Leone Stars players landed in Abidjan
By Mohamed Fajah Barrie in Freetown
Leone Stars players have arrived in the Ivorian capital city of Abidjan ahead of their crucial Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) group I qualifer against Ivory Coast in Bouake on Saturday.
The head of competitions of the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) Sorie Ibrahim Sesay confirmed to Sierra Leone Football.com that 14 overseas players and eight home-based players are in Abidjan and will be flown to Bouake on Thursday.
He said the bulk of the players including the home-based footballers flew from Accra where Leone Stars had a week long training camp.
USA-based Kei Kamara who was handed a late call up by Coach Sellas Tetteh after he ended his international break, and China based defender Gibril Sankoh are the two foreign based players yet to show up in Ivory Coast.
But SLFA Public Relations Officer Abu Bakarr Kamara says Sankoh will not make it to Bouake as he has failed to honour the invitation by not responding to communications sent to him.
Leone Stars need to get a win to qualify for the Afcon finals for the first time in 20 years.
A draw for the Elephants of Ivory Coast on the other hand is enough for them to defend their title in January’s final in Gabon.
