By Barrie Alpha
Leone Stars head coach John Keister has ushered a platform for five home-based players to earn a senior call-up for the first time after announcing the final squad for the double-legged clash against Sao Tome Principe in the African Cup Of Nation (AFCON) qualifier earlier this week in a press conference held on Tuesday 14 March 2023 at the SLFA Secretariat in Kingtom.
Premier League leader Bo Rangers trio Abu Komeh, the joint leading top scorer of the 2022/23 Sierra Leone Premier League season with seven goals, and the sublime midfielders Ibrahim Turay and Mohamed Kabba are among the eleven home-based players that made it in the final squad.
Mighty Blackpool Football Club, the second-placed side in the league log, skipper and forward Ron Ghandy-Williams who has scored four goals in the 2022/23 league season is one of the debutants in the Leone Stars squad among the three home-based forwards.
Again, Luawa FC newcomers in the Sierra Leone Premier League in-form defender Edward I. Fornah earned his first Leone Stars call-up following his masterstroke performance, and in 2022 he was part of the U-23 side of Sierra Leone in the TotalEnergies- U23 AFCON qualifier against Zambia.
However, Montenegro’s FK Mornar forward Rodney Michael has been ruled out due to a hamstring injury, while Sierra Leone sits third in Group A with one point out of two matches played, and both matches against Sao Tome Principe will be played in Morocco on the 22 and 26 March respectively.