Guinea have been stripped of hosting the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations because the infrastructure is not yet ready, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe announced in Conakry.

“We are not ready as of yet in Guinea – and we should reopen the process” of allowing prospective host countries to bid, Motsepe said in a press conference.

President Motsepe said: “I visited Guinea today out of respect to the people of Guinea to discuss CAF’s willingness to advise and work together with the football stakeholders to construct and build football infrastructure and facilities in this country. 

This will enable Guinea to bid with other competing Nations for the African Nations Championships (“CHAN”) which will take place after the CHAN to be hosted by Algeria in 2023, in the light of the decision by CAF not to proceed with the TotalEnergies AFCON 2025 in Guinea.”

The CAF Executive Committee will be meeting on Saturday, 1 October 2022 in Algiers, Algeria and will take a decision to re-open the bidding process for the TotalEnergies AFCON 2025.

In 2014, CAF awarded the 2019 tournament to Cameroon, the 2021 event to Ivory Coast and the 2023 edition to Guinea. 

Then Egypt replaced Cameroon for 2019 with CAF shifting the calendar, awarding the 2021 edition to Cameroon, which was held this year, and the 2023 edition to Ivory Coast. 

Guinea had then agreed to organise the 2025 edition. This is also a severe blow to Guinea. Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, who came to power in a coup in September 2021, had expressed his firm intention to honour the commitment to hosting.

The event was always going to be a significant challenge for one of the world’s poorest countries, which is sorely lacking in infrastructure, sports facilities and transportation.

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Sierra Leone will open this year’s TotalEnergies U-17 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers for WAFU (Zone A) tournament on Saturday 1st October, against host Mauritania.

The Multi-purpose Shebkha Bedia stadiums will host the opener kickoff at 6 pm. Host Mauritania battle Liberia on Monday, October 3, in their final match.

WAFU U17 competition will run from 1st to 10th October 2022. The two finalists are to compete in the U17 tournament in Algeria in 2023.

The Sierra Stars of Sierra Leone contingent comprises 23 players and 13 Officials.

Across all national levels, Sierra Stars remain the only Sierra Leone side to have participated in a FIFA competition after their impressive performance in the 2003 U-17 African qualifiers hosted in Swaziland and qualified for the World Cup finals in Finland alongside Nigeria and Cameroon under the guidance of former Sierra Leone International Musa Kallon.

U17 tournament in Mauritania 🇲🇷 Sierra Leone to face host and neighbours Liberia 🇱🇷

The competition is set to run from October 1st to 10th 2022.

Two finalists to compete in the U17 tournament in Algeria 2023. #SaloneTwitter #AfricanFootball @football_sierra pic.twitter.com/PYeCUCgAq2

— Alie Bittar (@bittar32) July 20, 2022

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After a disappointing display against South Africa, coach John Keister’s side will focus on amending their poor showing when they lock horns with DRC Leopards on Tuesday in Casablanca.

A brace from Themba Zwane in the 33′ 66′, Mihlali Mayambela 49′, and Aubrey Modiba 72′ were enough to condemn the Leone Stars to a 4-0 heavy defeat in their first International friendly on Saturday at the FNB stadium. 

The Leone Stars will now turn attention to Tuesday’s encounter with DRC Leopards, who were defeated by Burkina-Faso 1-0 at the Stade Père Jégo on Friday in Casablanca.

Both nations are coming into this contest from a back of a defeat, but DRC never lost to their West African counterparts.

The Leone Stars coach, during his post-match interview after the awful defeat to South Africa, noted that his side suffered as a result of poor preparations.

“The reality is there – if you don’t get it right in terms of preparations, this is what’s going to happen. We looked very tired – you can’t have players leaving their base from Monday hanging around hotels waiting for visas to come into South Africa.”

“What do you expect if you train for an hour, not even an hour, to come and play against a decent side? There’s no magic about it.”

During the 2014 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, DRC recorded a back-to-back defeat against Sierra Leone and scored five goals in Lubumbashi.

This encounter will be the third between the two nations. 

Meanwhile, Leone Stars arrived in Casablanca today ahead of their second International friendly slated to be played at the Stade Père Jégo.

Coach Keister is expected to make a few changes to the side that was heavily defeated in South Africa. 

Sierra Leone Spain-based midfielder Alusine Koroma is set to join the team in Morocco today. Koroma made his senior international debut on 17 March 2018 in a friendly against Iran.

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