By: Mohamed Abu Conteh
The Assistant Coach of the Senior National team Leone Stars Amidu Karim has disclosed to this medium that the Sierra Leone Senior National team has two big matches that will take the nation back to its fourth Nations Cup tournament.
He made this statement after Leone Stars defeated the Parrots of Sao Tome Principe in the Africa Cup Nations qualifiers in Agadir Stadium Morocco. He noted that the technical team feels good after the boys grab all three points and they did well in the last match to get the vital win because the mission of the team was to grab all six points but it doesn’t work out as planned, but again the four points are huge for us going to the last two matches in the qualifiers.
” As a Nation, we have two big matches that will take us back to the tournament some of us played as players in 1996 and now coaching the National Team Coaches,” said Amidu Karim
Amidu Karim affirmed that those two matches are like a final group match in the qualifiers but more important to the team we are going for the all-out win and nothing else not even thinking about losing those matches if we are to get our qualifications back to the tournament in Ivory Coast next year’s.
He further that as a Technical team, we are not happy with the situation we find ourselves in now considering the current standings, but again we are much relief small with the win we will go back home and brace up and strategies how we can win against super Eagles of Nigeria and Wild Dogs of Guinea Bissau come in June and September 2023.
He thanks the Sierra Leoneans for the Support around the National team asking them to let us just believe in the works of the Technical team and boys by Allah’s grace we will are going to work tirelessly for the team to qualify back to the tournament.
Goals from Abu Bakarr and Alhassan Koroma in the first half were enough as Sierra Leone Senior National team Leone Stars tamed Sao Tome Principe in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in Agadir in Morocco.
Abu Bakarr scored through a slip ball from the defense of the host Sao Tome Principe and buried home to give Leone Stars the early lead in the first half of play.
Alhassan double the lead by two goals to nil in the 28th minute of play in the first half of the first 45 minutes of play with a lot of commands in the entire half as they could have scored more goals had they taken their chances in the final third they held on in second half to grab all three points and records the first win away from home in the qualifiers.
After the match one of the goals scorers Alhassan Koroma said it was a great match for the team because the desire going into the match is to grab all three points which they did though it was not an easy task, noting the players prove Sierra Leone wrong as they registered an emphatic win to keep their fate alive in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations.
He called on the fans to believe in the squad and continue to support the team.
“Our focus now is the next match we are going out there to get the six points and qualify this nation back to the African most prestigious tournament the Africa Cup of Nations,” he said.
Prince Barrie was one of the wingers who were used in the right-hand corner and proved well said after winning the match he feels excited because there were a lot of shocks about whether he could be available to play there which he did perfectly all boil down to the head coach who trusts him.
He gives him the opportunity which he takes and proved all that he can play as right back with no worries.
As things stand, Leone Stars needs to win the TWO remaining matches no matter what happens in Guinea Bissau and Nigeria match.
