Leone Stars leave Freetown for Istanbul to face Iraq & Jordan
Leone Stars will present a mainly homebased team against Iraq and Jordan respectively (Photo credit: Mohamed Fajah Barrie)
Eighteen players and eight officials made the trip from
Freetown on Sunday morning and will be joined by two foreign based players and head
coach Lars Olof Mattsson and his assistant Lennart Andersson to complete a
30-man delegation.
The two foreign-based players are Sam Obi Metzger Jr. who is playing in Finland and the England
based unknown Issa Zuma Kamara who is looking forward to make his first
appearance for Sierra Leone.
According to the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) other foreign invited
overseas players turned down invitations, some because their leagues in their
respective countries are still ongoing and others due to other commitments.
This is the first time Sierra Leone
are facing Iraq and the
second time they are locking horns with Jordan. The two countries first met
in a friendly match in Freetown in April 1983
and Sierra Leone
won 2-1.
Below is the list of players and officials.
Goalkeepers: Christian Caulker (Kallon FC), Ibrahim Tarawalley (Mighty Blackpool),
Habib Sesay (Ports Authority FC)
Defenders: Salifu Samura (Kallon FC), Gibrilla ‘Lalas’ Fofanah (Kallon FC),
Morie Alie (Bo Rangers), Alpha Lansana
(Kamboi Eagles), Ismail Turay (Diamond Stars)
Midfielders: Idrissa Sesay (Mighty Blackpool) Mohamed Yayah Janneh (Bo Rangers),
Mohamed Bangura (Kallon FC), Junior Lahai Coker (Kallon FC), David Kamara
(Mighty Blackpool), Alhassan Bangura (Kallon FC)
Forwards: Muwaid Sesay (Ports Authority FC), Alhaji Kamara (Kallon FC), Dauda
Kanu (East End Lions), Sulaiman Kamara (Kallon FC), Obi Metzger Jr. (Haka,
Finland), Issa Zuma Kamara (based in England but club unknown)
Officers:
Alphan Coker- Deputy Director of National Sports Council and Leader of Delegation
Morrison Sannoh- Sierra Leone FA (SLFA) Executive member
George Torto- Paramount Chief
Jonathan Leigh- Representative SLFA Secretariat
Sahr Morris Jr. - Representative SLFA Media Committee
Lars Olof Mattsson-Head Coach
Lennart Andersson- Assistant Coach
John Keister- A member of the Technical team
Lamin Bangura- A member of the Technical team
John Ansumana- Medical man