By Rodney Michael
Our National Team, Leone Stars, departs today, 10th November 2020 for Nigeria, where they will play the Super Eagles of Nigeria in the 2021 Nations Cup qualifiers, scheduled for the 11th November 2020.
They will return home within 48 hours of the match to prepare to host the Eagles in Freetown on Sunday the 15th November 2020.
Having drawn with Lesotho at home, and lost to Benin away, Leone Stars has a daunting task, needing a minimum of at least one win against Nigeria, either away or home, and that is extremely difficult but not impossible.
CAF has issued a continental ban on media and spectators not to witness any of the AFCON qualifiers and it is understood delegations too may be restricted to only the technical teams and a couple of FA Administrators, in an attempt to minimise the risk of covid infections.
LEONE STARS ARRIVE IN NIGERIA
The matches played behind closed doors have a positive for smaller teams, it takes away the home advantage with massive fans and hopefully Sierra Leone could benefit from the absence of the Nigerian fans.
It is now 24 years and over a dozen attempts since Leone Stars qualified for a Nations Cup, the only qualifications was in 1994 and 1996 when our current President Maada Bio was Leader of the National Provisional Ruling Council Military Government.
LEONE STARS ARRIVE IN NIGERIA
While we have to acknowledge the slim chances of qualification for this Nations Cup, we can only live the dream in hope of a very good perfornance and victory for our boys.
Sierra Leone has pulled off some surprising results in the past, and we need them more than ever now. Coach John Keister and his boys must be confident that nothing is impossible and a good result in the match in NIGERIA is not beyond the team.
A disciplined performance, avoiding conceding early, could frustrate the Nigerians and the longer Leone Stars holds on without the Nigerians scoring, as they say in sports, anyrhing can happen.
There is no crime being positive and optimistic, even dreaming of a Nigeria 0 Leone Stars 1, It is achievable.
*Good luck John Keister and his army – the Nation is behind you!*
I am a friend, not a foe! I mean well!
10 am
10/11/2020
