By Esther Thorli

Cricket Sierra Leone has unveiled a 14-man squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier scheduled to take place in Gaborone from May 18 to June 1, 2026.

Sierra Leone will compete against six other nations — Botswana, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Mali and Rwanda — in a round-robin competition, with only the top two teams advancing to the Africa Regional Final.

The Sierra Leone Patriots will begin their campaign against hosts Botswana on Saturday, May 23, before facing Cameroon on Sunday, May 24. They will then take on Kenya on Tuesday, May 26, Rwanda on Thursday, May 28, Côte d’Ivoire on Friday, May 29, and conclude the group stage against Mali on Saturday, May 30.

According to Cricket Sierra Leone, the squad was selected strictly on merit as the country seeks to make a strong impression at the continental qualifier.

The selected players are John Bangura, Chenor Bah, Lansana Lamin, Raymond Coker, Abubakarr Kamara (Vice Captain), Alusine Turay, Yebgeh Jalloh, Mohamed Turay, Eric M. Turay, George Sesay, John Lassayo, Samuel Conteh, Solomon Williams and Abass Gbla.

The team is expected to depart Sierra Leone on May 19 for Gaborone via Addis Ababa.

The tournament will mark the Senior Men’s team’s first international assignment of 2026 and forms part of the qualification pathway to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Teams that progress from the sub-regional stage will advance to the Africa Regional Final, where stronger cricketing nations, including Namibia, await in the next phase of qualification for the global cricket showpiece.