March 10, 2021
By: Mohamed Abu Conteh
It is clear that Sierra Leone cannot host it crucial final home match against the Squirrels of Benin in the Africa Cup Nations qualifiers later this month at their national venue.
The Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) has ruled that the Siaka Stevens Stadium did not meet the standards to host international matches. Sierra Leone has now secured a venue to host their Group L tie against Benin to Conakry, the Capital of Guinea.
Early this month the Confederation of Africa Football in a correspondence date on Thursday the 4th March 2021 approved the ‘Stade Du 28 Septembre’ in Guinea Conakry proposed by the Sierra Leone Football Association as the new venue to host the Country’s final match in the ongoing 2021 AFCON Qualifiers against Benin on Tuesday March 30, 2021.
To ensure firm agreement between Guinea federation and the Sierra Leone Football federation a delegation including secretariat staffs of the Sierra Leone Football Association namely Christopher Kamara, the Secretary General, Mohamed Benson Bawoh head of Cooperate Affairs Manager, Lamin Tarawallie Media Officer, Dr. Abdurrahman Swarray the Deputy Director of the National Sports Authority and Ibrahim Bah Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Sports travelled to Guinea to meet with all necessary agreements for their crucial clash.
John Keister the head coach of national team Leone Stars said he is not worried about their potentially decisive match against Benin in Guinea on 30 March, but expressed confidence on his boys.
“Moving the match to Conakry doesn’t make much difference because like the Freetown Stadium i don’t think fans will be allowed to enter the Stadium”, said Keister.
He stated that Covid -19 restriction is his biggest concern not the change of venue. As a team they will accept the situation, in terms of preparations, they will have to rely on the Sierra Leone Football Association and government to put things in place for them to be well prepared.
It not the first time that Sierra Leone has been ban or asks to move to foreign venues to host matches international matches. The 28 September Stadium in Conakry hosted Leone Stars home matches against Senegal and Togo in the 1994 qualifiers when the Freetown Stadium was suspended for one year for overcrowding.
The Ebola crisis also forced the Leone Stars to play home matches outside the Country away from home in both the 2015 and 2017 Nations Cup qualifiers.
Sierra Leone is currently third in group L with three points behind Nigeria and Benin will travel to Masuru to face Lesotho on 27th March before hosting the Squirrels in Conakry.