The hosts played well in patches and saw Michael Dawson’s second-half header cleared off the line by Bacary Sagna, but their return of one win in 16 matches is a damning statistic that points to only one outcome at the end of the season.
And it will not be lost on Tigers fans that the side bottom on Christmas Day have only stayed up three times in the 24 Premier League seasons to date.
Guardiola’s players will not earn many style points for this latest win but the final result is all that matters as they bid to keep in touch with Antonio Conte’s flying leaders.
After starting December with back-to-back losses to Chelsea and champions Leicester, Man City now appear to be comfortably back in the winning groove with nine points from nine.
Sergio Aguero was sitting out the final game of his four-match ban and his absence appeared to be felt in a first half of few chances.
Guardiola decided against employing out-and-out striker Iheanacho from the start in favour of a four-man forward line of Kevin de Bruyne, Sterling, David Silva and Nolito, and they did not click into gear until after the break.
The first warning sign came when De Bruyne hit the post with a cute disguised shot. Sterling then took centre stage with a probing run into the area which proved the turning point, drawing a needless foul from Robertson that presented Toure with a chance from 12 yards that he did not pass up.
Iheanacho, introduced from the bench in the 57th minute, added a simple second after good work by Silva, before more direct running from Sterling forced Davies to turn into his own net in the fourth minute of added time.
The only real scare for Guardiola during the match was the early withdrawal of England defender John Stones through injury, but his concerns were quickly allayed.
“We were a little bit worried about that but it is just a kick, not ligaments or something like that,” said Guardiola.
BBC Sports
by FSL News | 26 Dec, 2016 | International, National Sport News Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone men’s soccer team were non-movers in the December 2016 FIFA Coca-Cola World Ranking released by the world governing body.
The Leone Stars ended this year as the 96th best team in the World, while they are 25th in Africa. They are closely followed by Syria, Kazakhstan, who are 96th and 98th respectively.
Sierra Leone last competitive football was back in September when they were eliminated by the reigning African champions Ivory Coast in Bouake from the 2017 African Nations Cup qualifier, despite a 1-1 score-line.
In Africa, Senegal ended 2016 as the highest ranked African national team, edging their continental rivals reigning African Cup of Nations title-holders the Ivory Coast for the top spot.
Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Ghana, and Morocco complete the top 10 compiled by world governing body FIFA.
Meanwhile, Argentina remains at the top of the ranking with Brazil and Germany sitting second and third, respectively.
Chile and Belgium round off the top five in the world with Colombia, France, Portugal, Uruguay and Spain making the top 10.
AFRICA: (FIFA’s world ranking in brackets):
1 Senegal (33), 2 Ivory Coast (34), 3 Tunisia (35), 4 Egypt (36), 5 Algeria (38), 6 Democratic Republic of Congo (48), 7 Burkina Faso (50), 8 Nigeria (51), 9 Ghana (53), 10 Morocco (57)
11 Mali (60), 12 South Africa (60), 13 Cameroon (65), 14 Benin (66), 15 Guinea-Bissau (68), 16 Guinea (69), 17 Congo Brazzaville (70), 18 Uganda (72), 19 Cape Verde (80), 20 Libya (85)
The next FIFA World Ranking will be published on Thursday 12 January 2017.
@football_sierra
by FSL News | 21 Dec, 2016 | International, National Sport News Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone 2016 FA Cup Champions, FC Johansen, will face Moroccan top flight side FUS Rabat in the 2017 CAF Champions League preliminary round.
The club owned by the President of Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) Isha Johansen will host the first leg between the weekend of 10–12 February 2017 and the return clash the following week.
The preliminary round will feature a total of 46 teams. The draw took place in Cairo on Wednesday.
If Johansen’s side advance, they will play either side – the Ghanaian champions Wa All Stars or the Libyan outfit Al Ahly Tripoli in March.
FC Johansen was eliminated from the 2013 CAF Confederation Cup by Barrack YC II following a 1-0 aggregate defeat.
In the second tier of the club competition, Sierra Leone’s Military soccer side (RSLAF) were drawn against Nigerian side Wikki Tourist. It is going to be very tough inroads for the debutant to navigate through the preliminary round of the Confederation Cup.
Meanwhile, CAF Champions League holders, Mamelodi Sundowns, will start their defence of their title against the winner of the matchup between KCCA Club (Uganda) and D.1e Agosto (Angola).
@football_sierra
by FSL News | 18 Dec, 2016 | African News
The Ivorian International Jonathan Kodjia (Pictured) scored the decisive goal to down QPR 1-0 at Loftus Road Stadium.
The Elephants striker eighth goal of the season was enough to hand Aston Villa a deserved 1-0 win at QPR.
The lively striker, who squandered a golden opportunity to give Steve Bruce’s side the lead at Loftus Road bounced back from his first-half penalty misery to scored Villa’s winner on Sunday.
Kodjia’s spot kick was saved by Alex Smithies, who had an excellent game for the hosts. But the 27-year-old Ivorian made amends with 15 minutes remaining, slotting a low effort home to hand Villa only their second away Sky Bet Championship victory since the start of last season.
The result means the White City-based club are now just three points above the relegation zone, while Villa are six points from the final play-off place.
@football_sierra
by FSL News | 18 Dec, 2016 | Players Abroad News
Amadou Bakayoko is finally finding his feet with the English League One side Walsall FC since scoring a hat-trick in the Checkatrade competition against Grimsby in Walsall’s 5-2 victory back in August.
Born in Sierra Leone, the 6ft 4 striker with great physicality and pace, Bakayoko has signed an extended contract, tying him to the West Midlands-based club until 2018 with a promising future ahead of him.
“The first game we had against Grimsby was my first start for the club and was my first chance to really impress and prove something to the fans, players and staff,” said the 20-year-old.
“I’m more confident in my ability than I ever have been. It’s not arrogance. I know I can go out there and do my thing now,” the Sierra Leone-born was quoted as saying.
Walsall striker Amadou Bakayoko has signed a new contract to keep him at the club until the summer of 2018
He has made 18 appearances so far for the West Midlands-based club including Walsall 1-1 draw with Bradford City on Saturday.
During the 2016/2017 pre-season, Amadou regular goals and strong performances propelled him into the first team fray and in the first game of the League One season (home to AFC Wimbledon on 6th August) Amadou came on as a sub and provided a superb assist for Simeon Jackson.
He scored his first goal against Shrewsbury Town on his full league debut on 15th October 2016, in Walsall’s 3-2 home win.
Amadou moved to the Netherlands at age of six and started his trade in youth football at Velocitas 1897 and then moved to the prestigious FC Groningen academy, before moving to England in his mid-teens with his family.
The prolific striker who was the leading goal scorer for the Walsall youth team has also had spells at Port Vale in April 2014 and AFC Telford United.
FSL NEWS – @football_sierra
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