Balıkesirspor confirm midfielder Sankoh leaves club by mutual consent

Balıkesirspor confirm midfielder Sankoh leaves club by mutual consent

Balıkesirspor confirm midfielder Sankoh leaves club by mutual consent

Turkish second tier side Balıkesirspor have confirmed days ago that Sierra Leone international, Alfred Zagalo Sankoh, has left the club by mutual consent.

The 27-year-old midfielder has departed the club after 12 months at the club, in which he made 21 appearances scored 1 goal since joining from Azerbaijani top flight league club Khazar Lankaran.

“The news about the contract termination is true and it was done a week before coming for the Nations Cup qualifiers against Sudan. Even though I was still having a year left, however conditions were no longer favourable so I decided to look elsewhere,” Sankoh told Concord Sports in an exclusive interview.

The Leone Stars midfielder began training with Strømsgodset in May 2008, going on to sign permanently for the club in July of the same year ends his second spell in Turkey.

In July 2012, Sankoh signed a three-year contract with TFF First League side Şanlıurfaspor.

The former Strømsgodset midfielder, Sankoh moved to Khazar Lankaran, signing a two-year contract in July 2014 and played 25 times scoring twice.

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Algerian winger Feghouli signs for West Ham on a three-year deal

Algerian winger Feghouli signs for West Ham on a three-year deal

West Ham have signed Algerian winger Sofiane Feghouli (Pictured) from Valencia on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee.

Feghouli, 26, joined Valencia from French side Grenoble back in 2010, scoring 42 goals in 243 appearances in the last six years.

Feghouli told the West Ham website: “I am very happy to sign for the Hammers and for Slaven Bilic. The history of the club is important for me in my decision.”

He is the Londoners second signing this summer following Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Havard Nordtveit, who joins on 1 July.

The 2012 Algerian Footballer of the Year, Feghouli has 40 caps and has played in three major tournaments.

The Algerian international has 35 caps and nine goals to his name and has impressed down the right-hand side for Valencia, with his pace, hard work and dribbling ability a particular highlight for the West Ham faithful to keep an eye out for.

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Crystal Palace sign Ibrahim Kargbo junior, player’s dad confirm

Crystal Palace sign Ibrahim Kargbo junior, player’s dad confirm

Premier League side Crystal Palace have completed the signing of former Leone Stars captain son Ibrahim Kargbo junior, according to the player’s father.

No details of his agreement with the club have been disclosed, but Kargbo Jr will continue with his development with the Place under 17 & 18 sides next season.

“I’m a proud dad. Thank God for this day, my son has signed for Crystal Palace. I give thanks to the almighty God. Am so proud of my boy,” Kargbo, 34, who made 34 international caps for Sierra Leone, told footballsierraloene.net.

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Photo of Ibrahim Kargbo junior alongside his managers

The youngster, who was born in Sierra Leone before moving to Belgium at a very young age, has also had a spell with the Reading youth sides U-13 and U-16 where he continues to excel before his move to Palace.

The 16-year-old striker has a brighter prospect. He started playing his football with Germinal Beerschot U-9 sides in Belgium.

The Palace new under 18 acquisition moved to England from Belgium in 2014 with his uncle before joining the Reading FC youth system.

He’s really settled in quickly in England and is a direct type of front runner that wriggles and twists to get into pockets of space. He definitely has a goal in his locker.

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Torino targeting Sierra Leonean-born England international Nathaniel Chalobah

Torino targeting Sierra Leonean-born England international Nathaniel Chalobah

Torino are reportedly in talks with Sierra Leonean-born Chelsea midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah (pictured).

The Granata are reconstructing their squad under new Coach Sinisa Mihajlovic, as Giampiero Ventura left to take the Italy job.

The 21-year-old has spent last season on loan at Napoli and played just nine times during 12 months.

Sky Sport Italia and Calcionews24 claim Torino’s first target for midfield is the England Under-21 international Chalobah, who is a product of the Chelsea youth system.

Chalobah was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone and still eligible to play for his country of birth.

He made his England under-16 debut at the age of 13 in October 2008, and his England under-17 debut aged 14 in July 2009, before winning the 2010 UEFA European Under-17 Championship.

The 6 ft 1-inch midfielder has been struggling to hold on to a regular first team football at Chelsea and has had spells with Watford, Nottingham Forest, Middlesbrough, Burnley, Reading before he was again sent on a season-long loan from Chelsea on 1 September 2015 to Napoli.

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Cameroon will be in Pot 3 for 2018 World Cup draws

Cameroon will be in Pot 3 for 2018 World Cup draws

The Indomitable Lions, who have qualified for the tournament more times than any other African country and reached the 1990 quarter-finals, are among 20 teams to be split into five groups.  The Indomitable Lions have appeared at the tournament seven times – more than any other African country – but have suffered in recent years.

Algeria, Ghana, and African champions Ivory Coast are among the top seeds based on Fifa’s rankings for June.

Twenty African teams will be split into five groups, with only the winners making it to the finals in Russia.

Nigeria, who boast the second most World Cup qualifications from Africa with five, have been included among the second seeds.

Eighteen of the teams in the draw, which will take place on 24 June, are among the top 20 in the rankings with Gabon (22) and Libya (33) the exceptions.

Qualifying kicks off in October, continues in November and there will be further four rounds during 2017 between August and November.

Cameroon’s last two appearances at the World Cup were a disaster. They lost all three of their group games in South Africa in 2010 and in Brazil four years later.

They have also suffered a miserable time on their continent, finishing bottom of their group at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. Cameroon failed to qualify for the tournament in 2012 and 2013.

Seeding

Pot 1: Algeria, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Senegal, Tunisia

Pot 2: Cape Verde, Egypt, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Mali

Pot 3:Cameroon, Morocco, Guinea, South Africa, Congo Brazzaville

Pot 4: Uganda, Burkina Faso, Zambia, Gabon, Libya

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