By: Mohamed Abu Conteh
Sierra International Academy, in partnership with AFRI Talent Academy, concluded its nationwide football scouting exercise at the SLFA Secretaries’ Academy field in Kingtom, Freetown on Saturday 22 November 2025.
The initiative, which also visited Kono, Bo, and Makeni, aimed to identify talented young players from across the country with the potential to excel at national and international levels. The Freetown session marked the final phase of the talent identification exercise and attracted numerous young players eager to showcase their skills.
The sessions were highly competitive, with participants from various communities demonstrating their abilities throughout the day.
Patrick-Sc Espinho, a scout from Portugal, expressed admiration for the exceptional talent displayed, noting that Sierra Leone has a rich pool of promising players with the potential to develop into professional footballers. He confirmed that a second round of trials is planned for early 2026 and that some players identified during the nationwide scouting will be given opportunities to trial in Europe.
Morlai Bangura, scout and international talent developer, selected 15 players from the Kingtom session. He encouraged young athletes to remain focused, disciplined, and obedient in pursuing their football careers, emphasizing that Sierra Leone possesses abundant raw talent that only needs professional development to reach its full potential.
Sierra International Academy and AFRI Talent Academy reiterated their commitment to strengthening grassroots football in Sierra Leone through structured scouting, professional mentoring, and long-term player development programs.