by FSL News | 21 Nov, 2016 | African News
Ivorian defender, Serge Aurier has been refused permission by British authorities to travel to England for Wednesday’s Champions League match against Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed.
The French club announced that their 23-year-old Ivory Coast international had been denied an entry visa because of an assault conviction he received in September for acting violently towards police outside a nightclub.
In a statement, PSG said: “Due to a sudden about-face by the British authorities, Serge Aurier has not been allowed to travel with Unai Emery’s squad for the London crunch task at the Emirates.”
A UEFA statement read: “UEFA supported the PSG in its efforts to acquire a visa for the player but at the last moment the authorities refused it.”
The Wednesday’s meeting at Emirates Stadium second in the standings, level on 10 points with leaders Arsenal with both clubs assured of a place in the knockout stages.
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by FSL News | 20 Nov, 2016 | Players Abroad News
Umaru Zaingallay Bangura reclaimed his spot in the FC Zurich first team on Sunday as the Challenge League leaders thrashed Servette 4-0 away from home at the Stadium de Genève.
“Is good to be back,” the Sierra Leone skipper told footballsierraleone.net.
The 29-year-old versatile defender was deployed in his usual position in central defence in head coach Ulrich Forte’s side.
Bangura flourished in the defence helping them to pick a vital away win and a clean sheet.
The former Dinamo defender has missed vital matches in recent weeks following his second surgery on his left finger.
Since joining the club, Bangura has only made three League appearances. He scored his first league goal in Zurich 5-0 thumping over Wohlen.
Bangura was part of the FC Zurich’s side that suffered a 2-1 defeat in Spain to Villarreal in the first round of the Europa League ground stage.
In August 2016 he signed a three years contract with Swiss second-tier side FC Zürich.
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by FSL News | 19 Nov, 2016 | African News
Yaya Touré is back!
Ivorian International Yaya Toure gave Manchester City the lead with his first goal in his first starts under Pep Guardiola at Selhurst Park on Saturday.
Toure plays a one-two with Nolito before drilling home. Connor Wickham equalised for the host after a period of pressure with 24 minutes to go slotting home under Claudio Bravo.
Toure, who has been out of favour under Guardiola, restored his side’s lead after converting a low Kevin de Bruyne corner.
The Ivory Coast international has not featured since starting the second leg of the Champions League play-off against Steaua Bucharest in August.
Toure’s outspoken representative, Dimitri Seluk, claimed Guardiola had humiliated his client by omitting him from City’s Champions’ League group-stage squad, triggering a war of words with the Spaniard.
The 33-year-old’s City contract is due to expire at the end of the campaign and it had appeared likely he would leave the club before the off-season transfer window closed.
However, he apologised this month to Guardiola for Seluk’s outburst and has now earned a return to the first team.
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by FSL News | 16 Nov, 2016 | International, National Sport News Sierra Leone
Former East End Lions and Al Ismaili defender Abubakarr Tostao Kamara is a candidate for the Sierra Leone senior national coaching job.
According to the latest information surfacing from the Sierra Leone Football Association Headquarters, the former Leone Stars International has been tipped as the favourite to replaced Ghanaian coach Sellas Tetteh.
The FA’s Director of competition, Ibrahim Sorie, have confirmed that the FA has parted company with the Ghanaian coach and that Tostao, who was part of the Sierra Leone 1994 and 1996 African Nations Cup side in believed to be under consideration.
“We want to get things now in order and get ready for the next qualifiers,” Ibrahim Sorie told footballsierraleone.net correspondent in Freetown.
Tetteh’s contract runs out after Sierra Leone failed to reach the 2017 Nations Cup to be hosted in Gabon.
His initial loan deal expired last October after Leone Stars were eliminated in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers by Chad.
The 59-year-old, who was the architect when Ghana won the 2009 Under-20 World Cup declined to comment when contacted by this medium. He was appointed as caretaker coach for Sierra Leone in August 2015. Sierra Leone has only managed to participate twice in the continental big stage in 1994 and 1996.
Swede coach Roger Palmgren was not yet 30 when he coached Sierra Leone at the 1996 African Nations Cup finals in South Africa and declared an interest in the job again when it became available in 2002.
In Tunisia, 1994 French coach Raymond Zarpanelian was in charge of the Sierra Leone team.
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by FSL News | 15 Nov, 2016 | Players Abroad News
For his work supporting children in his country Sierra Leone and community engagement down in South Florida, Miami FC and the former Philadelphia Union midfielder Michael Lahoud has received the North American Soccer League (NASL) 2016 Humanitarian of the Year.
Lahoud, 30, teamed up with New England Revolution striker Kei Kamara to launch a school in Freetown as a part of Schools for Salone, an organisation with the goal of rebuilding the education system in the country.
Accepting the award the versatile midfielder, who received his first international call for Sierra Leone in August 2013 for their 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Equatorial Guinea said the school means a lot to him.
Schools for Salone: The Sierra Leone native has given back to his homeland through education
“The school is a part of me, it is a part of my story and will always be a part of my story. Building it has been a dream come true. I hope to continue changing the lives many through the sport that I love.” he told club’s website.
Lahoud has been called up to the Sierra Leone national team four times in his professional career.
He made his international debut in a 3-2 victory for Sierra Leone 7 Sep 2013 in a FIFA World Cup qualifier and was substituted in the final 15 minutes of the match.
Lahoud and national teammate Kei Kamara were the co-recipients of the 2015 FIFPro Merit Award for their efforts in creating a school for children displaced by civil war in their native Sierra Leone in December 2015.
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