AFCON
Sierra Leone call up England-born striker for a ‘must-win’ Afcon qualifier with Benin
As Sierra Leone get set to host away from home, Benin Republic in the postponed and last qualifying match for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Conakry, Guinea, there will be a new face in the squad.
They have called up England-born Sullay Kaikai for the encounter in which they have a zero option.While a draw is sufficient for Benin Republic, Sierra Leone will need an outright win to make the cut among the 24 teams at the Africa’s premier sporting championship slated for Cameroon in January.
According to a BBC report, Sullay Kaikai said appearing consistently for Blackpool for the last two seasons has allowed him to commit to playing international football for Sierra Leone.
The 25-year-old former Crystal Palace player is now set for a debut for the Leone Stars this Monday.
Kaikai, who was born in London to Sierra Leonean parents, is set to leave Blackpool when his contract ends later this month after featuring overall 58 times in League One netting 11 goals since joining the club in 2019.
“I feel like the timing is right now,” Kaikai told BBC Sport Africa.
“Back when you interviewed me about five years ago I was undecided because I wasn’t a first team regular, I said I wanted to establish myself to become a first team regular and then try for the national team.
“So I feel like now I’m in the position to do that, I have been playing for solid two years now regularly as a starter so I feel like now is the right time.
“I’m at a good age, I have been looking forward to it, but it’s just about the timing. I feel like the timing is right now.”
He told BBC Sport Africa that he has already received offers from several clubs and he hopes to join a team before the start of the new season.
Kaikai has recovered from a hamstring injury that meant he missed the climax to Blackpool’s season which saw them promoted to the second-tier of English football via the play-offs with a win over Lincoln City at Wembley.
He explains that the Sierra Leone coach John Keister and the country’s football association have kept in touch with him about his availability for the Leone Stars.
“I have been in contact with the Leone Stars manager for the last year or so consistently,” he continued.
“And even before that to be fair like here and there I have been speaking with the national team but like I said it’s just about time, I feel now the time is right so I feel like that’s the main factor. That was what motivated me to come.”
He says he has been following Leone Stars closely and hopes he can help them qualify for the Nations Cup finals for the first time in 25 years.
“For about a good three to four years I have been following the national team,” he added..
“I have been following one of the pages that keeps me updated on the national team and players that are playing for the national team and how they’re doing in their respective countries where they’re playing their club football”
“I’m looking forward to making my international debut against Benin. It’ll be a dream come true to play for your country
“Qualifying for the Nations cup it’s something I hope and pray for. The more players that can come and play for the national team the better.
“You know we need to make the national team stronger so that we can start qualifying regularly for this kind of tournament.
“So I hope I can make an impact.”
However Kaikai, who is also eligible to play for England, is honest about his aspiration to play for the country of his birth when he was a youngster.
“Being born in England you know you have the dream of playing for England when you see them making the World Cup and the Euros, You want to play in those tournaments,” he admitted.
“So as a youngster that is one of the aims but as you grow up you kind of see where you are in your career and you have to be realistic, for me England is unrealistic now so I feel it is a good choice to play for my country.”
Leone Stars coach John Keister has also included another England-born player in his squad – 21-year-old Idris Kanu who plays for Peterborough United, who finished just above Blackpool to earn automatic promotion to the Championship.
“I’m happy to have Kaikai and Kanu in the squad,” the coach said.
“I’ve personally been trying to get Sullay now for a while because I felt he was a young boy with lots of potential. Obviously now he’s showing that and we wanted those potentials coming to the national team.
“What he brings is lots of competitions, a lot of enthusiasm. He gives us a better squad, a good bench, pace that we need, and also he gives us youth and something that’s very different going forward.”
“What we’re trying to do is we are building a very youthful side for the future. Idris Kanu too is a player with good potential.”
Keister also admitted that he and the SLFA are hoping to persuade more players to commit to Sierra Leone.
“We’re trying to talk to a few other players as well,” he said.
“I have said that the national team is in transition, I’m trying to do it, the experienced players have been there with us with patience going to through a final game.”
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially opened the bidding process for countries interested in hosting the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2028, 2032 and 2036, with several member associations already submitting proposals.
CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe disclosed that the bidding exercise is progressing smoothly and described the level of interest from prospective hosts as encouraging.
“The bidding process is progressing very well, and numerous exciting bids have been submitted by potential host countries,” CAF said, adding that announcements on successful hosts will be made in due course.
Meanwhile, CAF confirmed that its 48th Ordinary General Assembly will be held in Abuja, Nigeria, on November 21, 2026.
The continental governing body expressed appreciation to the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for their cooperation in preparations for the event.
CAF said the General Assembly is expected to attract football leaders from across the continent and will play a significant role in shaping policies aimed at accelerating the development and growth of African football.
