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John Sama backs new strategy for Leone Stars' success
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

John Sama backs new strategy for Leone Stars’ success

Former Sierra Leone midfield conductor John Sama feels the present coaching staff for the Leone Star will produce positive outcomes. Sama, who represented Sierra Leone in the 1994 and 1996 Africa Cup of Nations, noted in a short interview that Mohamed Kallon and his management staff have a clear coaching philosophy.

Kallon will take on his first international coaching challenge against Guinea-Bissau in Monrovia, Liberia, on Thursday. Kallon aims to guide a squad primarily composed of home-based talent as they strive for qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“We are all fans now and in modern-day football, players must believe in the technical strategy, and that is precisely what Kallon and his team can offer,” Sama stated.

“We must understand that they started about three weeks ago. They will need time to develop the technical aspects of their plan and implement the style of football they want to play. All of this will take time, but in the end, I am very confident that they will start producing results.”

When asked about the predominance of home-based players in Kallon’s squad, Sama reaffirmed that this is the way to build a strong national setup.

“In our days, we performed better and achieved results because the majority and core of the squad were home-based. This is a young team that will need time to develop, and our target should be the upcoming AFCON qualifiers.”

Guinea-Bissau enters the match unbeaten, aided by former Arsenal star Luis Boa Morte as a technical head. While Sierra Leone holds a favourable head-to-head record with six wins in twelve encounters, Guinea-Bissau has won two of the last three matchups.

Sierra Leone has only one loss in their last four World Cup qualifying matches (one win, two draws and a defeat against Egypt), while Guinea-Bissau has one win and three draws in their last four Group A fixtures.

Guinea-Bissau is coached by former Fulham and West Ham United forward Luis Boa Morte. They have gained six points from four matches in the qualifying rounds, undefeated, and their strong defensive record may not be enough to harm them at the top of Group A.

This upcoming match features two seemingly evenly matched sides with strong defensive records, suggesting that a low-scoring encounter is likely.

Group A

1. Egypt | 10 pts 2. Guinea-Bissau | 6 pts 3. Burkina Faso | 5 pts 4. Sierra Leone | 5 pts 5. Ethiopia | 3 pts 6. Djibouti | 1 pt

Matchday 5 fixtures

Sierra Leone v Guinea-Bissau  Burkina Faso v Djibouti – Ethiopia v Egypt

Matchday 6 fixtures

Guinea-Bissau v Burkina Faso Egypt -v Sierra Leone Ethiopia v Djibouti

Confirmed - Sierra Leone U20 to play Ghana and Morocco friendlies
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sierra Leone U20 confirm friendlies with Ghana and Morocco

Sierra Leone’s U20 team administrator, Benjamin Gordon Esq, has confirmed test matches against Ghana on the 22nd and Morocco on the 25th as part of their U20 AFCON preparation in Ivory Coast.

Hull City defender Cayden Cole, along with Hindolo Mustapha, David Kalokoh, and nine other foreign-based players, has been selected for two matches during the March international break. Sierra Leone faces a tough challenge in the CAF Under-20 AFCON, as they are placed in Group C with Senegal, Zambia, and Kenya.

  • The Road to the FIFA U20 World Cup

The 2025 U20 AFCON is set to be held from April 26 to May 18 in Côte d’Ivoire, with the four semi-finalists earning a spot in the FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile. Sierra Leone will be making their first ever TotalEnergies CAF U-20 AFCON finals appearance.

Midfielder Hindolo Mustapha, attacker Isaac Babadi, Ajax youth attacker David Kalokoh and nine others has been selected for this training camp. In addition, Seventeen home-based stars will travel to Morocco as they gear up for their maiden U20 African Cup of Nations.

“The purpose of this training camp is to refine the squad before the final selection is made. Playing against strong teams like Ghana and Morocco allows the head coach to assess both foreign-based and home-based players before finalizing the roster,” Ben Gordon states.

Reigning champions of the TotalEnergies CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations, Senegal and Sierra Leone as the two representatives of the WAFU A Zone for the TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations finals.

Senegal was crowned champions of WAFU A Qualifiers after overcoming Sierra Leonne 2-0 in the finals held in Liberia during WAFU A counterparts qualifiers.

