Reports reaching us on Saturday afternoon indicate that Sierra Leone national football team captain, Steven Caulker has abandoned their camp in Monrovia hours before their final AFCONQ match with Zambia.

Caulker has been a crucial member of the coach Amidu Karim team, playing in all five qualifying matches so far.

The reason for his disappearance from the camp is unknown but some has already suggested that with Leone Stars already out of the 2025 AFCON competition in Morocco, Caulker could have decided to sit this one out.

The fate of Leone Stars was sealed last night when fellow group member, Zambia shockingly defeated Ivory Coast at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Lusaka by a goal to nil.

A day before that match, Leone Stars were to a one all draw against Chad in Abidjan. The results mean that Leone Stars, with five points will not qualify even if they defeat Zambia that has 10 points and leading the group by one point.

Sierra Leone last participated in AFCON competition in 2022 when Cameroon hosted. Before that, it took the West African country more than 25 years before qualifying for the 2021 edition of the competition.