Momoh I. Kamara, captain of Sierra Leone’s U-20 team, displayed his awards for Man of the Tournament and Best Striker this morning, following an exceptional performance in the WAFU Zone A U-20 Championship.
Kamara led the Shooting Stars to a successful campaign in the WAFU A U-20 AFCON Qualifiers held in Liberia.
His leadership and remarkable skills on the pitch earned him three Man of the Match awards, and he shared the tournament’s Top Goalscorer honor with Senegal’s Cheikh Thiam.
After receiving his accolades, Kamara expressed his gratitude:
“First and foremost, I want to thank God for this wonderful achievement in my life. It was hard, but He made everything easier for me. I also want to thank my teammates and technical team for their support and encouragement to help me achieve these awards. I know all our dreams will come true if we have the courage to pursue them. Better days ahead… I love you guys.”
Despite Kamara’s individual success, Sierra Leone fell 2-0 to defending champions Senegal in the final at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium in Liberia. Senegal sealed their victory with goals in the 13th and 24th minutes, as Sierra Leone struggled to mount a comeback.
The Shooting Stars had an impressive journey to the final, topping Group A with victories over Liberia and Guinea-Bissau, alongside a draw with Guinea. They secured their place in the final with a dominant 3-0 win over Gambia in the semi-finals.
Both Sierra Leone and Senegal have qualified for the 2025 U-20 African Nations Cup (AFCON), marking Sierra Leone’s first-ever qualification for this stage. The 2025 AFCON will also serve as the African qualifier for the FIFA U-20 World Cup, set to be held in Chile. Gambia finished third in the tournament.
