On Tuesday, Sierra Leone continued their World Cup preparation with a pass mark after securing a 2-0 win over Somalia in a tier-two friendly in Casablanca, Morocco.
Cheltenham defender Curtis Davies, 38, and HSV Hoek center-back Augustine Loof, 27, both made their debut for Sierra Leone in the win as they played the full throttle of the contest.
Having secured a 1-1 draw against Benin in coach Amidu Karims’s first outing with the Leone Stars on Saturday, striker Mohamed Buya Turay opened the scoring for Sierra Leone from the spot.
Coach Karim’s side was awarded a penalty after the Somalia keeper Bilaal Njie brought down the Odense Boldklub striker in the box in the 24th minute.
Turay comfortably converted the spot kick for his second Leone Stars goal in Morocco before completing his brace after a scintillating pass from the right wing in the 58th minute.
Tuesday’s win was the first for the new Leone Stars technical as they continue preparation for World Cup 2026 qualifiers.
Somalia were not a threat to Sierra Leone for most of the game. However, they’ll face a much tougher test against Ethiopia and Egypt in the November World Cup doubleheader.
Sierra Leone in Group A against Ethiopia, powerhouse Egypt, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau and Djibouti are the others in the race to the 2026 World Cup.
The continental journey to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in the USA, Mexico and Canada will begin in November 2023.
Connect with us @football_sierra on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone, the writer Alie Bittar on Twitter @bittar32, Contact Bittar@footballsierraleone.net. National News.