The organisation added that the Abuja gathering is expected to be one of its most significant assemblies in recent years as CAF continues implementing reforms across competitions, infrastructure development, youth football and governance.
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By Kunle Solaja
Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso have taken the first step towards jointly hosting the 2032 Africa Cup of Nations after submitting an expression of interest to the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The Nigerien Football Federation announced that CAF had accepted the joint declaration submitted by the three West African nations, marking the opening phase of the bidding process.
However, the acceptance of the expression of interest does not amount to an award of the hosting rights, as the countries must still undergo CAF’s comprehensive evaluation process before a final decision is made.
The three football federations unveiled their joint project following a meeting with CAF President Patrice Motsepe in the United States during the closing stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The proposed bid brings together the three members of the Alliance of Sahel States, reflecting their ambition to co-host one of Africa’s biggest sporting events and strengthen regional cooperation through football.
Earlier this month, CAF officially opened the bidding process for the 2028, 2032 and 2036 editions of the Africa Cup of Nations, inviting all 54 member associations to submit expressions of interest. The continental governing body said all bids would be assessed based on strict technical, financial and legal criteria.
As the next stage of the process, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso must prepare a comprehensive bid dossier outlining the proposed host cities, stadiums, training facilities, transport infrastructure, accommodation capacity and security arrangements.
CAF has yet to announce the timetable for selecting the 2032 host nation(s) or reveal the full list of countries expected to compete for the hosting rights.
Should the joint bid eventually succeed, the tournament would return to Mali for the first time since it staged the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations. It would also mark a historic first for both Niger and Burkina Faso, neither of which has previously hosted the continent’s flagship football championship.
The bid underscores the growing trend of joint hosting arrangements for major football tournaments, allowing neighbouring countries to pool infrastructure and resources while expanding the reach of the competition across multiple nations.
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, Brooklyn, NY
A document circulating widely on social media claiming that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has stripped Morocco of its 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and declared Senegal champions appears to be fabricated, with official CAS records showing no evidence that a final ruling has been issued.
The claim emerged months after the Senegalese Football Federation appealed a decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to award Morocco a 3-0 victory in the controversial AFCON final. While Senegal’s appeal is genuine, the latest official information indicates that the case remains unresolved.
One of the clearest indications that the viral document is not authentic is its case number. The circulating image bears the reference CAS 2026/A/10857, whereas CAS officially confirmed that Senegal’s appeal was registered under CAS 2026/A/12295. Such a discrepancy would not be expected in a genuine final award.
The document also incorrectly identifies the dispute as being solely between the Senegalese Football Federation and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation. CAS has officially stated that the appeal was lodged against both CAF and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, since the challenged decision originated from CAF’s Appeals Board.
The purported ruling further claims that CAS issued its verdict on June 10, 2026, accepting Senegal’s appeal, overturning CAF’s decision and restoring the result achieved on the field, effectively awarding the continental title to Senegal.
However, a review of CAS’s official communications reveals no statement, judgment or announcement issued on that date regarding the AFCON final dispute.
The latest public update from CAS remains the statement released on March 25, 2026, in which the court confirmed only that Senegal’s appeal had been registered and that an arbitration panel had been appointed. CAS also stated that it was too early to determine a hearing date or indicate when a final decision might be delivered.
In the same communication, CAS disclosed that Senegal had requested an extension to file its appeal brief until it received the full written reasons behind CAF’s ruling. The court also reiterated that arbitration proceedings remain confidential while ongoing.
That timeline directly contradicts the claims contained in the viral document.
Further doubts about the document’s authenticity stem from the fact that it does not appear in CAS’s official database of published decisions. The image circulating online also excludes CAF from the list of respondents and exists only as a low-quality graphic featuring signatures, stamps and an Arabic translation without any verifiable official source.
CAS typically publishes non-confidential rulings through its official database or recent decisions section. No ruling relating to the AFCON final dispute has been published.
Until CAS announces otherwise, CAF’s Appeals Board decision remains the only valid and enforceable ruling in the matter.
On March 17, 2026, CAF’s Appeals Board ruled that Senegal had forfeited the AFCON final after its players left the field during the match. Invoking Articles 82 and 84 of the competition regulations, the board awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory, overturned an earlier disciplinary decision and upheld Morocco’s protest.
Senegal subsequently challenged that ruling before CAS, but the appeal has yet to produce a publicly announced outcome.
As things stand, there is no official evidence that CAS has revoked Morocco’s AFCON 2025 title or declared Senegal champions. Unless and until the Lausanne-based court issues a formal decision, CAF’s ruling remains in force, making the viral document misleading and highly likely to be fake.
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