by FSL News | 16 Mar, 2018 | International, National Sport News Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone Stars hopes of meeting World Cup-bound Iran in a friendly encounter in Tehran on Saturday, 17 March has been confirmed by football world governing body, Fifa.
The contest will take place in Tehran’s Azadi Stadium.
A Fifa spokesperson told Football Sierra Leone UK via email that there was a need for proper clarification ahead of schedule match.
The match was uncertain after FIFA’s recognised SLFA head, Isha Johansen, and her Scribe; Chris Kamara informed the organisation that they were unaware of the ‘friendly.
Extracts of the communication read -“For the captioned international friendly match, please be informed there was a need for some clarifications before the necessary authorisation could be extended, but the said match will go ahead in Tehran.”
It could be recalled that on October 2017, Isha Johansen and Kamara were both ordered by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to step aside following charges of abuse of office and pilfering of public funds. The matter is ongoing.
In spite of the above, Fifa says they recognise the Johansen leadership until Integrity checks and elections are conducted.
The arranged test scheduled will be Iran’s first 2018 World Cup warm-up encounter and the first between the two nations.
Leone Stars including just three foreign-based players will take on the best Asian football team.
The foreign-based are Finish-based TP-47 striker Thomas Koroma, JS Hercules midfielder Abdul Sesay and attacker Abu Bakarr Kargbo from fourth-tier German side Berliner AK 07.
The two countries have a very good international relation and Sierra Leone for the first time considered to play a friendly by a team heading to a World Cup.
The African minnows ranked 98th while Iran is the best Asian football team and 33rd in the world.
Iran are in Group B at the FIFA World Cup alongside Spain, Morocco and Portugal.
Carlos Queiroz’s men will open their Russia 2018 campaign with a match against Morocco at Saint Petersburg on June 15, before taking on Spain in Kazan on 20 June.
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by FSL News | 15 Mar, 2018 | International, National Sport News Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone moved down again to 98th position from 97th in the latest FIFA world rankings announced on Thursday.
The national men’s soccer side finished 2017 as the 97th best-ranked team in the world.
Sierra Leone best ever ranking came in August 2014, when they were ranked 50th globally.
In Africa, Sierra Leone, currently 22nd and 98th in the world 65th places behind Carlos Queiroz’s men.
Leone Stars including just three foreign-based players will take on the best Asian football team Iran on Saturday in an international friendly at Tehran’s Azadi Stadium.
The foreign-based are Finish-based TP-47 striker Thomas Koroma, JS Hercules midfielder Abdul Sesay and attacker Abu Bakarr Kargbo from fourth-tier German side Berliner AK 07.
Icelandic based midfielder Kwame Quee is expected to join the team.
Iran will open their Russia 2018 campaign with a match against Morocco at Saint Petersburg on June 15, before taking on Spain in Kazan on 20 June.
The contest will be Iran’s first 2018 World Cup warm-up encounter and the first time they are facing the West Africa side in an international match.
Tunisia remained the highest ranked African country in 23rd position, while Stuart Baxter’s Bafana Bafana climbed one spot to 76th in the overall ranking and 15th in Africa.
The Top 5 in the rankings remained the same with World Cup holders Germany in the top spot, followed by Brazil, Portugal, Argentina and Belgium.
The next FIFA world rankings will be published on April 12, 2018.
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by FSL News | 14 Mar, 2018 | International, National Sport News Sierra Leone
The Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) has confirmed that 2018 World Cup-bound Iran will play a friendly match with Sierra Leone on March 17.
The SLFA says John Keister’s men will on Wednesday, March 14 depart Freetown for Tehran, Iran.
According to The Head of Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) Mehdi Taj, Sierra Leone replaced Libya who withdrew from the friendly.
This Saturday’s test will be Iran’s first 2018 World Cup warm-up encounter and the first time they are facing the West Africa side in an international match.
The contest will take place in Tehran’s Azadi Stadium.
The two countries have a very good international relation and Sierra Leone for the first time considered to play a friendly by a team heading to a World Cup.
The African minnows ranked 97th while Iran is the best Asian football team and 33rd in the world.
Iran are in Group B at the FIFA World Cup alongside Spain, Morocco and Portugal.
Carlos Queiroz’s men will open their Russia 2018 campaign with a match against Morocco at Saint Petersburg on June 15, before taking on Spain in Kazan on 20 June.
Five days later take on Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in Saransk.
