{"id":45683,"date":"2012-08-03T21:28:06","date_gmt":"2012-08-03T21:28:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sierraexpressmedia.com\/?p=45683"},"modified":"2012-08-03T21:28:06","modified_gmt":"2012-08-03T21:28:06","slug":"airtel-rising-stars-finest-teams-battle-for-supremacy-to-qualify-for-pan-african-tourney-in-kenya","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/?p=45683","title":{"rendered":"Airtel Rising Stars finest teams battle for Supremacy to qualify for Pan African tourney in Kenya"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">The male and female Champions for the five divided zones across Sierra Leone for the U-17 Airtel Rising Stars tournament are currently gathered in Makeni for the national finals to fight for supremacy<em>.\u00a0 (Photo: Mahmoud FC win opening match in ARS national finals)<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">The tournament which kicked-off at the Wusun field on Thursday is taking place in a round-robin basis. The team with the highest points in each category will be crowned 2012 ARS national champions and will have the honour to represent Sierra Leone at the Airtel Pan African tournament in Kenya this month.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">The teams in the female category have been reduced to four following the disqualification of the champions of the Kono zone Bintumani Queens for using ineligible players after playing just one match. Five teams are competing in the male division.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_45684\" style=\"width: 458px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a class=\"highslide\" onclick=\"return vz.expand(this)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.sierraexpressmedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/Bintumani-Queens-of-Kabala-disqualified-Photo-Credit-Mohamed-Fajah-Barrie.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-45684\" class=\"size-full wp-image-45684\" title=\"Bintumani Queens of Kabala disqualified (Photo Credit Mohamed Fajah Barrie)\" src=\"http:\/\/www.sierraexpressmedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/Bintumani-Queens-of-Kabala-disqualified-Photo-Credit-Mohamed-Fajah-Barrie.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"448\" height=\"336\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-45684\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bintumani Queens of Kabala disqualified<\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">The team from Kabala in the Koinadugu district had won 1-0 against Southern Queens of Bo before the organisers found that they had used four unqualified players leading to their disqualification. That match had been notified.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">Four matches in all (two in the male division and two in the female section) took place on the opening day.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_45686\" style=\"width: 458px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a class=\"highslide\" onclick=\"return vz.expand(this)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.sierraexpressmedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/Rising-Queens-also-won-their-opening-game-Photo-Credit-Mohamed-Fajah-Barrie.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-45686\" class=\"size-full wp-image-45686\" title=\"Rising Queens also won their opening game (Photo Credit Mohamed Fajah Barrie)\" src=\"http:\/\/www.sierraexpressmedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/Rising-Queens-also-won-their-opening-game-Photo-Credit-Mohamed-Fajah-Barrie.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"448\" height=\"336\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-45686\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rising Queens also won their opening game<\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">Jam Jam FC of Kenema lost 2-0 to Rising Queens of Makeni whose goals were scored by Kadiatu M. Kamara and Hawa Bockarie in the first half of play in the female category.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">The Western Area champions Mahmoud FC also won by the same scoreline against Southern Queens. Dorris Ansumana and Hawanatu Conteh netted one goal each.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">Both Rising Queens and Mahmoud FC are jointly at the top of\u00a0 the table and the two sides will meet on Friday in a battle that has been dubbed as &#8216;The clash of the tournament&#8217;. It is expected to attract a large crowd at the Wusum field.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">The two teams are regarded as the finest sides in the competition due to their remarkable performances in the regional qualifying stages as well as their opening games in the national finals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">It&#8217;ll not only going to be a tough fight between the two teams but it&#8217;ll also going to be a battle for supremacy between the best players of the two teams Rashidatu Kamara of Mahmoud FC and Marie M. Conteh of Rising Queens.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">The two stars played well in their team&#8217;s respective open fixtures despite they didn&#8217;t find the back of the net on Thursday and were very impressive throughout their zonal tournaments in their respective regions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">The two teams have quite a good number of quality players and it&#8217;s highly likely that the winner of the match will go on to win the tournament and qualify to compete in Kenya.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">Edmond Micheal Foundation (EMF) of Bo were the biggest winners of the<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">day registering a 3-0 victory over Santos Maria FC of Makeni to take an early lead in the male category. All the goals were scored in the first half by Mohamed Akar, Habib K, Kamara and John Kamanda.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">A goal from Dauda Kamara gave Kallon FC of Kenema a 1-0 victory over Golden Stars of Magburaka. They are second behind EMF on goal difference.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">The two teams are also playing on Friday., EMF will lock horns with Golden Stars whilst Kallon FC face Saint Louis Rangers of Freetown. Four\u00a0 games in total are scheduled for Friday.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">Results<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">Thursday 02\/08\/12<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">Boys<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<address style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">Kallon FC (Kenema)1-0 Golden Stars (Magburaka, Tonkolili)<\/span><\/address>\n<address style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">Edmond Micahel Foundation (Bo) 3-0 Santos Maria (Makeni)<\/span><\/address>\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">Fixtures<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">Friday 03\/08\/12<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<address style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">Golden Stars (Magburaka, Tonkolili) Vs Santos Maria (Makeni)<\/span><\/address>\n<address style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">Kallon FC (Kenema) Vs Saint Louis Rangers (Freetown)<\/span><\/address>\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">Girls<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">Thursday 02\/08\/12<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<address style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">Southern Queens (Bo) 0-1 Bintumani Queens (Kabala, Koinadugu- disqualified)<\/span><\/address>\n<address style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">Jam Jam FC (Kenema) 0-2 Rising Queens (Makeni)<\/span><\/address>\n<address style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">Southern Queens (Bo) 0-2 Mahmoud FC (Freetown)<\/span><\/address>\n<address style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\u00a0<\/address>\n<address><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">Fixtures<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/address>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">Friday 03\/08\/12<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<address style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">Rising Queens (Makeni) Vs Mahmoud FC (Freetown)<\/span><\/address>\n<address style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">Southern Queens (Bo) Vs Jam Jam FC (Kenema)<\/span><\/address>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">Articles and photographs by Mohamed Fajah Barrie in Makeni<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">Stay with Sierra Express Media, for your trusted place in news!<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr align=\"center\" size=\"2\" width=\"100%\" \/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The male and female Champions for the five divided zones across Sierra Leone for the U-17 Airtel Rising Stars tournament are currently gathered in Makeni [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":45685,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[824,1],"tags":[9329],"class_list":["post-45683","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","category-uncategorized","tag-airtel-rising-stars"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45683","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=45683"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45683\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=45683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=45683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=45683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}