September 16, 2021
By Mohamed Abu Conteh
Sierra Leone National female under 20 sides has intensified preparations ahead of the FIFA World Cup back-to-back qualifiers preliminary rounds against Guinea.
The national female under 20 side commenced training in August 2021 to get themselves ready for the crunch tie against their Guinean counterparts. The team has been in high spirits and was well determine for the tie.
According to the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) they have moved the team in BO city with 25 players plus Officials to continue training, and on Sunday 12th September 2021 the team held it first training session at the BO mini Stadium located in the Southern Province of Sierra Leone.
The team is guided by a renowned technical team headed by former Women’s senior national team and coach of Sierra Leone Police Football Club Victoria Conteh also known as Musu Pele as the head coach.
In July, she invited 42 players to a camp trials and eventually reduced the number to a final squad of 25 players that have engaged on Friendly matches in Port Loko, Makeni respectively.
According to the Media Officer of the Sierra Leone Football Association Lamin Tarawallie the team will travel to Guinea in the next two weeks to face their Guinean counterparts in their first leg match in the qualifiers which will be played on Saturday 25th September and on October 9th 2021 lock on at home in the return leg. The motivated Sierra Leone girls will rally against Guinea in the second rounds of five for a spots to represent Africa along with other in the 2022 FIFA Women’s U-20 tournament set to take place in Costa Rica.
According to Victoria Conteh the head coach of Sierra Leone female U-20 side disclosed that she went around the country and pick out talents to constitute her crop of players.
“Our priority is to have the players to give the Country coagulated representation in terms of female in the World”, Mrs Conteh said.
She added that it has been challenging, considering the absence of a sustained and effective female League in the Country.
Sierra Leone U-20 national team has been doing well in recent years they have a record of winning international Competitions. Sierra Leone Women teams have played only four FIFA recognized matches two in 1994 and two in 2010, since then the development of Women Football has been faced with challenges as there are no domestic Leagues.