YAOUNDE, 28th September 2026 – Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) President, Babadi Kamara has charged the Leone Stars to put the disappointment of Morocco behind them and deliver victory for Sierra Leone today.
Kamara met with the players and technical staff during their final training session at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde last night, ahead of today’s Pamoja 2027 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifier against Equatorial Guinea.
The pep talk comes three days after Sierra Leone threw away a 2-0 half-time lead to lose 3-2 to Zimbabwe in El Jadida, Morocco, on Matchday One of Group E.
In a passionate address captured on video, the SLFA President told the players not to play under pressure.
“Don’t play under pressure. The pressure is not coming to you as players, the pressure is coming to me as president. Be yourselves, but note that your country needs victory. What happened in Morocco shouldn’t repeat here,” Kamara said.
He also moved to shut down any suggestion that the defeat to Zimbabwe was due to poor planning or neglect of the team.
“We did not come here with a plan to lose. Our minds are very genuine, our efforts are clear. We did not lose because of poor organization or because we did not pay the players, we did not take care of the players or we did not put them in good hotel. No, everything is perfect, but football is football,” he told the team.
Kamara used the example of four-time world champions Italy, who have missed three consecutive World Cups, to remind the players that football is unpredictable.
“What is important is we react to it in a very positive way,” he stressed, urging the young players to maintain respect, commitment and love for Sierra Leone.
Must-Win Today
Today’s match is crucial. Kick-off is at 4:00 PM GMT / 5:00 PM Salone time in Yaounde.
Both Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea lost their openers – Leone Stars 3-2 to Zimbabwe after goals from Alie Conteh and Sallieu Tarawallie, and Equatorial Guinea 2-0 to DR Congo.
With Zimbabwe and DR Congo on three points each, a second defeat for either side would leave them in serious trouble in Group E. The top two teams qualify for AFCON 2027 to be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Leone Stars will be looking for revenge for AFCON 2021, when Equatorial Guinea beat Sierra Leone 1-0 in Limbe.
