By: alusinerehme.wilson@awokonewspaper.sl
Makeni, SIERRA LEONE – Sierra Leone’s senior national men’s team, Leone Stars, suffered a 2-1 defeat against Guinea Bissau at the September 24 stadium on Monday.
Although the Leone Stars took an early lead, John Edward Keister’s charges didn’t pay off as his side failed to maintain it, similar to a previous match against Nigeria.
It was Guinea Bissau’s Nito Gomes that scored the equalizing goal in the 29th minute, and Franculino Gluda Dju netted the winning goal in the 48th minute, leading to celebrations in their home stadium.
The match statistics showed that Guinea Bissau had 55% of the ball possession, 13 shots on target, 377 passes, 16 fouls, and 78% pass accuracy. On the other hand, Sierra Leone had 45% of the ball possession with four shots on target, 311 passes, 21 fouls, and 71% pass accuracy.
This defeat marked Sierra Leone’s second loss in the qualifiers for the 2023 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). They won only one of their five group matches in Group A, finishing third with five points.
Despite the loss, Guinea Bissau’s victory solidified their position in Group A. They advanced to the 2023 AFCON finals in Ivory Coast with 13 points, having won three matches, drawn one, and lost one in the qualifiers.
As for the future, Leone Stars will shift their focus to preparations for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers and the CHAN Qualifiers. The status of their current head coach, John Edward Keister, whose contract expired in August, remains uncertain.
It was a challenging campaign for Sierra Leone in the 2023 AFCON qualifiers, and they will now be looking ahead to their next competitions while assessing their coaching situation. ARW/12/9/2023