By: Mohamed Abu Conteh
Sierra Leone National Home Based side has on 23rd August 2022 departs to Liberia ahead of the CHAN Qualifiers against the Eagles Mali at the Samuel Keydon Stadium.
After their return from Morocco in the CHAN qualifiers again Cape Verde, the Home-based national football team has backed on intensive training sessions both in Freetown and Kenema to gauge their readiness ahead of the double header fixtures against the Eagles of Mali on 27th August 2022.
To this, the team has played seven (7) friendlies including BO RANGERS FOOTBALL CLUB and FC KALLON Football Club in Kenema where the team has been camped for the last two weeks, Out of these friendlies played, the team won five (5) and drew two (2) including their last tie played against FC KALLON on Sunday 21st August 2022 at the Kenema City field.
The squad departed Kenema on 23rd August 2022, to Liberia via Bo where they will host their Malian opponents in the first leg final round of the 2022 CHAN qualifiers on Saturday 27th August 2022.
Francis Zappa Koroma the head coach of the National Leone Stars Team B, expressed optimism about eliminating the Malians in this encounter. adding that he knew they are going to meet last year’s runners-up in the last edition in the CHAN Qualifiers, but was confident that his boys are going to make it to the tournament in Algeria next year.
A thirty-five-man delegation is traveling to Liberia/Monrovia including twenty -three players and twelve officials.
Ibrahim Kanu the Media Officer attached to the team said on their arrival they will play one more international Friendly before they face the eagles of Mali on Saturday 27th August 2022 at the SKD Stadium in the first leg of the CHAN Qualifiers. In another development ahead of Sierra Leone Chan’s first leg, the Eagles of Mali share Spoil with Guinea (0-0) at the Stade Omnisports Modibo- Keita on Monday.
Sierra Leone and the Eagles of Mali have met (15) times in all competitions they won just times drew (8) times and lost five times against their Malian Counterparts, hosting the first leg they need to win to guarantee to upset the Malian at Home in the returned leg in two weeks’ time.
