Despite the disappointment of not qualifying for the upcoming African Cup of Nations in Morocco, Sierra Leone coach Amidu Karim has urged his team to finish their AFCON qualifying campaign on a positive note as they face Zambia in their final Group G match on Tuesday.

Sierra Leone and Zambia will play their final match in the Liberian capital. This match will not affect their standings because Avram Grants side along with Ivory Coast, have already secured their advancement.

Karim’s team could not secure qualification after the Leone Stars’ 1-1 draw against Chad and Zambia’s victory over Ivory Coast. Their hopes of reaching Morocco in 2025 were dashed.

However, the coach is determined to achieve a positive ending, stating, “We are disappointed as technical staff and as a head coach for not making it to Morocco this time. Nonetheless, we want to assure our people and fans that we will fight and give our best against a difficult Zambia side.

“Just because we have been eliminated does not mean we cannot give our all for the people of Sierra Leone. We need to finish the group strongly, which means securing a positive result against Zambia.”

Sierra Leone will be without skipper Steven Caulker, and Kei Kamara and a couple of injured players might force the coach to make a few changes to his starting eleven.

Read related News – Zambia edges Sierra Leone in Group G AFCON qualifier.

Meanwhile, with only a few matches remain in the qualifiers for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025. So far, 21 teams have secured their spots for the tournament, which will take place in Morocco.