Saturday, September 21 is a day that will go down in the annals of Sierra Leone football history, as a young lad called Juma Bah recorded his first senior cap for La Liga side, Real Valladolid.

The former AIK Fritong player and Freetonians SLIFA loanee became the first Sierra Leonean to debut in the Spanish premier football league when his side, Real Valladolid held Real Sociedad to a goalless draw on home turf. Bah is considered a beacon of hope and light of the future for the Pucela.

Bah stood his ground in front of the over 20,000 spectators that graced the Estadio Nuevo Jose Zorilla by making over 15 passes in the 1 hour 15 minutes provided to him by gaffer, Paulo Pezzolano.

For Bah’s mother and entire family, Saturday was not just another day. It was a day that they will relish for years to come even though their son is a footballing prospect. This was evident in a video that was widely shared on social media that showed the mother and some family members crammed in a sitting room to watch their son write down his name in history.

Football fans in the West African nation are elated and hopeful that this young lad could help the national team, Leone Stars solve its defensive woes especially with the years of team captain, Steven Caulker gradual waning.