by FSL News | 5 Nov, 2017 | African News
- Wydad Casablanca win 2017 CAF Champions League
Moroccan side crowned African club continental champions for first time since 1992
- Will represent Africa at FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2017
Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca will represent Africa at the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2017 after defeating Egyptian giants Al Ahly 2-1 on aggregate in the CAF Champions League final.
Walid El Karti scored the winning goal in the second leg with a header in the 69th minute from a precise cross delivered by Acraf Bencharki.
As expected, Al Ahly started the match on the front foot as they were chasing the tie following the 1-1 draw in the first leg in Alexandria. Going into the second leg in Casablanca, Wydad knew a goalless draw would be enough to see them through.
The Moroccan club maintained a solid defensive shape knowing they carried enough threat up top to potentially punish Al Ahly on the counter-attack. Wydad almost found the breakthrough in the 30th minute when Abdeladim Khadrouf’s attempted shot inside the penalty area hit the Al Ahly crossbar after taking a deflection.
Al Ahly’s best chance in the first half came in the 33rd minute when Momen Zakaria went one-on-one with Zouahir Laaroubi, but the goalkeeper made the crucial save.
Wydad head coach Lhoussaine Ammouta changed his tactics in the second half as his side maintained possession in their attacking half to minimise Al Ahly’s chances. Eventually, the tactics paid off as El Karti latched on to the end of Bencharki’s cross to put the result beyond doubt.
Wydad lift the CAF Champions League trophy for the second time in their history. They won the competition for the first time in 1992.
They will face Pachuca of Mexico in the quarter-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2017 on 9 December.
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by FSL News | 31 Oct, 2017 | African News
Sierra Leone female U-20 national team could be on the brink of withdrawing from the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers against Cameroon in Freetown.
The two nations are expected clash in Freetown in the first leg round two on the weekend of November 3-5 2017 but the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) are yet to do or make any communication to their opposing F.A with regards to the match as per the African football governing CAF regulations demands.
According to a close source within the SLFA, the Cameroonian Football Federation, FECAFOOT has already reported the Sierra Leone F.A. over the lack of communication ahead of the match which leaves them in limbo for the said match.
A request was made by officials of FECAFOOT to know about the match date, venue, and other officially arrangements. Also, it is believed that the SLFA is yet to fulfil any arrangement to enable the travelling of match officials for the game.
The SLFA is yet to make any official statement with regards to the match while their Cameroonian opponent is presently in camp with 25 players while doing their training session at the Yaoundé Annexe Stadium.
Sierra Leone reaches the second round of the qualifiers after both Libya and Tunisia pulled out from the preliminary and first round respectively.
Cameroon thrashed Guinea 9-0 in their first leg tie in Conakry to progress to the competition next stage after the Guineans withdrew from the competition.
The winner between Sierra Leone and Cameroon will face the winner between Ghana and Kenya.
By Sahr Morris Jr In Nottingham – Follow the writer @morrisjr88
by FSL News | 30 Oct, 2017 | Players Abroad News
SC Cambuur attacking midfielder, Issa Kallon (pictured) has tendered an unreserved apologise in a Netherlands court on Monday after he was handed a 240-hour maximum work penalty and a conditional four-month celestial sentence for an alleged scandal with a teenager.
The 21-year-old told the court: “She looked very mature and old. I was very upset when I heard she was a minor. I’m very sorry about that.”
Kallon who was born in the Netherlands from Sierra Leonean parents and is still eligible to represent Sierra Leone told the prosecutor that things did not go well between him and his girlfriend at the time.
The disappointed youngster further told the court that he felt he had already been convicted by public opinion but do appreciate the support of his club.
“I felt am already been convicted by public opinion. On the internet, I got threats. Fortunately, my club is behind me. They have wanted to hear my side of the story and are happy,” he said.
The alleged sex issue was said to be way back in August 2015, when the girl’s mother reported that the daughter was found in a car by Kallon, who was in the contract at FC Utrecht.
According to the prosecutor, although the sex was voluntary, the footballer should have known that it could not have done it adding that girl was used as a ‘willow tool’.
Kallon’s SC Cambuur in a short statement said: “As a club, we do not want to anticipate the judgment of the judge. The verdict in the case will take place on 13 November.”
