by FSL News | 23 May, 2017 | African News, Video & News
Senegal started their Fifa under-20 World Cup campaign with a strong victory defeating Saudi Arabia 2-0 on Monday.
Semi-finalists last time out, Senegal secured all three points with first-half goals from Ibrahima Niane and Cavin Diagne.
With the United States and Ecuador drawing 3-3 in Group F’s other game, Senegal are the early pacesetters in Incheon.
The Senegalese could have scored more goals but found the Saudi Arabian goalkeeper Mohammed Alyami in inspired form.
Senegal next encounter is against the US on Thursday while Ecuador takes on Saudi Arabia.
Sixteen of the 24 teams advance to the second round – the top two from each of the six groups and the four best third-place finishers.
The final is scheduled for 11 June in Suwon.
Meanwhile, Guinea held England to a 1-1 draw at the Fifa under-20 World Cup in Jeonju, South Korea, on Tuesday, as they scored their first ever U-20 World Cup goal to secure a point.
England scored first in their opening Group A encounter after the break when Lewis Cook’s 25-yard effort found the back of the net.
But an own goal from Fikayo Tomori saw the two sides share the points.
Unaware that goalkeeper Dean Henderson had strayed from his goal, Tomori played a blind back-pass which rolled into an empty net.
Click here for U-20 World Cup results from the Fifa website http://www.fifa.com/u20worldcup/matches/index.html
@football_sierra
by FSL News | 23 May, 2017 | African News
Ghana will battle it out against Niger in the first semi-final in Port Gentil on Wednesday 24 May.
In the second semis, Mali takes on Guinea at the Stade de l’Amitie Sono-Gabonaise in Libreville on Wednesday, kick-off at 19h30 CAT for a place in the final of the 2017 Africa U-17 Cup of Nations.
Guinea and Ghana were the first two sides to book their semi-finals slots.
The Guineans played to a 0-0 draw against Ghana in their final match of Group A in Libreville at the Stade de I’Amitie Sino-Gabonaise on Saturday night.
The point was enough for Guinea to finish as group runners-up and secure a place at the World Cup in India in October.
Niger and Mali secured their place in the semi-finals on Sunday in Gabon and also qualify for the Fifa World Cup in India in October.
In the final Group B matches, Niger beat Tanzania 1-0 in a tense encounter in Port Gentil to go second in the group, above Tanzania on goal-difference.
In Libreville, group leaders and defending African champions Mali booked their place with a 6-1 win over Angola.
The semi-final winners will advance to the final at the same venue in Libreville.
@football_sierra
by FSL News | 20 May, 2017 | African News
Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang struck a late penalty for Borussia Dortmund on the final day of the season to finish as the Bundesliga’s top scorer with 31 goals.
Aubameyang scored twice to help Dortmund beat Werder Bremen 4-3 – his first coming three minutes before the break and his second from the spot in the 89th minute.
It put the 27-year-old one goal ahead of Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski who failed to score in the German champions’ 4-1 win over Freiburg.
Aubameyang becomes only the second African player to win the golden boot in Germany after Ghana’s Tony Yeboah achieved the feat twice whilst playing for Eintracht Frankfurt – in the 1992-93 season and the following year in 1993-94.
Borussia Dortmund’s victory over Werder Bremen gave them a third place finish in the Bundesliga and secured their automatic spot in the Champions League group stage.
BBC
@football_sierra
by FSL News | 16 May, 2017 | African News
Newly promoted Premier League side Newcastle are closing in on their first signing Ghanaian international Christian Atsu from Champions Chelsea.
Football Sierra Leone understands that the two clubs have reached agreement on a deal which would cost the Magpies in the region of £6.5.
However, it is understood that there is still a distance to go before the transfer is completed.
Atsu, 25, who joined Chelsea in September 2013 from Porto during the summer on a five-year deal made 32 league appearances and scored five goals for Newcastle this season.
He won his first senior cap for Ghana on 1 June 2012 against Lesotho, scoring in the process.
The attacking midfielder was once described by the BBC as an “excellent prospect”.
Atsu, capped 42 times by Ghana, has spent time on loan at Vitesse, Everton, Bournemouth and Malaga.
@football_sierra
by FSL News | 14 May, 2017 | African News
Hosts Gabon opened the Under 17 Africa Cup of Nations in Port Gentil with a big defeat to Guinea, losing their first Group A game 5-1.
Guinea completely dominated the match and went 5-0 up before Gabon hit a consolation goal in the second half.
Later on Sunday, Cameroon were scheduled to face Ghana in the other Group A match.
Group B’s opening matches take place in Libreville on Monday with Mali facing Tanzania and Angola taking on Niger.
The top four teams will qualify for the Under 17 Fifa World Cup in India in October which gives the teams an extra incentive to do well.
Before the opening game, Gabon’s head coach, Pierre Mfoumbi, had said he hoped his players could get off to a good start, in their bid to reach the World Cup for the first time.
In contrast, defending champions Mali – who start their campaign against debutants Tanzania on Monday – reached the final of the last Fifa Under 17 World Cup in Chile two years ago, only to lose to fellow Africans Nigeria in the final.
For Tanzania, qualifying for the Under 17 Africa Cup of Nations is a new chapter in the development of their country’s football.
Jamal Malinzi, president of Tanzania’s Football Federation, says although they are new to this tournament, they remain very ambitious.
“We have high expectations – very, very high expectations. We are going to start against Mali, I know it’s a formidable team,” Malinzi told BBC Sport.
“They have got two very good academies in Mali, which produced a number of their players, and some of them are playing in Europe already.
“But that won’t deter us from being determined to conquer Mali, to conquer Group B, and be in India for the World Cup finals,” Malinzi said.
Gabon replaced Madagascar as hosts for this Under 17 Africa Cup of Nations following a Caf inspection.
Source: BBC
@football_sierra
by FSL News | 13 May, 2017 | African News
The Nigerian international, Victor Moses, and his Chelsea team on Friday emerged champions of the English Premier League.
Delighted Moses on his official twitter account tweeted: CHAMPIONS ?!!! Words can’t describe the emotions right now! We did this together! #CFC Family!
Moses played a key role in Antonio Conte’s first season triumph as Chelsea dominated the Premier League and won their sixth league title – their fifth in the past 12 years.
The 26-year-old had played only 23 league games in the previous four years, which had taken in loan spells at Liverpool, Stoke and West Ham along the way.
But, after defeat to Liverpool and Arsenal in the first opening games, Conte’s reshuffle brought Moses back into the starting line-up and has helped make him one of the most consistent performers this season, making over 37 appearances in all competitions.
Although they still have two games to play, Chelsea now have an unassailable 87 points.
Moses played for 86 minutes on Friday evening as he and his teammates defeated West Bromwich Albion in an away match.
The only goal of the game came in the 82nd minute and was scored by Belgian Michy Batshuayi who came on from the substitute bench.
Following his breakthrough season, the Nigerian has recently signed a new deal with the London outfit to keep him in west London until 2021.
The deal is thought to be worth around £100,000-per-week.
Moses arrived at Chelsea in 2012 from Wigan Athletic and enjoyed a solid first season at the club, helping Chelsea to lift the Europa League trophy during the 2012- 2013 seasons.
@football_sierra
Sierra Leone | Highlights -Â