Beninese Football Association (BFA) have confirmed a friendly with Sierra Leone in Casablanca as part of their World Cup preparation this month.
Provisional boss Amidu Karim to start his groundwork against Benin in Casablanca, Morocco.
A second friendly is expected to be announced by the Sierra Leone Football Association. Niger was supposed to face Leone Stars, but they have rescheduled to play Somalia and Libya instead.
The Leone Stars defeated Benin 1-0 in their last meeting through a Kei Kamara spot kick during the AFCON race to Cameroon in Guinea in June 2021 as Sierra Leone secured a place at the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time since 1996.
Ranked 124 in the global standings, Leone Stars’ journey to qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in the USA, Mexico and Canada will begin in November 2023.
Coach Karim and the technical team will use these friendlies in the North African region to assess his squad ahead of his first major task against Ethiopia and powerhouse Egypt in November.
The others in Group A are Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau and Djibouti in the race to the 2026 World Cup.
Benin is in Group C against Nigeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Lesotho in the race to the 2026 World Cup.
Leone Stars last outing in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying, Group Stage A final match ended in 2-1 defeat to Guinea-Bissua at the Estádio 24 de Setembro in September.
Connect with us @football_sierra on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone, the writer Alie Bittar on Twitter @bittar32, Contact Bittar@footballsierraleone.net. National News.
