In a hard-fought 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier, Sierra Leone’s national team, the Leone Stars, played a disappointing 1-1 draw against Chad today, November 13th, at the Stade de Epimbe in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
The Leone Stars opened the scoring in the 29th minute with a stunning strike from Abu Dumbuya. However, Chad quickly responded with a penalty in the 34th minute, successfully converted by Georgian-based midfielder Mahamat Thiaw.
This result adds pressure to Sierra Leone’s qualification hopes in Group G, as Zambia prepares to host Ivory Coast in Ndola this Friday. Zambia only needs a draw in that match to secure qualification, while Ivory Coast has already qualified with two games to spare.
With this draw, Sierra Leone sits in third place with 5 points, trailing Zambia (7 points) and group leaders Ivory Coast (9 points). Chad remains at the bottom with 3 points.
Sierra Leone’s qualification now hinges on the outcome of their final match against Zambia, where they’ll need a win and for Zambia to fall to Ivory Coast to keep their AFCON 2025 hopes alive.