  • Sierra Leone U20 invited 11 foreign-based:

Isaac Babadi PSV Eindhoven, David Kalokoh Ajax, Hindolo Mustapha – Crystal Palace, Kevin Kargbo RWD Molenbeek Belgium, Mamadou Wurie Jalloh – Brondby IF, Cayden Peter Maxwell Cole Hull City, Abraham Philip Kanu Reading, Sean Umar San Kanu RWD Molenbeek and Samal Bangura Tottenham – from the USA – Kelechi David Walker, Isaac Marah and Ahzam Mansaray

  • 17 Home-based players:

Saidu M Bangura – East End Lions, Alusine Dumbuya – East End Lions, Santigue Fornah SLIFA, Amara Keita SLIFA, Samba Juma Bah Diamond Stars, Sallieu Bah Wilberforce Strikers, Musa Bangura East End Lions

Mohamed Fofanah East End Lions, Idrissa Sesay Bo Rangers, Samuel Kandi Old Edwardians, Mohamed Kargbo Old Edwardians, Mohamed A Koroma Wusum Stars, Ibrahim Sorie Sesay Luawa FC, Alusine Fornah Bhantal FC, Sheku Kallon Wilberforce Strikers, Michael jr Kargbo Old Edwardians, Alhaji Abubakar Jalloh Kamboi Eagles

Ex-Sierra Leone International Al Bangura's son Samuel to join U20 training camp
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Samal Bangura follows father’s footsteps with Sierra Leone U20 invite

The son of ex-Sierra Leone International Al Bangura, Samal Bangura will join Sierra Leone Under20 side for a training camp and friendly matches in Morocco this month as they prepare for AFCON U20 AFCON in Ivory Coast.

He is getting his first chance to represent his country at the youth level after doing well in our Academy. Samal mainly plays as a central midfielder but can also play as a right-back.

According to Tottenham news, the Sierra Leone Under-20s will play friendly matches against Ghana, Saudi Arabia, and Morocco at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Morocco. These games are preparation for the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations next month, where Samal hopes to play.

The 17-year-old has started five of our last six Under-18 Premier League games under coach Stuart Lewis. He scored a goal and provided an assist in Saturday’s 4-0 win against Norwich City.

Samal is one of several Academy players representing their countries this week.

Isaac Babadi will not join Sierra Leone for U20 Tourney - Peter Bosz
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Isaac Babadi will not join Sierra Leone for U20 AFCON – Peter Bosz

PSV will not release their young midfielder to the Sierra Leone Under-20 team for the Africa Cup of Nations, as confirmed by head coach Peter Bosz ahead of the match against RKC.

Isaac, 19, played the full throttle of the match as PSV defeated RKC Waalwijk 3-0 in week 26 of the Eredisie.

Last week, according to brother Samuel Babadi, the nineteen-year-old PSV player was invited to Sierra Leone. “They have been after Isaac for a long time. From the time he was sixteen, they wanted him for the first team of Sierra Leone,” he explained in the ESPN program Tekengeld –However, that tournament will take place in Cote d’Ivoire between 26 April and 18 May 2025., which means that Babadi would have to miss the season finale with PSV. Peter Bosz has now decided to put a stop to that. “He will not go there, no.”

Isaac Babadi’s transition from the academy to the main squad is not surprising to many experts. He joined the PSV Academy at the age of 12 and made his professional debut in 2022 with Young PSV. Before he played thirty matches in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie, scoring five goals.

Isaac Babadi made his professional debut for Jong PSV on January 10, 2022. He replaced Johan Bakayoko during a 5–1 home win against Almere City, which was the team’s biggest win of the season at that time.

For the 2023–24 season, Babadi joined the senior team at PSV. He debuted on August 4, 2023, as a starter in the 2023 Johan Cruyff Shield, which PSV won 1–0, giving Babadi his first trophy in his first game.

Four days later, he played his first European match in a Champions League qualifier against Sturm Graz. Babadi scored the first goal in the 4th minute, contributing to a 4–1 victory for PSV. In March 2024, PSV and Babadi announced that they signed a new contract, which will last until 2028.

Regarding his international career, Babadi played for the Netherlands at the 2022 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. He captained the team, leading them to the final, where they lost to France. He scored the decisive penalty in the semifinal shootout against Serbia.

Sierra Leone U17 Women's bow out of World Cup qualifiers
by Football Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone U17 Women’s bow out of World Cup qualifiers

Sierra Leone National U-17 women’s team journey in the CAF U-17 World Cup qualifiers has ended after a challenging second-leg match. They were beaten 2-1 by Guinea at the Stade Mamadou KONATE in Mali, leading to a final aggregate score of 4-3.

Guinea will advance to face Ivory Coast in the third round of the qualifiers, scheduled for April 2025, after Ivory Coast eliminated Burundi in the second round.

