The Sierra Leone U-20 team are set to play their first West African Football Union (WAFU) A match this Sunday evening when they face Guinea in Monrovia.
The Shooting Stars are hopeful of bringing the trophy home for the first time since its inception in 2018. In 2019, they were denied a bronze medal when they lose on penalties 8-7 against The Gambia.
The WAFU Zone A U-20 competition invites eight nations including Sierra Leone, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Mauritania, Mali and Liberia. This year, the competition is being hosted in the Liberia capital, Monrovia.
Earlier in September, the Sierra Leone FA made public coach Mohamed Lamin Kamara’s selection of 20 players to participate in the tournament. The list is a star-studded one inclusive of Sierra Leone Premier League regulars like East End Lions midfielder, Alpha Kabia, FC Kallon’s Nathaniel Jalloh, Ports Authority Alieu Adjust Kamara and Mighty Blackpool’s Edward Bello Yillah.
“The past two and a half months have been incredibly demanding but the players have responded with great determination and hard work,” coach Lamin said last week.
Fans travelling to Liberia to grace Sunday’s curtain-raiser, said they expect the boys to get victory against their neighbours. They added that they expect them to bring home the trophy for the first time.