Former Sierra Leone national team captain John Sama, who participated in the 1994 and 1996 African Cup of Nations, has voiced his endorsement of Hindolo Mustapha, a talented young player from Crystal Palace.

Hindolo Mustapha, who signed his first professional contract in January, has been selected for the Sierra Leone African Cup of Nations opening qualifying matches this month.

Additionally, he provided advice to his former teammate, – coach Amidu Karim, on effectively integrating young talents into African football.

The Leone Stars are scheduled to face Chad on September 6th in Liberia and play against Zambia away on September 10th, 2024.

Sama expressed surprise at the absence of Derby’s County’s Tyrese Fornah in coach Amidu’s 25-man squad.

He stated, “I was pleased with the overall selection of players, including the young Mustapha Hindolo, who possesses significant potential and with whom I am familiar.

However, I hope Amidu Karim will exercise caution introducing him to the nuances of African football. Some of these young players are still in the early stages of their careers, and while we aspire to develop for the future, it is imperative to safeguard and nurture them.”

Concerning Tyrese Fornah, Sama expressed uncertainty about his omission from the squad. He emphasized the importance of selecting the best players to ensure qualification, noting, “Tyrese, in my view, ranks among the finest defensive midfielders in the national setup. We must consistently strive to enlist players of the highest calibre for competition at this level of football.”

Sama, who scored against Algeria in the 1992 AFCON qualifiers, further emphasized the necessity of infusing the squad with experienced players, pinpointing Major League Soccer legend Kei Kamara and Alhaji Kamara as potential inclusions.

He lamented, “In African football, experience is pivotal to qualification. This can be achieved by enlisting top-tier individuals such as Kei Kamara and Alhaji Kamara, who possess abundant maturity and experience to mentor the younger players.”

Regarding Kei Kamara, Sama added, “I anticipate that Kei would not decline a call-up if approached by the authorities for his services, despite having retired from the national team. His prolific scoring at the highest level of the MLS in recent weeks underscores his enduring contributions, which cannot be overlooked.

No doubt, we have the players for qualifications, but we must be sincere in our actions. We need to select the right players and boost their confidence.”