By: Mohamed Abu Conteh
The Sierra Leone senior national team, Leone Stars on 19th March 2023 safely arrived in Agadir, Morocco ahead of the country’s doubleheader against São Tomé and Principe in the AFCON 2023 Qualifiers.
John Keister’s men flew from Freetown and arrived at the Al Massira Airport in Agadir, a major city in Southwest of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Capital of Souss-Massa region via Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca. The team is currently hosted at the Riu Palace Hotel, Tikida Taqhazout.
The team departs with (42) a man delegation including players and officials and the team is expected to get a light training session today as they brace up to take on the Wild dogs of Sao Tome Principe on Wednesday 22nd March 2023 at the Agadir Stadium.
According to the latest from Leone Stars camp Seven out of the 12 foreign-based players invited for Leone Stars for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against the Falcons and True Parrots of Sao Tome have already arrived in Agadir, Morocco the technical team has confirmed this morning.
The players include captain Steven Caulker (Wigan Athletic, Sullay Kai Kai (MK Dons), Gamil Conteh (Gateshead), Emmanuel Samadia (Hapoel Rishon), Alhassan Koroma (Linense), Alusine Koroma (Linense) and Augustus Kargbo (Crotone).
John Keister the head of the Senior National team said in Press Conference before the team departed that
“We have brand new players that will give us that result going into these two crucial matches”,
John Keister said. Again it could be recalled when they were giving the national team Job, there was the talk about the transition around the Senior National team, noting the team has gone past that now with regards to all the matches they have played in the last three or four months, both Friendlies and qualifiers, as Technical team they can now state that yes they have got the players that can help when going into these two matches.
He affirmed that what they want going forward as a technical team they want to get players that can go out there and fight for Sierra Leone, noting that they want players that can come in and allow going out there and give a good fight.
He furthered that what Sierra Leoneans want to see is for the team to go out and have a good fight and get the results, he added that they want to set a precedent around the National team.
Now is to go out there and had a good fight whichever way to get the results, this time around is about results now no two ways about it.
John Keister furthered that as a technical team, they have sat down and looked at the past eight matches played in both Friendlies and qualifiers they have to see what they had, what has been used, and what they have conceded in terms of goals in those matches and has now agreed to change the approach of play and all the players in the 25 man squad are called up base on the approach they want to use, noting they have brought players that active players and can do the Job.
The Sierra Leone Senior National team Leone Stars needs to pick up six points in the two doubleheaders to get back on track for the 2023 Africa Cup Nations qualifiers.
Head-to-head between the two nations has seen Sao Tome Principe defeat Leone Stars of Sierra Leone two times and lost just once with one draw only, while Leone Stars has only defeated Sao Tome Principe once, the two meetings will mark five and six meetings.
