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.”
Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe has praised Morocco’s King Mohammed VI for what he described as a powerful gesture of unity and reconciliation following the royal pardon granted to Senegalese supporters convicted over offences linked to the final match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
In a statement released on Saturday, Motsepe expressed deep appreciation on behalf of CAF’s 54 member associations, hailing the Moroccan monarch’s decision as a demonstration of football’s ability to foster peace and solidarity across the continent.
“I would like to express our deep gratitude to His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, for granting His Royal Pardon to the Senegalese supporters convicted of offences relating to the final match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025,” Motsepe stated.
The CAF president said the pardon reflected Morocco’s enduring commitment to African unity and highlighted football’s growing role as a bridge between nations and cultures.
“CAF has consistently emphasised its commitment to utilise football to contribute to uniting our people from different racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds,” he said.
“The pardon by His Majesty King Mohammed VI is an uplifting and motivating illustration of the power of football to unite and bring our people together in Africa and worldwide.”
Motsepe also revealed that during recent visits to both Morocco and Senegal, he had been struck by the deep historical and cultural bonds shared by the two countries.
“I was amazed and impressed when I was briefed about the historic and extensive ties between the people of Senegal and Morocco,” he added.
The statement further reinforced Morocco’s rising influence within African football, especially after successfully hosting the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and positioning itself as one of Africa’s leading football destinations ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which it will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
Motsepe also extended CAF’s best wishes to Africa’s representatives at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, expressing confidence that the continent’s teams would perform strongly on the global stage.
Among the African nations mentioned were Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Ghana, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Cape Verde and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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By Kunle Solaja.
Former African champions Algeria and Zambia are set for an early showdown after the release of the Group I fixtures for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Algeria host Zambia on Matchday One on September 21, 2026, in what is expected to be one of the headline fixtures of the qualifying campaign, while Togo entertain Burundi in the group’s other opening tie.
The Desert Foxes are favourites to qualify, but Zambia’s growing consistency and Togo’s unpredictability could make the race highly competitive.
Algeria travel to Burundi on Matchday Two before facing Togo in back-to-back encounters across Matchdays Three and Four. Zambia also meet Burundi home and away during the same period.
The potentially decisive fixture comes on March 22, 2027, when Zambia host Algeria in a clash that could determine the final standings.
Group I Fixtures
Matchday 1 — September 21, 2026
- Algeria vs Zambia
- Togo vs Burundi
Matchday 2 — October 6, 2026
- Zambia vs Togo
- Burundi vs Algeria
Matchday 3 — October 2026
- Algeria vs Togo
- Zambia vs Burundi
Matchday 4 — November 17, 2026
- Togo vs Algeria
- Burundi vs Zambia
Matchday 5 — March 22, 2027
- Zambia vs Algeria
- Burundi vs Togo
Matchday 6 — March 30, 2027
- Togo vs Zambia
- Algeria vs Burundi
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By Kunle Solaja.
African heavyweights Senegal will launch their quest for another Africa Cup of Nations appearance with a home clash against Mozambique in Group J of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.
The Lions of Teranga, among the continent’s strongest teams in recent years, headline a group that also includes Sudan and Ethiopia.
Senegal host Mozambique on Matchday One on September 21, 2026, while Sudan tackle Ethiopia in the other opening encounter.
Senegal are strong favourites to dominate the group, but Sudan and Mozambique are expected to battle fiercely for qualification points.
The key fixtures may emerge in the double-header between Senegal and Sudan across Matchdays Three and Four, while Mozambique and Ethiopia also face each other home and away.
Senegal travel to Mozambique on Matchday Five before ending their campaign at home against Ethiopia on March 30, 2027.
Group J Fixtures
Matchday 1 — September 21, 2026
- Senegal vs Mozambique
- Sudan vs Ethiopia
Matchday 2 — October 6, 2026
- Mozambique vs Sudan
- Ethiopia vs Senegal
Matchday 3 — October 2026
- Senegal vs Sudan
- Mozambique vs Ethiopia
Matchday 4 — November 17, 2026
- Sudan vs Senegal
- Ethiopia vs Mozambique
Matchday 5 — March 22, 2027
- Mozambique vs Senegal
- Ethiopia vs Sudan
Matchday 6 — March 30, 2027
- Sudan vs Mozambique
- Senegal vs Ethiopia
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