Sierra Leone U-15 Team Heads to Baku for Landmark FIFA Youth Festival
Alex Fefegula Harding Sierra Leone’s under-15 team will face international opposition in Azerbaijan next week as the country joins the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival, a competition designed to expand opportunities for young footballers.
The Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) has announced a 20-member delegation, comprising 14 players and six officials, for the tournament in Baku. The event will bring together youth teams from across the world, with FIFA reporting participation from 191 member associations.
The tournament will use an eight-a-side format, with shorter matches intended to give young players more opportunities to compete and develop. FIFA says the competition will also expose participants to different playing styles and football cultures.
According to the schedule provided by the SLFA, Sierra Leone will begin its group campaign against Afghanistan on Oct. 24 before facing Russia and Sudan the following day. The team is then scheduled to play Türkiye and Djibouti on Oct. 26.
José Miguel Salomon and Sarah Bangura will oversee the team’s technical preparations, according to the association’s announcement.
The delegation is expected to leave Sierra Leone on Monday, Oct. 19, ahead of the competition, which FIFA has scheduled to begin on Oct. 22, with matches running through Oct. 30 and the final stages taking place in Baku.
For Sierra Leone, the tournament offers the young squad an opportunity to measure itself against international opposition while gaining experience beyond the domestic football environment.
FIFA has said the festival is open to its member associations regardless of their size or footballing tradition, making the competition a platform for countries to provide their emerging players with international exposure.