Sierra Leone skipper and FC Zurich defender Umaru Bangura, fitness Coach Philli Kor and Head of Communications for the National Sports Authority, Eric Batilo Fomba have all tested positive for Covid-19 in Niger.
The Sierra Leone Football Association have confirmed the sad news in a release on Wednesday.
The SLFA says they are monitoring the situation as Bangura, who was substituted in 2-1 defeat in Mauritania due to injury was not part of the Niger friendly on Tuesday.
“I am ok, but we are on quarantine in Niger,” Bangura re-confirmed in a brief message to FSL News.
The match against Niger was Sierra Leone second in four days as they prepared to face Nigeria next month.
Having lost 2-1 in the first friendly game behind closed doors at the Stade Cheikha Boydie, Nouakchott Mauritania on Friday, John Keister’s men suffered another 1-0 second successive defeat – this time at the Stade Général Seyni Kountché, Niamey.
Sierra Leone has only won once in their last six matches. Their last victory was against Liberia in a World Cup qualifying match in Freetown back in September 2019.
Head coach John Keister has been presented with a big task at hand to rally his troops for Nigeria in next month’s 2022 race to Cameroon.
Nigeria will host Sierra Leone at the 22,000 seated Stephen Keshi stadium when the qualifiers for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations next month before travelling to Freetown for the return fixture to be played at the Freetown Siaka Steven Stadium.
The Super Eagles are leading Group L after their opening two victories against Benin and Lesotho. The Squirrels of the Benin Republic standing second followed by Lesotho.
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