LEONE STARS, ETHIOPIA CANCEL OUT EACH OTHER IN THRILLING BUT FOGGY WORLD CUP OPENER
Ethiopia 0, Sierra Leone 0
Kabs Kanu reports
Sierra Leone gained an appreciable one away point after drawing 0-0 with Ethiopia in a thrilling but disruptive World Cup qualifier in Morocco today.
With both teams forced to play on foreign soil because their stadiums do not match international standards, the match was affected by heavy fog which caused it to be disrupted many times. Halftime alone lasted for over one hour.
Though Leone Stars did not win, the one point gained, especially when it was counted as an away match in the series, could prove valuable in the final analysis if Leone Stars maintain their impressive and dogged form in the other matches. They must use the psychological advantage to beat the Ethiopians in the second leg in which they will be considered as playing at home, though it will not be in Sierra Leone.
Sierra Leone will clash with Egypt in their second game in the series on Sunday.
Sierra Leone are in Group A with Egypt, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Ethiopia and Djibouti , in the expanded series and changed format . There are nine groups of 10 teams in each group and the team with the highest points in each group will qualify for the World Cup to be held in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. There will be a playoff for the beat second place winners to help Africa have a 10th spot in the World Cup.
