Quick facts for kids
Sierra Leone
|
Nickname(s) |
Leone stars |
---|
Association |
SLFA |
---|
Confederation |
CAF (Africa) |
---|
Sub-confederation |
WAFU (West Africa) |
---|
Head coach |
John Keister |
---|
Captain |
Steven Caulker |
---|
Most caps |
Umaru Bangura (55) |
---|
Top scorer |
Mohamed Kallon (8) |
---|
Home stadium |
Freetown National Stadium |
---|
FIFA code |
SLE |
---|
|
|
|
FIFA ranking |
---|
Current |
114 1 (7 February 2019) |
---|
Highest |
50 (August 2014) |
---|
Lowest |
172 (September 2007) |
---|
Elo ranking |
---|
Current |
115 1 (3 March 2019) |
---|
Highest |
59 (15 January 1996) |
---|
Lowest |
156 (7 June 2008) |
---|
First international |
---|
Sierra Leone 0–2 Nigeria
(Freetown, Sierra Leone; 10 August 1949) |
Biggest win |
---|
Sierra Leone 5–1 Niger
(Freetown, Sierra Leone; 7 March 1976) Sierra Leone 5–1 Niger
(Freetown, Sierra Leone; 3 June 1995) Sierra Leone 4–0 São Tomé and Príncipe
(Freetown, Sierra Leone; 22 April 2000) |
Biggest defeat |
---|
Mali 6–0 Sierra Leone
(Bamako, Mali; 17 June 2007) |
Africa Cup of Nations |
---|
Appearances |
3 (first in 1994) |
---|
Best result |
Group stage (1994, 1996, 2021) |
---|
The Sierra Leone national football team represents Sierra Leone in association football and is governed by the Sierra Leone Football Association. It has qualified for Africa Cup of Nations thrice.
History
In 1954 it played a British colony and British administered U.N trust territory, Gold Coast and Trans-Volta Togoland, and lost 2–0 away. On 22 April 1961, it hosted Nigeria and lost 4–2. On 12 November 1966, it hosted Liberia in its first match against a non-British colony and earned its first draw, 1–1. A week later, it lost 2–0 in Liberia. On 13 January 1971, it played its first match against a non-African team, West Germany's B-team. The match in Sierra Leone was won 1–0 by the Germans. Sierra Leone's first match outside Africa was their first against an Asian nation, China. They lost 4–1 in China on 5 April 1974.
In August 2014, the Sierra Leone FA cancelled all football matches in an effort to stop the spread of the 2014 Ebola virus epidemic in Sierra Leone, a week after the Liberian FA did the same. Sierra Leonean players playing outside Sierra Leone, such as Michael Lahoud playing in the United States, were discriminated against, with opposition players refusing to swap shirts, shake hands and allow them to certain places of the stadium because they fear that they could be carrying the disease. The Sierra Leonean national team wasn't allowed to play home games and all players had to be foreign-based.
