By Barrie Alpha
Sierra Leone football legend Lamin Conteh widely known by his nickname Junior Tumbu has passed away after a brief illness at the Kenema Government Hospital. He died in the early hours of Thursday, 5 May 2022.
Junior Tumbu represented the Sierra Leone national team (Leone Stars) between 1994 and 2002. He made his international debut in 1994 at the age of 17 and went on to represent Sierra Leone in the 1994 and 1996 Africa Cup of Nations finals hosted in Tunisia and South Africa respectively.
He was appointed captain of the national team in 2002 taking over from Mohamed Kallon.
In November 2021, Conteh was among four national veterans appointed by the Sierra Leone Football Association to serve as Technical Support Staff to the Senior National Team to further strengthen the team during the TotalEnergies AFCON 2021 tournament in Cameroon.
Meanwhile, sports stakeholders across the country have joined the bereaved family and the entire sports family in mourning the death of the great legend with condolence messages coming from different individuals and groups including the Team Manager of Leone Stars.
Belgium club Beerschot V.A have paid tribute to former Sierra Leone International Lamin ‘Junior Tumbu’ Conteh, who sadly passed away on Thursday age of 46.
Conteh played for the Belgian side between 1992 and 1995, where he featured 48 times, scoring 13 goals. The club remembered the Sierra Leone legend for his ability to move past his opposition defenders.
Conteh’s former club Beerschot V.A wrote, ‘Beerschot just learned about the death of Lamin Conteh. Sierra Leone’s tech-savvy and arrow-quick forward played 48 times for Beerschot’s first team from 1992 to 1995, scoring 13 goals in that period. “Junior” played his way into the hearts of Kielse supporters when he dribbled everyone in a home game against Anderlecht. Beerschot expresses his deepest condolences to the family and many friends.’
The Sierra Leone Football Association, former Sierra Leone skipper Ibrahim Obreh Kargbo, Fifa council member Isha Johansen, renowned football administrator Rodney Michael and others paid their respects to the country’s football icon.
‘My thoughts are with your family. I know how you played a part in my life. We will mourn his passing. Rest In Peace, Father! I know you were an amazing person, and your presence will always be missed. I will always remember some of our wonderful memories that will never fade away from my heart. Till we meet again, Father,’ Kargbo passionately stated.
Well-known football administrator, Rodney Michael, described the news as a big defeat to the football family. The Mighty Blackpool chairman noted that Lamin Conteh, alias Junior Tumbu, was arguably the most gifted footballing talent Sierra Leone has ever produced. His mesmerising skills of carving through opponents and providing extreme entertainment for all would forever linger in the memories of everyone who watched him play.
He was a reserved person, never one to get involved in any publicity and loved minding his own business. In recent times, as General Manager of Freetown FC in Kenema, he helped the club rise to the top of Division 1 in the Eastern Region. He will forever be missed, but his memories on the football pitch will never die; and will be spoken of as a true legend forever.
Meanwhile, the entire football fraternity have been pouring tributes to the late legendary footballer, Junior Tumbu.