In other news, the U-17 Women’s Team of Côte d’Ivoire achieved an impressive turnaround against Burundi in the second round of the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers.

After a 3-1 loss at home in the first leg, the young Elephants bounced back with a decisive 3-0 victory in the return match on Wednesday, March 12, securing their place in the third and final round of qualifiers.

Côte d’Ivoire is the first country to clinch its spot in the third round of the qualifying matches for the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

Sierra Leone U17 gear up for Guinea Women’s World Cup African Qualifiers
by FSL News

Sierra Leone U17 gear up for Guinea Women’s World Cup African Qualifiers

The Sierra Leone National U-17 Women’s Team has conducted its initial training session at the Southern Arena in Bo City as they ramp up preparations for their forthcoming match against Guinea in the Second Preliminary Round of the U-17 Women’s World Cup African Qualifiers.

Following a strong victory over the Central African Republic in the first preliminary round, our players are now concentrating on achieving another win.

The opening leg is scheduled for March 8, 2025, at the Southern Arena in Bo City, while the return leg will occur on March 15 at Stade Mamadou Konaté in Bamako, Mali.

With dedication, effort, and a strong sense of teamwork, both the players and coaching staff are entirely focused on earning a place in the final tournament.

The winner of this matchup will proceed to compete against the team that comes out on top between Ivory Coast and Burundi in the concluding round of the qualifiers.

The Sierra Leone Women’s U-17 team will play against Guinea in the second round of the African Qualifiers for the U-17 Women’s World Cup
The Sierra Leone Women’s U-17 team will play against Guinea in the second round of the African Qualifiers for the U-17 Women’s World Cup
Sierra Leone new head coach Mohamed Kallon start prep for Guinea-Bissau and Egypt
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sierra Leone coach Mohamed Kallon starts prep for Guinea-Bissau and Egypt

Expectations are rising as Sierra Leone’s newly appointed head coach, Mohamed Kallon, gets to work ahead of World Cup qualifying matches against Guinea-Bissau and Egypt later this month.

The former Inter Milan and Monaco striker has overseen two training sessions with the local players since being announced as the Leone Stars’ new manager.

On March 20, for the first time, Kallon will be at the Sierra Leone dugout when they welcome Guinea-Bissau in the Liberian capital. After that, they will travel to play Group A leaders Egypt, which will be a difficult match.

At the Estádio Nacional 24 de Setembro in September 2023, Sierra Leone suffered a 2-1 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in their final 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification Group A match.

Just behind Egypt, Guinea-Bissau is presently ranked second in Group A.

Read Related Leone Stars – Sierra Leone News – 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers

Mohamed Kallon passed his message to home-based players in Monday's training session in Freetown Sierra Leone.
Mohamed Kallon passed his message to home-based players in Monday's training session in Freetown Sierra Leone.
The team excelled in two challenging training sessions, one in the morning and another in the evening, featuring key players like Musa “Tombo” Noah Kamara, Quamie Quee, and Abu “Diaby” Dumbuya.
The team excelled in two challenging training sessions, one in the morning and another in the evening, featuring key players like Musa “Tombo” Noah Kamara, Quamie Quee, and Abu “Diaby” Dumbuya.
Mohamed Kallon unveiled as Sierra Leone head coach
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Mohamed Kallon unveiled as Sierra Leone head coach

  • A kiss for the Sierra Leone jersey he once donned as captain following his unveiling ceremony.
  • His first task as head coach will be against the Djurtus of Guinea-Bissau Next Month
  • The former Inter Milan and Monaco striker Mohamed Kallon is ready to lead the Leone Stars from the sidelines.

Mohamed Kallon, a Uefa Pro Licence holder, is the new head coach of the Sierra Leone men’s national team and will begin his new role with a home match against Guinea-Bissau, followed by a challenging encounter against the African powerhouse, Egypt.

Kallon has officially embraced the prestigious role of head coach for the Sierra Leone national team, heralding the dawn of a new and exciting chapter in the nation’s football history. He will commence his duties as the senior men’s coach in March, focusing on the crucial preparations for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

In a heartfelt statement following the announcement, Kallon conveyed a profound sense of duty and patriotism. “I accept this job because it is for my country. It was not an easy decision; there were many factors to consider. However, here we are. I am honoured to serve Sierra Leone. My love for my country drives me to take on this important responsibility,” Kallon expressed with conviction.

