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Minnesota United’s Kamara headlines Sierra Leone squad for Nigeria clash
The 36-year-old is among the 16 foreign based Leone Stars selected for this month’s qualifiers against Gernot Rohr’s Super Eagles
Sierra Leone senior national team coach John Keister has invited 16 foreign-based players for next week’s 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Nigeria, with veteran Minnesota United striker Kei Kamara the pick of the selections.
The West Africans zoned alongside Lesotho and Benin Republic in Group L have made a poor start in the race to Cameroon 2022.
Having recorded a draw against the Crocodiles and defeat to the Squirrels, the Leone Stars sit at the base of the log with just one point.
To revive their qualification ambitions, coach Keister has invited a strong squad to face group leaders Nigeria in Benin City and Freetown, with Kamara who scored a goal against Liberia during the second leg of the 2022 World Cup qualifier in September, earning a recall.
Captain Umaru Bangura who plays for FC Zurich will miss the first-leg after being cleared of Covid-19 recently.
LA Galaxy II striker Augustine Williams has been handed his maiden call-up following his impressive goalscoring run in America. Williams won USL Championship’s Player of the Month for September/October after scoring seven goals in his last eight games.
Sierra Leone are hoping to make their third appearance in the biennial African football showpiece. They last featured at the 1996 edition staged in South Africa. There, they crashed out of the group stage after one win and two defeats.
The 33rd edition of the biennial tournament was due to begin in Cameroon on January 9, 2021, but has now been pushed to January 2022 due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic across the continent.
LIST OF FOREIGN-BASED PLAYERS
Defenders: Alie Sesay FC Zire Azerbaijan, Mustapha Dumbuya Tampa Bay Rowdies, England QPR Osman Kakay, Kevin Wright Orebro SK and Ishmael Koroma Vasalunds IF Sweden.
Midfielders: John Kamara Azerbaijan Keşla FK, Mohamed Medo Kamara FC Haka Finland, Rodney Strasser TPS Finland, George Davies SKN Polten Austria and Kwame Quee Víkingur Reykjavík Iceland.
Strikers: Augustine Willaims LA Galaxy II the USA, Belgium Mustapha Bundu R.S.C. Anderlecht, Kei Kamara MLS Minnesota United FC, Mohamed Buya Turay China Hebei Fortune Alhaji Kamara Denmark Randers FC and Alhassan Koroma RB Linense Spain.
