Freetown, 8th October 2025 – Sierra Leone’s hopes of closing their World Cup qualifying campaign on a high suffered a setback on Wednesday after falling 0-1 to Burkina Faso at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex in Liberia.
The only goal of the encounter came in the 42nd minute when Mohamed Zougrana struck with a close-range finish that beat goalkeeper Alie Sesay.
Despite Sierra Leone’s spirited performance, the visitors held firm to secure all three points.
Sierra Leone started brightly, with early efforts from Momoh Kamara and Emmanuel Samadia testing the Burkinabè defence. The Leone Stars enjoyed spells of possession, particularly in the first half, but struggled to convert their dominance into goals.
Burkina Faso, second in the group and chasing qualification, showed their experience by staying compact and launching dangerous counterattacks.
Bertrand Traoré and Edmond Tapsoba were instrumental in keeping pressure on the home side, while goalkeeper Hervé Koffi produced crucial saves to deny Emmanuel Samadia after the break.
In the closing stages, Sierra Leone pressed hard for an equaliser, with Samadia once again coming close, but their efforts were frustrated by a disciplined Burkinabè backline.
The result leaves Sierra Leone with 12 points in Group A, unable to qualify but still proud of their strong home record, having won three of their previous matches. Burkina Faso, meanwhile, move closer to securing a spot in the CAF play-offs with 18 points.
Supporters at the Samuel K Doe Stadium applauded the Leone Stars at the final whistle, recognising their fighting spirit despite the narrow defeat.