Kallon’s appointment is a key component of the ‘Concept 2027’ initiative—a visionary, long-term strategy designed to assess and elevate football standards in Sierra Leone. This initiative aims to nurture budding talent while striving to forge a competitive national team capable of making a significant impact on the international stage.

The decision has been met with overwhelming enthusiasm from the football community, government officials, and passionate fans, all of whom are rallying behind Kallon as he embarks on the challenging journey to lead the national team toward success. Additional details regarding his technical staff and forthcoming plans are anticipated to be unveiled shortly, as shared by the media department of the Football Association.

With an abundance of passion, rich experience, and an unwavering commitment to enhancing Sierra Leonean football, Mohamed Kallon stands ready to guide his country to new heights, much like he did during his illustrious playing career.

Mohamed Kallon has been appointed as the head coach of the Sierra Leone national team
Mohamed Kallon has been appointed as the head coach of the Sierra Leone national team
Sierra Leone Coaching Education continuous challenges
by Kendol Decker

Sierra Leone Coaching education facing continuous challenges

For almost a decade, there has been a lack of access to formal football coaching education curricula in Sierra Leone. The Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) must urgently address this significant crisis. The last time the SLFA hosted a CAF-accreted coaching course was in 2016, before the launch of the CAF Coaching Convention, which made it more difficult for member associations (MAs) to host CAF-accredited coaching courses.

In 2019, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) launched its coaching convention. The convention aims to standardize coaching education and licensing across Africa, ensuring consistent coaching quality. Member associations who wish to issue CAF A, B, C, or D coaching diplomas must design a syllabus for each category based on the guidelines provided in the convention and submit it to CAF for approval.

The SLFA has failed to create a syllabus that meets the convention’s standard and is the only English-speaking MA in West Africa that hasn’t formally trained coaches in recent years since the launching of the CAF Coaching Convention. The SLFA’s failure to design a syllabus that meets the CAF Coaching Convention standard has resulted in most coaches coaching in the top-tier leagues not having the appropriate training to coach at such a level. Some of those coaches are coaching the female and youth national teams.

Before launching the CAF Coaching Convention, over 50 coaches were issued CAF Licenses, and about two dozen coaches obtained the CAF A License. Many of those coaches have either died or are no longer actively coaching. The curriculum those coaches undergo to get their CAF Licenses has significantly improved since the launching of the CAF Coaching Convention in 2019. According to the coaching convention, CAF diploma holders must renew their licenses every two years by participating in a refresher course.

The active coaches in Sierra Leone who obtained CAF Diplomas in 2016 and earlier haven’t been able to renew their licenses as the SLFA hasn’t hosted a CAF Refresher course in recent years. If CAF enforces its coaching license requirement, our coaches cannot coach in CAF Club competitions. The CAF refresher requirements are similar to those of UEFA and US Soccer coach license holders, who must attend 15 hours of continuous professional development (CPD) every three years.

Recently, one of the world’s most successful coaches, Carlo Ancelotti, almost got his license suspended by the Italian Federation for delaying completing his CPD. In recent years, SLFA launched its branded SLFA B Diploma to compensate for the lack of access to the CAF Diplomas. Over the past three years, over 100 coaches have participated in two SLFA B diploma cohorts. The SLFA informed recipients of the course that they could coach second- and lower-level men’s and top-female leagues with the diploma. The issue with the SLFA B Diploma is that it doesn’t meet the standard of a B-level course.

The curriculum is, at best, an introduction to coaching or a grassroots-level D coaching curriculum that is insufficient to coach any team over the age of 13. This dilemma has resulted in an influx of untrained coaches in our football system, from the grassroots to the professional level. Coaches rely solely on their raw football knowledge, playing experience, and intuition to coach.

The Importance of Coaching Education

  • Coaching education equips coaches with the foundations of the principles and phases of play.
  • Coaching education equips coaches with the basic concepts to structure their training sessions with a session objective, linking each drill/activity with the session objective from the warm-up to the game.
  • Coaching education equips coaches to periodize their training sessions and understand the workload during the various stages of the season, which limits the risk of injury.
  • Coaching education equips coaches with the knowledge to plan and design practice sessions using the 5Ws (What, When, Where, Who, and Why), practice objectives, main and sub-principles, area of the field, key players, player actions, etc.
  • Coaching education equips coaches with the tools to guide players at various ages and developmental stages.
  • Coaches education equips coaches with the tools to design and implement a game model.

