Aftermath of Sierra Leone defeat, Kenya National team assistant coach, Frank Ouna was very dissatisfied with the Siaka Steven Stadium pitch which he branded as ‘an unplayable pitch’.
The Harambee Stars second gaffer in a post-match interview in Freetown said the Sierra Leone pitch was one factor they walked away with 2-1 defeat adding that it affected their game plan and possession.
“It was tough for us because we played in an unplayable pitch. The pitch is not good to play football,” Frank Ouna said and congratulate Sierra Leone for the winner.
The Harambee Stars went into Saturday’s tie as the favourites but went down 2-1 to a well determined Sierra Leone side desperate to end their 21 years spell without playing at the highest African football tournament.
The Slovenia-based attacking midfielder, Julius Wobay low finish in the 22nd minute gave Sierra Leone the lead before skipper Umaru Bangura double the lead in the second half from the penalty spot after Kei Kamara was brought down by Eric ‘Marcelo’ Ouma.
Ten men Kenya level secured a consolation goal from Michael Olunga who struck a spectacular free-kick late in the second half.
AFCON 2019 Qualifying Fixtures & Results
Group A
9.06.2017 Obeid Sudan 1-3 Madagascar
10.06.2017 Dakar Senegal vs Equatorial Guinea
Group B
10.06.2017 Yaounde Cameroon 1-0 Morocco
10.06.2017 Lilongwe Malawi 1-0 Comoros
Group C
10.06.2017 Bamako Mali 2-1 Gabon
10.06.2017 Bujumbura Burundi 3-1 South Sudan
Group D
11.06.2017 Blida Algeria vs Togo
11.06.2017 Cotonou Benin vs Gambia
Group E
9.06.2017 Cairo Libya 5-1 Seychelles
10.06.2017 Uyo Nigeria 0-2 South Africa
Group F
10.06.2017 Freetown Sierra Leone 2-1 Kenya
11.06.2017 Kumasi Ghana vs Ethiopia
Group G
10.06.2017 Kinshasa DR Congo 3-1 Congo
11.06.2017 Harare Zimbabwe vs Liberia
Group H
10.06.2017 Bouake Cote d’Ivoire 2-3 Guinea
11.06.2017 Bangui Central African Rep. vs Rwanda
Group I
10.06.2017 Ouagadougou Burkina Faso 3-1 Angola
10.06.2017 Francistown Botswana 0-1 Mauritania
Group J
10.06.2017 Niamey Niger 0-0 Swaziland
11.06.2017 Tunis Tunisia vs Egypt
Group K
10.06.2017 Ndola Zambia 0-1 Mozambique
10.06.2017 Bissau Guinea Bissau 1-0 Namibia
Group L
10.06.2017 Dar es Salaam Tanzania 1-1 Lesotho
11.06.2017 Praia Cape Verde vs Uganda
The Confederation of African Football have seeded Sierra Leone in Pot 3 for the Africa Cup of Nations group stages draw ahead of next year’s final tournament in Cameroon.
As a result, the Leone Stars will be facing any two of the best-ranked sides from Pot 1 & 2 in their group in a bid to reach the tournament last sixteen.
The 24-nations were divided into a group of four, with six teams each from Pot one to six.
On July 28th, CAF announced August 17 as the official date for the 24 nations TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations draw in Cameroon.
The 33rd edition of the continental showpiece will run from January 9 to February 6 2022.
Sierra Leone qualified after twenty-five years since 1996 when they last participated in the finals in South Africa.
The top two teams of each group, along with the best four third-placed teams, advanced to the round of 16.
African Football News – Follow us on Twitter @football_sierra On Facebook & Instagram: Football Sierra Leone.
Madagascar defeated Sudan 3-1 on Friday in their first leg opening Group A tie of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) at the Al-Ubayyid Stadium in Al-Ubayyid.
The victory means the Barea top Group A standings with three points, while the Falcons of Jediane are placed at the bottom without a single point.
Libya also was very comfortable as the host team. The Mediterranean Knights are top of Group E standings after thrashing Seychelles 5-1 in their opening Group E tie at the Stade Chedly Zouiten in Tunisia.
Elsewhere, on Saturday Sierra Leone hosting Kenya in Group F is another big match in Freetown as the race for Cameroon 2019 gets underway.
Another big clash on Sunday between two North African giant Tunisia and Egypt in Group J.
The 12 group winners will qualify along with the best three runners-up will join hosts Cameroon in the finals.
South African will be away in Nigeria a cracker in Group E. Libya are presently top of the group after the comfortable victory over Seychelles.
South Africa are looking for a first win ever win in a competitive match over Nigeria, there have been six wins for the Super Eagles and three draws since 1992.
The Super Eagles are aiming to qualify for the Nations Cup finals for the first time since winning the title in 2013.
Grp B: Malawi v Comoros (1230) Grp C: Burundi v South Sudan (1300)
Grp L: Cape Verde v Uganda Grp K: Zambia v Mozambique (1300)
Grp I: Botswana v Mauritania (1330) Grp B: Cameroon v Morocco (1400)
Grp J: Niger v Swaziland (1500) Grp K: Guinea-Bissau v Namibia (1600)
Grp E: Nigeria v South Africa (1600) Grp F: Sierra Leone v Kenya (1630)
Grp L: Tanzania v Lesotho (1700) Grp L: Cape Verde v Uganda (1730)
Grp G: DR Congo v Congo Grp I: Burkina Faso v Angola
Grp C: Mali v Gabon (1900) Grp A: Senegal v Equatorial Guinea (2000)
Grp H: Ivory Coast v Guinea (2000)
Sunday:
Grp G: Zimbabwe v Liberia (1300) Grp H: CAR v Rwanda (1400)
Grp D: Benin v The Gambia (1500) Grp B: Cameroon v Morocco (1400)
Grp F: Ghana v Ethiopia (1530) Grp J: Tunisia v Egypt (2200)
Grp D: Algeria v Togo (2100)
Belgium-based Royal Antwerp midfielder Johanna Omollo and Bulgaria based defender Abud Omar will not be part of the Kenya squad heading to Freetown on Thursday for the 2019 Africa Nations Cup first-leg qualifier in Freetown on June 10.
