Head coach of Leone Stars, John Keister has on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, named 16 foreign-based players for a Nations Cup qualifying encounter with Nigeria’s Super Eagles. The match was which was originally slated to be played in Nigeria will now be played in Benin city.
Skipper and FC Zurich defender, Umaru ‘Zingalay’ Bangura, have been excluded; but long time absentee, former AC Milan midfielder Rodney Strasser is set to make a comeback in the upcoming encounter.
Sierra Leone head coach, Keister, will have to do without the service of skipper Umaru Bangura for the first leg tie in the race to Cameroon 2022 at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, Nigeria.
The Super Eagles will battle Sierra Leone in the double-headed qualifier on 13th and 17th November, but the Leone Stars will have to navigate through the first leg minus their influential F.C. Zurich defender.
Bangura, who has returned to his Swiss-based club after being cleared of Covid-19 in Niger, may be available for the return match in Freetown.
But Major League fifth all-time top scorer Kei Kamara, 36, who scored a brilliant goal against Liberia during the second leg of the 2022 World Cup qualifier in Freetown last September, has been recalled for both matches.
LA Galaxy II striker Augustine Williams, who won USL Championship’s Player of the Month for September/October after recording seven goals in his last eight games, is set to make his Sierra Leone debut.
The list also includes all the expected big names like Anderlecht striker Mustapha Bundu, Hebei Fortune China’s attacker Mohamed Buya Turay, Haka FC and former Bolton midfielder Mohamed Medo Kamara, USL championship side Tampa Bay Rowdies right-back Mustapha Dumbuya and Alhaji Kamara of Randers FC in Denmark.
16 Foreign-based listed
Defenders
Alie Sesay FC Zire Azerbaijan, Mustapha Dumbuya Tampa Bay Rowdies, England QPR Osman Kakay, Kevin Wright Orebro SK and Ishmael Koroma Vasalunds IF Sweden.
Midfielders
John Kamara Azerbaijan Keşla FK, Mohamed Medo Kamara FC Haka Finland, Rodney Strasser TPS Finland, George Davies SKN Polten Austria and Kwame Quee Víkingur Reykjavík Iceland.
Strikers
Augustine Willaims LA Galaxy II the USA, Belgium Mustapha Bundu R.S.C. Anderlecht, Kei Kamara MLS Minnesota United FC, Mohamed Buya Turay China Hebei Fortune Alhaji Kamara Denmark Randers FC and Alhassan Koroma RB Linense Spain.
By Desmond Tunde Coker
5/11/2020. ISSUE NO: 7944