Fixtures
Main page: Sierra Leone national football team results (2020–present)
2022
AFCON 11 January |
Algeria |
0–0 |
Sierra Leone |
Douala, Cameroon |
|
---|
|
|
https://www.cafonline.com/total-africa-cup-of-nations/matches/2021/2243274/match-report |
|
Stadium: Japoma Stadium
Referee: Ahmad Imetehaz Heeralall (Mauritius)
|
|
AFCON 16 January |
Ivory Coast |
2–2 |
Sierra Leone |
Douala, Cameroon |
|
---|
17:00 |
- Haller 25'
- Pépé 65'
|
https://www.cafonline.com/total-africa-cup-of-nations/matches/2021/2243274/match-report |
- Mu. Kamara 55'
- A. Kamara 90+3'
|
Stadium: Japoma Stadium
Referee: Maguette N'Diaye (Senegal)
|
|
AFCON 20 January |
Sierra Leone |
0–1 |
Equatorial Guinea |
Limbe, Cameroon |
|
---|
|
|
https://www.cafonline.com/total-africa-cup-of-nations/matches/2021/2243279/match-report |
- Ganet 38'
|
Stadium: Limbe Stadium
Referee: Mohamed Marouf Eid Mansour (Egypt)
|
|
Friendly 24 March |
Togo |
3–0 |
Sierra Leone |
Antalya, Turkey |
|
---|
|
Placca Fessou 50', 55'
Fo Doh Laba 87' |
|
|
Stadium: Mardan Sports Complex
|
|
Friendly 27 March |
Liberia |
0–1 |
Sierra Leone |
Antalya, Turkey |
|
---|
|
|
https://globalsportsarchive.com/match/soccer/2022-03-27/sierra-leone-vs-liberia/2663041/ |
- Bakayoko 30'
|
Stadium: Mardan Sports Complex
|
|
Friendly 29 March |
Congo |
1–2 |
Sierra Leone |
Antalya, Turkey |
|
---|
|
- Mboungou 89'
|
https://www.sofascore.com/congo-republic-sierra-leone/MUbsPkd |
- Cesay 53', 64'
|
Stadium: Mardan Sports Complex
|
|
AFCON qualification 9 June |
Nigeria |
2–1 |
Sierra Leone |
Abuja, Nigeria |
|
---|
17:00 UTC+1 |
|
https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2022/06/09/africa/africa-cup-of-nations-qualification/nigeria/sierra-leone/3782956/ |
- Morsay 11'
|
Stadium: Moshood Abiola National Stadium
Referee: Ibrahim Kalilou Traore (Ivory Coast)
|
|
AFCON qualification 13 June |
Sierra Leone |
2–2 |
Guinea-Bissau |
Conakry, Guinea |
|
---|
16:00 UTC±0 |
- Kargbo 78'
- Mu. Kamara 87'
|
https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2022/06/13/africa/africa-cup-of-nations-qualification/sierra-leone/guinea-bissau/3782958/ |
- Jorginho 49', 52'
|
Stadium: General Lansana Conté Stadium
Referee: Abdulwahid Huraywidah (Libya)
|
|
Friendly 24 September |
South Africa |
4–0 |
Sierra Leone |
Soweto, South Africa |
|
---|
15:00 UTC±0 |
- Zwane 33', 64'
- Mayambela 49'
- Modiba 72'
|
https://www.sofascore.com/sierra-leone-south-africa/LUbsMUb |
|
Stadium: FNB Stadium
|
|
Friendly 27 September |
Sierra Leone |
0–3 |
DR Congo |
Rabat, Morocco |
|
---|
|
|
https://www.afrik-foot.com/amical-la-rdc-cartonne-3-0-madagascar-enfonce-le-benin |
- Malango 70'
- Kayembe 73'
- Elia 75'
|
Stadium: Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium
|
|
2023
AFCON qualification September |
Sierra Leone |
v |
Nigeria |
|
|
---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Coaching history
- Burkhard Pape (1966–1968)
- Klaus Ebbighausen (1976–1978)
- Warwick Rimmer (1979)
- Christian Cole (1989)
- Christian Cole (1991)
- Raymond Zarpanelian (1993–1994)
- Roger Palmgren (1996)
- John Sherington (1996–1997)
- Abdulai Sesay (1997–2000)
- Dušan Drašković (2000)
- Christian Cole (2001)
- José Antonio Nogueira (2003)
- John Sherington (2003–2006)
- James Peters (2006–2007)
- Mohamed Kanu (2007–2009)
- Daniel Koroma (2009–2010)
- Christian Cole (2010–2011)
- Lars-Olof Mattsson (2011–2013)
- Johnathan McKinstry (2013–2014)
- Atto Mensah (2014)
- John Ajina Sesay (2014–2015)
- John Sherington (2015)
- Sellas Tetteh (2015–2017)
- John Keister (2017–2019)
- Sellas Tetteh (2019–2020)
- John Keister (2020–)
Players
The following players were called up for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches against Nigeria and Guinea-Bissau on 9 and 13 June 2022, respectively.
Caps and goals are correct as of 13 June 2022, after the match against Guinea-Bissau.
The following players have been called up within the last 12 months.