by Admin | 1 Jun, 2016 | International, National Sport News Sierra Leone
Sports Minister Ahmed Khanou pictured demands Sierra Leone victory
Sierra Leone’s new sports minister Ahmed Khanou has urged the Leone Stars players to give off their best as they prepare to face Sudan in their group I 2017 AFCON qualifier to be played in Freetown on Saturday, June 4, 2016.
Minister Khanou, who was sworn in, replacing controversial former minister Paul Kamara, is targeting the victory that will see Sierra Leone get their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign back on track.
The match will be the third assignment for the Leone Stars this year at home soil since the country was declared of the deadly Ebola Virus.
The team began getting ready for the encounter with a training session at the Brookfields Sports Stadium this week.
Sellas Tetteh’s side needs to win at all costs against the Falcons of Sudan if they are to boost their chances of qualifying for the showpiece in Gabon next year he pointed.
“The players and technical team have to believe in themselves and die a little for the country; we must win and secure a chance to qualify. We expect nothing else than victory,” he told www.footballsierraleone.net.
“We have done everything possible as a government to make the team comfortable and we are working closely with the FA to ensure we have the winning at all cost in Freetown he stressed.
“We must believe that we are going to defeat Sudan here and our last match will be against Cote D Ivoire in September as they are top of the group but we have no thoughts of defeat.”
Sierra Leone are bottom of group I with just a point from two matches excluding the Gabon’s matches.
Sudan are second in the group with two points adrift leaders Ivory Coast who have five points.
Only the winner between Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, and Sudan will emerge from the group to join Gabon to participate in the 31st edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the biennial international men’s football championship of Africa organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
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by Admin | 1 Jun, 2016 | African News
The Harambee Stars of Kenya were held to a 1-1 draw by the Falcons of Jediane, Sudan in a friendly match played at Kasarani Nairobi on Tuesday.
The visitors were close to a win thanks to a stoppage time goal from defender and captain of the day Brian Mandela, who cancelled out Nazar Hamid’s 24th minutes strike for Sudan.
The Falcons took the lead in the 24th minute. Joseph Mbugi was dispossessed by Nazar Hamid, who in turn released an unstoppable shot from outside the 18-yard box, to put his side ahead.
Host Kenya ended the match with ten men in the dying minutes after Kahata was sent off following a second bookable offence.
Both Nations was using the test contest as groundwork for their respective Africa Nations Cup qualifiers.
Host Kenya will battle Congo Brazzaville on June 5 in Group E, while Sudan will be away to Sierra Leone in a crunch tie.
Kenya Starting XI: David Okello (GK), Musa Mohammed, Brian Mandela, Joseph Okumu, Erick Ouma, Joseph Mbugi (Francis Kahata 32’), Tyrus Omondi (Ismael Gonzalez 46’), Paul Were (Jeffery Owiti 78’), Ovella Ochieng’ (Cliff Miheso 54’), Wycliffe Ochomo (Jesse Were 53’)
Unused subs: Lucas Indeche (GK), Ian Otieno (GK), Amos Nondi,
Sudan Starting XI: 1.Akram Elhadi, 16.Mudathir Eltayeb (Bakhiet Khamis 81’),18. Amir Kamal (Omer Mahmoud 70’) 6.Ali Jafar,3.Malawia Bashir,15.Athar Eltahir, 14.Abu Abdalla, 7.Ramadhan Agab (2.Eltahir Elhag 78’),13.Nazar Hamid,12.Salah Ibrahim,10.Mohaned Tahir
Unused Subs:1. Awad E l Karim (GK) 5.Salaheldin Mahmoud, 19.Mohamed Ahmed,9.Mohamed Abdelmoniem,14. Omer Mahmoud
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by Admin | 31 May, 2016 | International, National Sport News Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone caretaker coach Sellas Tetteh has been boosted by the arrival of key international players for next week’s Group I Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sudan slated for Freetown on June 4, 2016.