By Sahr Morris Jr In Nottingham – Follow the writer @morrisjr88
by FSL News | 30 Oct, 2017 | International, National Sport News Sierra Leone
Isha Johansen, a CAF Executive Committee member and the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) Secretary General Chris Kamara were both released on same bail condition amounting to some US$130,000 after they pleaded not guilty to corruption-related charges in a Freetown high court on Monday.
The SLFA boss who also doubles as the World football governing body, FIFA sub-committee member and her Secretary General were both set aside from their respective positions at the SLFA following the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) indictment.
Presiding judge, Justice Reginald Fynn adjourned the case until Wednesday 1st November 2017. The duo was also asked to surrender their passports to the court.
Johansen and Kamara were originally indicted on six-count charges but the ACC commissioner Ade Macauley, the leading prosecutor in court, has increased the charges.
The FC Johansen owner was handed seven counts of abuse of office and three joint counts with Kamara, who received only one separate count charge.
The charges related to alleged misappropriation of donor and public funds, conspiracy to commit corruption offence and abuse of office.
Johansen pleaded not guilty to each of the counts read in the well-attended court.
All Johansen’s individual charges relate to SLFA funds she allegedly used on several occasions to pay for travel expenses for her personal assistant Mohamed Ola Marah, who is not an employee of the football body.
Two of the three joint charges relate to alleged misappropriation of $50,000 given to the SLFA by the Confederation of African Football to cover costs relating to MRI tests for 30 players in the country’s Under-17 team.
In September 2016, Johansen was arrested for questioning under Operation Thunderbolt” which aims to “rout and bring to justice” people alleged to have been involved in corrupt acts and have been under the watch of the anti-graft agency.
Johansen’s first four-year term expired on Thursday, August 3, 2017.
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by FSL News | 29 Oct, 2017 | Players Abroad News
Cambuur Football Club attacking midfielder, Issa Kallon will on Monday 30 October 2017 appear in Netherlands court over an alleged sex scandal that involves a teenage girl.
According to various reports from Holland, the 21-year-old attacking midfielder who has a Sierra Leonean connection will appear before the court on Monday because he is suspected of sex with a minor girl.
The former FC Utrecht player is said to have had sex with a 15-year-old girl and others reported stated that the case is a remarkable case in which another five boys stand.
“Issa and Sjams arrived later and were suspected of having sex with the girl between June 2015 and August 2015. Issa was with FC Utrecht at the time,” www.powned.tv reported adding that there is little known about the circumstances in which sexual contact occurred.
The website further stated that the player lawyer Kenneth Jap-A-Joe, confirms the charge but does not want to go into the case while FC Utrecht and Cambuur Leeuwarden do not want to go into substantive matters as the two clubs revealed they are unaware of the ongoing criminal case.
Issa Kallon was born in the Netherlands from a Sierra Leonean parents is still eligible to represent Sierra Leone.
The youngster is highly rated in the Netherlands. He has made eleven appearances in all competition scoring twice since signing in August 2017.
By Sahr Morris Jr In Nottingham – Follow the writer @morrisjr88
by FSL News | 29 Oct, 2017 | Players Abroad News
Sierra Leone youngster, Victor Mansaray scored his first goal for Swedish division 1 side, Umea in their 7-1 thumping of Enskede in the Swedish Division 1 league on Sunday.
The 20-year-old who joined the Swedish outfit in August this year from Settle Sounders on a free transfer was making his third start of the season.
Simon Mårtensson who went on to score five goals gave the home side the lead in the opening minutes of play before the Sierra Leonean double the score to 2-0 just six minutes later. Sunday’s victory moved Umea fourth place in the standing with 39 points from 29 matches.
Elsewhere, Alhaji ‘Adriano’ Kamara scored his third goals in five matches for Al Taawon in the Saudi Arabia Pro League as they defeated Ohod 3-1 at the Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Stadium, Buraydah.
Abdulmajeed Al-Swat opened the scoring just three minutes of play and in the 50th minutes, Alhaji Kamara doubles the lead and in the 62 minutes, Abdulmajeed Al-Swa sealed the victory with his second goal of the day.
In the United States of America (USA) Michael Lahoud had full time run out for Miami FC as they registered another home win defeating Edmonton 2-1 while a step further down the league classification, Lamin Suma was brought in the 84 minutes for the Sacramento Republic.
Suma’s introduction could not help them escaped 1-0 defeat to Swope Park Rangers. In Kazakhstan, was in action for Kaisar in their goalless draw with Akzhayik
By Sahr Morris Jr In Nottingham – Follow the writer @morrisjr88
Sierra Leone | Highlights -