YAOUNDE, 28th September 2026 – Sierra Leone’s Leone Stars have suffered back-to-back defeats in the Pamoja 2027 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers after losing 1-0 to Equatorial Guinea today at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde, Cameroon.
A goal in the 1st minute from striker Emilio Nsue Lopez Zuniga separated the two sides and condemned Sierra Leone to their second straight loss in Group E.
Leone Stars went into the match desperate for a response after throwing away a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 to Zimbabwe in El Jadida, Morocco, on Matchday One – despite goals from Alie Conteh and Sallieu Tarawallie.
But the team, led by head coach new French coach, Didier Gomes Da Rosa, got off to the worst possible start in Yaounde. Nzalang Nacional took the lead barely 60 seconds after kick-off, and despite pushing for an equaliser, Leone Stars could not find the back of the net.
SLFA President Babadi Kamara had on Saturday night urged the players to forget the pressure and react positively, saying “what happened in Morocco shouldn’t repeat here.” However, the early setback set the tone for another frustrating afternoon.
Group E Picture
The result leaves Sierra Leone at the bottom of Group E with zero points from two games:
– DR Congo – 6 points (beat Zimbabwe 2-0 today)
– Zimbabwe – 3 points
– Equatorial Guinea – 3 points
– Sierra Leone – 0 points
With only the top two teams qualifying for AFCON 2027 to be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, Leone Stars are now under serious pressure after just two games.
The loss also means Sierra Leone have failed to beat Equatorial Guinea in their last two AFCON meetings, after losing 1-0 to them at AFCON 2021 in Limbe.
What’s Next
Leone Stars will need to regroup quickly before the next international window in March 2027, when they will face DR Congo home and away – fixtures that now look like must-win games if they are to keep their Pamoja 2027 dream alive.