Ten out of fifteen invited foreign-based players have joined the training camp in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
The arrival of familiar faces like John Kamara, David Simbo, Umaru Bangura, Julius Wobay, Alhassan ‘Crespo’ Kamara, Alfred Sankoh, Teteh Bangura, Solomon Zombo Morris, Abdul Sesay and Mohamed Medo Kamara will hand coach Tetteh a better preparation.
This is a massive boost for the side as coach Tetteh will now have the time to prepare his squad and also look at some of the players that he will be coaching for the first time.
Meanwhile, The Falcons of Sudan are expected to arrive in Sierra Leone latest by Thursday with a 29 man delegation.
SLFA’s Director of Competitions Sorie Ibrahim Sesay told www.footballsierraleone.net that the Sudanese will be arriving with a 29 man delegation 20 players and 9 officials Via Kenya Airways, and will have their first training session the same day in the evening hours.
He further pointed that this match is very important to both countries that why early preparation has been done by both countries as an FA Leone stars have started training and they have been moved to camp tonight at the hill valley hotel signal hill.
Sesay further noted that the quartet of Cameroonian referees and Match official from Mali will also be in town on Thursday and they will be housed at the Radisson Blue hotel in Freetown.
Sudan will play Kenya today in a friendly match before heading for Freetown he said.
The game was due to take place in Nairobi last Friday at the Moi International Sports centre Kasarani but Sierra Leone’s 2017 Africa Cup of Nations opponent Sudan did not make it to Nairobi on time for kick-off.
The Falcons of Jediane will test against a Kenya side that will also battle Congo Brazzaville on June 5 in Group E, both nations are using the friendly contest as groundwork’s for their AFCON matches this weekend.
They won the 1970 Africa Cup of Nations as host’s using Mustafa Azhari’s help.
After beating Ethiopia 3–0, and a 1–0 defeat to Côte d’Ivoire, they secured a place in the semi-final by beating Cameroon 2–1.
They overcame Egypt 2–1 after extra time in the semi-final, and won 1–0 against Ghana in the final to become African Champions.
Sudan is one of the oldest teams in Africa and has a rich history in the past 50s to 70s. They went as high as 74 in the FIFA rankings.
Sudan was the only East African team to qualify for the African Cup of Nations 2012.
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by Admin | 30 May, 2016 | Players Abroad News, Video & News
Athletic Football Club United midfielder Mohamed Buya Turay scored a hat trick to certify his club stayed top of the Swedish Superettan following a 3-1 mauling of Syrianska FC on Sunday.
Turay, who had previously scored four goals for the United’s under 21 squads, also scored his first goal for the first team that set them up for a 2-0 win over Assyriska away from home on May 11, 2016.
Turay has been in a sensational form for the Superettan league leaders played in all ten games this season scoring four goals.
The 20-year-old is a promising talent and has been tip by many soccer pundits to excel this season with the present Superetan league leaders.
Buya is yet to be recognised by football authorities in Sierra Leone. He is not in the Sierra Leone squad for Sudan next week in the Africa Nations Cup qualifier in Freetown.
by Admin | 26 May, 2016 | Players Abroad News, Sport News
Sierra Leone international Alhaji Kamara has revealed his excitement as he prepares for a new dimension in his football career.
Kamara, 22, signed for the Major League Soccer side DC United after medical endorsement that he is ok to play football again.
The former IFK Norrkoping striker admitted that he is much happier and ready to surpass the trauma of heart defect.
He told club website, “I’m really glad to be here and am looking forward to playing my first game for D.C. United and be a part of this family”.
Kamara also explained his reaction when he was first told about the heart problem. “I was shocked and I remember saying, ‘Why now?’ But I was positive and told myself that I was too young and too healthy to not play football. I had to find options.”
The Leone Stars striker who registered a stunning 16 goals in two years for the Swedish defending champions also said he is going to put the past behind him.
“I’m putting this behind me and concentrating on the field.
The Leone Stars striker was told in February about his congenital heart disease, a deviation of the coronary arteries which potentially could result in sudden death at the maximal cardiac effort.
Following proper and a full investigation by Allen Taylor (United’s cardiologist and chief of cardiology at Washington’s MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute) and Matthew Martinez (cardiology consultant for MLS), Kamara was cleared to resume his bright career.
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