LEONE STARS – SUPER EAGLES: UPDATES AND ANALYSES

Freetown | 6th November 2020 | Vertex Media

By Ibrahim Sorious Samura

Sierra Leone’s Leone Stars will play Nigeria’s Super Eagles in a home and away AFCON Qualifying matches on the 13th and 17th November 2020. Nigeria will host Sierra Leone in the first leg on the 13th November 2020, 4pm, at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, Nigeria; while the return match is slated for November 17th, 2020 at the Siaka Stevens Stadium in Freetown, Sierra Leone. These games will play behind closed doors, in adherence to the COVID-19 precautions. It’s understood that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) will be utilized at the newly renovated Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Nigeria.

Both nations are placed in Group L for the 2022 Cameroon AFCON Qualifiers. Nigeria are leading Group L with 6 points after 2 matches, followed by Benin with 3 points, while Lesotho and Sierra Leone are on 1 point each.

Sierra Leone faces a herculean task to at least secure 3 points in their next fixtures against Nigeria in a bid to increase their chances for Cameroon 2022. Anything less than 3 points will leave Leone Stars in a more critical position in Group L.

The Super Eagles played friendly matches against African champions Algeria and Tunisia in October as part of their preparation against Leone Stars. They lost 1-0 against Algeria, and drew 1-1 with Tunisia.

Sierra Leone also played two international friendlies against Mauritania and Niger, plus 2 additional (doubler) national friendlies between Leone Stars Homebased Team against the Sierra Leone U-20 (Shooting Stars), but failed to win any of the four matches.

The Sierra Leone Football Association has given enormous support to prepare the team for their forthcoming assignments against Nigeria. The newly appointed Head Coach of Leone Stars John Keister is pleased with the tactical performance of the boys, as they are trying to adapt to his new system, despite failing to win the friendlies. “This will help me in selecting a strong team against Nigeria,” he says. All Sierra Leone national teams will use the 4-3-3 formation onward.

Keister has invited 16 foreign-based players for training, while the final list of Homebased players to join the invited foreign-based players is yet to be released. The Minnesota United striker Kei Kamara made a surprise return to the national team after he announced his retirement from international football on the eve of Sierra Leone Vs Lesotho match in November 2019, following unprofessional comments he made against former Leone Stars Coach Sellas Tetteh. News of his return to the Leone Stars was received with mixed feelings by fans across the country.

The injured Leone Stars Captain Umaru Zengaylay Bangura was left out of the squad.

Fans are in high anticipation to see the team qualify for the 2022 Cameroon African Cup of Nations, since Leone Stars last qualified in 1996. The surest way to do that is to win against Group L leaders, Nigeria.