At Estadio 24 de Setembro, the two nations aim to raise their ranks in the CAF World Cup qualifiers as they battle it out on Thursday afternoon, as Guinea-Bissau welcomes Sierra Leone.
An intriguing tie that will offer both West African nations a chance to get back on track with a win. Hosts Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone are in the hunt for their first-ever World Cup appearance to be played in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
Hosts Djurtus are going into this contest with six points from six matches, but they’re hoping to build on that. Especially after losing their last two matches to Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso in March, this might look like a way to get themselves back on track.
Guinea-Bissau sits fifth in Group A, five points behind second-place team Burkina Faso and two points adrift of Thursday’s opponent Sierra Leone.
Since their last qualifying game against Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau has lost friendly matches against Burundi and Gabon, making it seven straight losses. They have not won in ten games across all competitions since their last victory, a 1-0 win against Eswatini in September 2024.
Head coach Mohamed Kallon’s side is in full gear as they seek their first World Cup spot with a slim chance to qualify for next year’s event in North America. Their qualifying campaign has been mixed, with two wins, two draws, and two losses. Their most recent game was a 1-0 loss to Egypt.
Sierra Leone has only one clean sheet in their last six games in the race, which has been a big problem for them. They need to improve defensively as they head into the final four qualifiers starting tomorrow.
The likes of Augustus Kargbo from English Championship side Blackburn Rovers, Hannover attacker Mustapha Bundu, veteran attacker Kei Kamara, who recently celebrated his 41st birthday, are expected to be key to Sierra Leone winning in Bissau.
Nineteen-year-old Abdulai Juma Bah is set to earn his third cap for the visitors after an impressive couple of months, during which he also secured a loan move to Nice from Manchester City.
A recap of the qualifiers: The nine Group victors will be eligible for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Second round (playoff): The four top group runner-ups will be drawn into playoffs to decide the CAF representative at the interconfederation playoffs to determine which six teams will play in a playoff event – one each from AFC, CAF, CONMEBOL, and OFC, plus two from CONCACAF – the last two World Cup spots available.