Carlos Queiroz has already named his 22-man Iran squad for the friendly match.
Sierra Leone, on the other hand, are expecting four foreign-based players.
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by FSL News | 26 Feb, 2018 | International, National Sport News Sierra Leone
The Shooting Stars of Sierra Leone have been paired with Guinea Bissau in the 2019 U20 AFCON preliminary qualifiers.
Guinea Bissau will host Sierra Leone between March 30 and April 1 with the return leg in Freetown on the weekend of April 20-22.
According to the fixtures released by Confederation of African Football (CAF), the winner between Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau will face the Flying Eagles of Nigeria.
Zambia, Guinea, Nigeria, Gambia, Burkina Faso, Libya, Cote d’Ivoire and Sudan have been handed a bye in the initial qualifying round.
The Flying Eagles will then play away to the overall winners of this first round clash on May 11, 12 or 13 with the return leg in Nigeria a week later.
The overall winners of this clash will then feature in a final playoff which could involve Morocco/Mauritania or Guinea.
This final U20 AFCON qualifier is billed for July. The final tournament will be hosted by Niger in 2019 with the four semi-finalists qualifying for the 2019 FIFA U20 World Cup, whose host will be announced next month.
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by FSL News | 16 Feb, 2018 | International, National Sport News Sierra Leone
Fifa has named a four-man investigation unit that will probe potential match-fixing in Sierra Leonean football, BBC Sport reports.
The match-fixing inquiry includes a World Cup qualifier between Sierra Leone and South Africa in 2008.
Since 2014, eleven officials and four players have been suspended by Sierra Leone’s FA pending investigation, with all having denied wrongdoing.
The four-man Fifa unit will be chaired by Jean-Samuel Leuba, a lawyer.
He will be joined by Michael Emde, Peter Limacher and Paul Scotney, a former detective who has extensive experience of investigating corruption in sport.
“(Fifa) has established an independent investigation committee to conduct an inquiry into allegations of match-fixing within football in Sierra Leone in general and, in particular, match-fixing within the Sierra Leone FA,” said a Fifa statement.
“The duties of the independent committee are to investigate the allegations and provide a comprehensive report to the Fifa Members Associations Committee in order to allow for an informed decision on the matter.”
The letter was signed by Fifa Secretary General Fatma Samoura.
The current Sierra Leone FA executive will welcome the news, with its president Isha Johansen has long pushed for a match-fixing inquiry to go ahead.
Central to the investigation is the 2010 World Cup qualifier that ended goalless between South Africa and Sierra Leone in Atteridgeville, South Africa, in June 2008.
No date has been given for the inquiry to start, but it is unlikely to happen before the country’s presidential elections on 7 March.
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by FSL News | 8 Feb, 2018 | International, National Sport News Sierra Leone
New first-team coach Abdulai Bah (Coach Kaloga) will be using his long-term experience in a bid to help FC Johansen shine under his leadership.
The 46-year-old, who was appointed on Tuesday replacing John Keister believes his local and international experience will aid his new club massively.
“I’m happy to lead this club, I’m very excited and fully ready for a new dimension in my career,” Bah told footballsierraleone.net.
He explained: “I know is going to be a big challenge considering there is no national league. But, I’m hoping the league will soon be starting – for now I believe I have the time to impact my own philosophy.”
“This club over years has been one of the leading clubs in the country with some exciting players and I’m looking forward to working with them.”
Bah, who impressed with brief, but successful coaching periods at Real Republicans and Sierra Rangers FC, a junior team owned by the late Jacques Montouroy a French expert working with CRS between 2000 and 2006 added,”I’m hoping this new challenge will help my own personal development.”
The experience local technician was the assistant coach under Obi Metzger and Abu Sankoh (short Abu) of EE Lions in CAF Champions League against Asec Mimosa (Ivory Coast) in 2006, Esperance of Tunisia 2010 and Djoliba AC of Mali 2011 respectively.
He has also worked with national U 17, as the Technical adviser for the U-20 Female team and was the head coach of the home-based side when Mauritania eliminated Sierra Leone from the African Nations Cup Championship (CHAN) qualifiers 4-1 on aggregate in June 2015.
The former Real Republicans coach was the assistant to John Ajina Sesay during the last four matches of Sierra Leone 2015 African Nations Cup qualifiers in Yaoundé, Abidjan and DR Congo against Cameroon, Ivory Coast and DR Leopards respectively.
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