The Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) has confirmed that the Leone Stars’ home match against Zimbabwe in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers will be played in Morocco.
The decision follows the two-year Memorandum of Understanding signed between the SLFA and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) on 17 August 2026 in Rabat.
SLFA President, Babadi Kamara and FRMF President Fouzi Lekjaa formalised the partnership, which centres on capacity building for technical and administrative staff, referee development, youth football advancement, football workshops, and friendly matches for both the men’s and women’s national teams. The agreement also includes plans to develop a technical training ground in a Sierra Leonean community, training and observation programmes for SLFA staff in Morocco, and access to specialised sports injury facilities. The deal is renewable by mutual agreement.
In a statement shared on social media, the SLFA dismissed recent rumours that the fixture would be hosted in Guinea.
The match forms part of the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign. Zimbabwe coach Ramón Catalá’s provisional squad preparations have listed the encounter for 24 September in Casablanca, Morocco, underscoring the confirmed neutral venue arrangement for Sierra Leone’s “home” fixture.
Leone Stars have not qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations since 2021. Officials have repeatedly pointed to the challenge of staging home matches outside Sierra Leone as a contributing factor. The long-running renovation of the Siaka Stevens National Stadium in Freetown, which began in 2022 with Chinese support, remains incomplete. Partial facilities—including a practice field, athletes’ accommodation and swimming pool—have been handed over, but the main bowl is not expected to be fully ready for CAF- and FIFA-approved matches until late 2026 or early 2027. As a result, the national team has continued to play designated home games abroad, frequently in Morocco.
The Morocco partnership offers a structured framework for these arrangements while supporting longer-term development goals for Sierra Leonean football.
Fans and officials will hope the collaboration helps the Leone Stars build momentum in the qualifiers and eventually return competitive international matches to home soil once the national stadium is fully operational.
