Leone Stars tuned up for AFCON qualifiers with a 4-0 win over Star Sports Academy FC, a friendly that served dual purposes for both sides ahead of major continental campaigns.

The technical test match, played as part of Sierra Leone’s home-based training camp at the SLFA Technical Centre, gave head coach Didier Gomez Da Rosa a chance to evaluate domestic players and refine tactics before the national team’s Group E qualifiers against Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea.

Star Sports Academy, currently preparing for its CAF Champions League preliminary round debut against Gambia’s Medina United on Sept. 5, also benefited from competitive exposure. The club is representing Sierra Leone in the continent’s elite club competition for the first time.

Leone Stars scored three unanswered goals in the victory, with the match forming part of an all-local training camp that began Aug. 17. Gomez Da Rosa invited 27 home-based players to the camp, including two Star Sports Academy players — defender Mohamed Sillah and midfielder James Kaiyamba.

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Sierra Leone opens its AFCON qualifying campaign at home against Zimbabwe between Sept. 21 and Oct. 6, followed by an away match against Equatorial Guinea.