By Desmond Tunde Coker
Leone Stars Head Coach Amidu Karim
Ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers, Amidu Karim the Head Coach of the Senior Male National Football Team of Sierra Leone, Leone has told Premier News that Sierra Leone’s qualification to the AFCON lies in her ability to win all home matches, despite playing them in Liberia and to get good results away from home.
He made the statement in a recent interview at his residence at Mountain Cut in Freetown. When asked about the importance of the 2025 AFCON qualifiers as Sierra Leone will start its campaign by playing Chad, he responded that it is very important for the nation and for everyone because Sierra Leonean is a football loving nation despite having other sporting disciplines. “As a Coach, I and my Technical team are very hopeful for a better qualifiers,” he stated.
He went on to state that as a player and now as a coach after missing out for 25 years, only to qualify for the AFCON in Cameroon in 2021 and missing out on the 2023 finals in the Ivory Coast Leone Stars is well determined to break the chain and get to the AFCON again. He added that he had been monitoring both local and international players with regards on their playing time and performance. “I do know anyhow people will talk, but we keep our heads up in doing the right thing that will enable us go to the AFCON as we start our preparation next month,” he said.
He however emphasized that even though Sierra Leonean love football and want the best for the national team not every player would have the opportunity to play but those with the quality to perform well would be incorporated into the team.
“It is not an easy task, but we will definitely get there,” he added.
He further stated that experience is vital that is why his Technical approach involves blending the old and young to get “the right flavor” because the young have to learn from the old players. “ So it’s is a blend that will take us to the AFCON,…Our aim is to win our first match which could take us through if only we could win all our home matches and few away results we are very sure of going to the African Cup of Nations,” he stated.
He noted that bringing new players at this point would be fine, but he would not love to see that breaking the already existing team cohesion
which had been built among his squad.
“…I am an attacking minded so we will continue in that trajectory going forward not forgetting our defensive area. We have been in the AFCON three times of which I have been part of. So we are fully mindful to the fact that we are ready and determined to qualify only if we put our house in order,” he said.
When asked about what new talent he had spotted to add to his mix of players after the country’s last round of matches against Djibouti and Burkina Faso, in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers, Karim responded and made it clear that he will bring back Musa Noah Kamara into the squad after his tremendous performance in the just concluded national league. He however acknowledged that in the defense he is working to bring in an able replacement for Curtis Davies who has retired from football, “and we need to fill that gap” he concluded.
“ Our approach in the World Cup qualifiers is a testament to our style of play so I am very optimistic to qualify to the AFCON for the fourth time only if we go with the right attitude from the players on the pitch and from the Sierra Leone Football Association , Ministry of Sports and the National Sports Authority,” he added.
With the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Qualifiers nearing action, Coach Amidu Karim is setting his eyes on preparing the Leone Stars for their key fixtures.
The Team will face Chad on September 6 in Liberia before their match against Zambia on September 9 in Zambia.
Detailing his strategic preparation process, Coach Karim says his roster for the country’s qualifier matches is on the final stage. “Selecting the right players is crucial to our success. As a result, I’m closely observing talents from Bo Rangers, East End Lions, and several promising under-20 players,” he said.
The home-grown gaffer has emphasized the importance of keeping the team competitive despite the long break since the end of the Sierra Leone Premier League. “Our players need to remain sharp and competitive,” he added.
Karim’s focus on scouting from diverse teams and age groups shows his dedication to forming a robust, versatile squad for the upcoming qualifiers. He further disclose to this medium 26 names of Home-base players who have started training as part of preparation.