Football Sierra Leone understands that both players sustained injuries while playing for their respective clubs.
Omollo, who is a box-to-box midfielder has been very instrumental for Kenya in recent months and the same for Omar, a roving left-back with attacking flair.
Harambee Stars head coach Stanley Okumbi will be disappointed but must have to do without both internationals.
The game that will be of interest to the four teams in the group, which also includes Ethiopia and Ghana, will be broadcast live on South African satellite network SuperSport.
This is the first ever meeting between Sierra Leone and Kenya at national team level.
Tottenham Hotspur anchorman Victor Wanyama (Pictured), Erick Ouma Joseph Okumu, Brian Mandela, and Eric Johanna and others have already joined the training camp in Machakos.
Others including Michael Olunga, David Ochieng are expected by Wednesday ahead of departure, according to the Kenya Federation.
Meanwhile, the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone were defeated 1 nil by host Liberia in Monrovia in a friendly international on Monday at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium.
The only goal of the game was scored in the 78th minutes by LISCR football club striker Christopher Bigman Jackson.
Both Sierra Leone and Liberia were preparing for their respective Afcon 2019 openers.
South African satellite network SuperSport has included in its schedule to broadcast live the Sierra Leone and Kenya 2019 Africa Nations Cup first-leg qualifier in Freetown on June 10.
The game will be of interest to the four teams in the group, which also includes Ethiopia and Ghana, where the broadcaster is also available.
This is the first ever meeting between Sierra Leone and Kenya at national team level.
Skipper and Tottenham Hotspur anchorman Victor Wanyama, who has joined the national team camp in Machakos top the list of 13 foreign players expected to tackle the Leone Stars side full of foreign-based internationals.
It is yet unclear whether Sierra Leone will benefit from the broadcasting rights of the game.
Meanwhile, John Keister’s men are 39 places behind their 2019 Africa Cup of Nations Group F opponent the Harambee Stars of Kenya in the June Fifa rankings.
The Kenyans under the supervision of local coach Stanley Okumbi moved four places up to 74th from 78th they occupied last month.
Okumbi has lined out the race to Cameroon as one of his biggest objectives.
Zambia coach Beston Chambeshi looks ahead to U-20 World Cup quarter-final
Reflects on his own last-eight game from 1988 Olympics in Korea Republic
African champions to face Italy in Suwon
While Zambia currently navigates parts unknown through the waters of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, preparing for their first ever quarter-final at this level, there is at least one among their ranks who finds the environment more than a little familiar. Fortunately for the Young Chipolopolo, it is the man steering the ship.
Almost 30 years ago, coach Beston Chambeshi was gearing up for a last-eight clash of his own as Zambia fought at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Football Tournament. Now back again in the Korea Republic he admits has “changed a lot”, he still has fond memories of his first trip east.
“It was marvellous. Playing teams like Germany, who had great players like [Jurgen] Klinsmann, as well as facing the likes of Iraq and Italy,” he recalled in conversation with FIFA.com. “It wasn’t easy but, at that time, we had a strong team. We played as a united group, just as the boys are doing now.”
With the likes of national icons Kalusha Bwalya and Charles Musonda joining him – as well as six players who tragically lost their lives in the 1993 air crash in Gabon – the Copper Bullets blitzed through their group before being sent home by a Klinsmann-inspired Germany.
Attacking spirit
Top scorer in Zambia that year and national champions with Nkana FC, Chambeshi was given the nickname ‘Quicksilver’ by legendary Zambian commentator Dennis Liwewe. “I wasn’t all that fast, but I was a talented player,” the smiling Chambeshi said. “That name always pushed me to play good soccer.”
And another famous quote from Liwewe, who was the voice of Zambian football for more than 40 years, describing their triumphant CAF Africa Cup of Nations side of 2012 fits neatly with this latest incarnation. “We showed the spirit of attack, attack, attack,” he told the BBC following that victory. “We shall never surrender.”
Epic fightbacks against Iran and Germany, both rollercoaster games, reflected just that as they booked their quarter-final with Italy in Suwon. “It’s a Zambian news story to see a team get this far,” Chambeshi said. “Football is about making history, it is about leaving your name. [But] there is no pressure now, they’re just enjoying their game.
“In football, it’s only once in a while when you find yourself at this stage. They’re young boys, so to have a ‘father’ like me telling them the truth about soccer, how to enjoy soccer and that things are in their own hands [helps].”
Italy and beyond
Faced with an organised Azzurrini, fresh from eliminating France, Chambeshi knows goals cannot be conceded cheaply, but early resilience against Germany – albeit not lasting the full 90 minutes – has buoyed him.
And, ultimately, he feels this record-breaking run is nothing compared to what the future can bring should they present a pathway for this side to step into the shoes of the senior Chipolopolo. “This is football. Records are made and records are broken. This is just a stepping stone and in a few years we can do even better for Zambia and Africa – [the players] have that zeal.”
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Sierra Leone | Highlights -