 

The above are just some of the key benefits of coaching education. There is also child protection, sexual abuse prevention, and safeguarding training that our coaches are lacking. This is very important to create a safe environment for children and women in football. Although coaching education is still very underdeveloped in almost all of Africa, Sierra Leone is far behind most African countries. The Gambian Football (GFF) currently hosts the CAF B Diploma course, while the Liberian Football Association (LFA) hosts the CAF A Diploma course. The GFF sponsored three coaches to participate in LFA’s ongoing CAF A Diploma course. Over the past few years, the LFA has hosted two cohorts of CAF B Licences and refresher courses. I find it difficult to understand why the SLFA hasn’t collaborated with the LFA in coaching education.

  • Striving The Way Forward

The SLFA must address this matter urgently by hiring or collaborating with coaches and educators who can design syllabi that meet CAF Convention standards. The first step to developing a coaching education curriculum is knowing what you want to teach coaches. The SLFA must establish and publish a coaching education pathway, a national coaching methodology, and a football philosophy or DNA. Various SLFA technical officials have publicly claimed to have made significant progress in coaching education and stated publicly that the  SLFA has developed a coaching education pathway and player development strategic plan accessible to anyone who requests the documents. Unfortunately, my colleagues and I have reached out to those same officials for those documents with no success.

About the Author

Kendal Decker is a youth football coach and administrator based in Maryland, USA with 15 years of experience.

Summary of Coach Decker’s Coaching Education Accomplishments:

* UEFA A License Candidate (2026)

* MSc Performance Analysis in Football Candidate (2025)

* Barca Innovation Hub Professional Diploma in Football Tactical Analysis (2025)

* USSF Club Technical Leadership Level 1 Diploma (2024)

* USSF B License (2023)

* USC Premier Coaching Diploma (2016)

* USC Director of Coaching Diploma (2015)

Benin cruise past Sierra Leone to progress to next stage of WAFCON qualifiers
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Benin cruise past Sierra Leone in first round WAFCON qualifiers

On Monday, Sierra Leone faced a 3-1 defeat in the Women’s AFCON qualifier second leg against Benin at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex, resulting in their elimination from the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations 2026 qualifiers. (Photo SLFA)

This loss followed a 2-1 defeat in the first leg at Kégué Stadium last Thursday, Sierra Leone was eliminated with an aggregate score of 5-2. This result means Benin will face Nigeria’s Super Falcons in the second round.

The visitors first scored in the 38th minute through Marguerite Ahouassou, and Germaine Honfo doubled their lead in the 44th minute. Aude Gbedjissi added a penalty goal, sealing their victory. Although the host team managed to reduce the deficit to 3-1, it was too late for a comeback.

In the first match, Benin’s captain Aude Gbedjissi scored a brace, with her first goal coming in the 23rd minute after receiving a solid pass from the left. She skilfully manoeuvred past the Sierra Leone goalkeeper to open the scoring. Benin started brightly and could have scored more in the first 15 minutes, but they missed several chances.

The Sierra Queens equalized in the 35th minute when Kadiatu Kamara capitalized on a corner play, striking the ball long over the Benin goalkeeper.

However, the home side quickly responded and regained their one-goal lead after being awarded a penalty in the 44th minute. The Benin captain converted the penalty for her second goal, ending the first half with a 2-1 advantage for her team.

After the recess, both teams struggled to take control of the tie with scrappy football, as there were no goals in the second forty minutes.

The final phase of the competition is divided into three groups, each consisting of four teams. The top two teams from each group will directly qualify for the quarter-finals, along with the two best third-placed teams.

From this stage onward, the competition follows a knockout format leading up to the final, where the winner will be crowned.

The 2026 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations is the 16th edition of this tournament, bringing together the best women’s football teams in Africa.

Read Related – Benin beat Sierra Leone in first-leg WAFCON qualifiers.

Second Round

● M33 & M34: Angola – Zimbabwe vs. Malawi 

● M35 & M36: Botswana – DR Congo vs. South Africa

● M37 & M38: Tanzania – Equatorial Guinea vs. Uganda – Ethiopia

● M39 & M40: Eswatini – Namibia vs. Zambia

● M41 & M42: Burundi – Burkina Faso vs. Djibouti – Togo

● M43 & M44: South Sudan – Algeria vs. Cameroon

● M45 & M46: Rwanda – Egypt vs. Ghana

● M47 & M48: Kenya – Tunisia vs. Niger – Gambia

● M49 & M50: Benin – Sierra Leone vs. Nigeria

● M51 & M52: Guinea – Cape Verde vs. Gabon – Mali

● M53 & M54: Chad – Senegal vs. Ivory Coast