Ambassador Koroma Urges Leone Stars to Make Sierra Leone Proud Ahead of Zimbabwe Clash

Sierra Leone's Ambassador to Morocco, His Excellency Alhaji Momodu Koroma, has urged the Leone Stars to make the country proud as they prepare to face Zimbabwe in their opening match of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign. The visit took place at Hotel Deauville in El Jadida, Morocco, where the team is currently in camp. Ambassador Koroma welcomed the players and technical delegation, emphasizing the importance of the match to the country.

During his meeting with the squad, Ambassador Koroma expressed his delight at meeting a group of young Sierra Leoneans who are working to promote the country's image. He encouraged the players to draw on their professional experience and skills to achieve a positive result against Zimbabwe. The Ambassador's visit also provided an opportunity for the team to stress the importance of support from Sierra Leoneans both in Morocco and at home.

The team manager of the Sierra Leone Football Association, Abdul Karim Bangura, thanked Ambassador Koroma for visiting the squad and appealed for continued national support. He requested that the Ambassador help mobilize Sierra Leoneans living in Morocco to attend the match and create a strong atmosphere of support for the national team. Bangura expressed confidence in the team's preparations and emphasized the need for a good start to the qualifying campaign.

Head Coach Didier Gomez Da Rosa said the Ambassador's visit had provided encouragement to the players as they continued preparations for the match. He expressed confidence in the squad and emphasized the importance of support from fans across Sierra Leone. The coach said the team began preparations on September 21 and would continue working on its tactical approach ahead of the Zimbabwe encounter.

Leone Stars team captain, Osman Kakay, said the squad has settled well since arriving in Morocco and is looking forward to the match against Zimbabwe. He expressed the team's determination to win the match and give their best to bring AFCON back to Sierra Leone. Kakay emphasized the importance of the assignment and the team's readiness to give 100% effort.

Although Sierra Leone is officially the home side for the fixture, the match will be played in El Jadida, Morocco. This arrangement means the Leone Stars will be looking to create a home atmosphere away from Sierra Leone, with officials appealing to Sierra Leoneans living in Morocco to turn out in large numbers. The team arrived in Casablanca on September 20 before traveling to El Jadida, where preparations began under Head Coach Didier Gomez Da Rosa.

The opening fixture represents the first step in Sierra Leone's pursuit of qualification for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, with the Leone Stars determined to give their supporters at home and abroad something to celebrate. With preparations underway and the squad now settled in El Jadida, the technical team is focusing on tactical and physical readiness while the players look to translate their confidence and team spirit into a positive result on Thursday, September 24.

Key points

• Sierra Leone's Ambassador to Morocco urges Leone Stars to make the country proud ahead of their 2027 AFCON qualifier against Zimbabwe.
• The Leone Stars are seeking to create a home atmosphere away from Sierra Leone in El Jadida, Morocco.
• The team is determined to give their supporters at home and abroad something to celebrate with a positive result against Zimbabwe.