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Sierra Leone national football team facts for kids

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Sierra Leone
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) Leone Stars
Association SLFA
Confederation CAF (Africa)
Sub-confederation WAFU (West Africa)
Head coach Amidu Karim
Captain Osman Kakay
Most caps Umaru Bangura (55)
Top scorer Mohamed Kallon (8)
Home stadium Freetown National Stadium
FIFA code SLE
First colours
Second colours
Third colours
FIFA ranking
Current 114 Increase 1 (7 February 2019)
Highest 50 (August 2014)
Lowest 172 (September 2007)
Elo ranking
Current 115 Decrease 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)
 Syria 6–0 Sierra Leone 
(Syria; 05 June 2009)
Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances 3 (first in 1994)
Best result Group stage (1994, 1996, 2021)

The Sierra Leone national football team, also known as the Leone Stars, plays for Sierra Leone in the sport of association football. The team is managed by the Sierra Leone Football Association. They have proudly qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations three times!

History of the Leone Stars

The Leone Stars played their very first game on August 10, 1949. They faced Nigeria at home in Freetown and lost 2-0. In 1954, they played against another British colony, Gold Coast, and lost 2-0 away from home.

On April 22, 1961, they hosted Nigeria again but lost 4-2. Their first game against a country that was not a British colony was on November 12, 1966, against Liberia. They earned their first draw, a 1-1 tie. A week later, they lost 2-0 in Liberia.

On January 13, 1971, Sierra Leone played its first match against a team from outside Africa. They faced West Germany's B-team at home and lost 1-0. The team's first game outside Africa was against an Asian team, China, on April 5, 1974. They lost 4-1 in China.

In August 2014, the Sierra Leone Football Association had to stop all football matches. This was done to help control a health crisis happening in the country. Players from Sierra Leone who played in other countries, like Michael Lahoud in the United States, sometimes faced challenges. Other players were worried and did not want to swap shirts or shake hands. The national team could not play their home games in Sierra Leone and had to play them in other countries.

Recent Matches and Future Games

This section shows how the Leone Stars have played recently and what games are coming up.

  •       Win
  •       Draw
  •       Loss
  •       Fixture

2023 Matches

  • November 15: Sierra Leone tied 0-0 with Ethiopia in a World Cup qualifier.
  • November 19: Sierra Leone lost 0-2 to Egypt in a World Cup qualifier.

2024 Matches

  • January 6: Sierra Leone lost 1-5 to Ivory Coast in a friendly match.
  • January 11: Sierra Leone lost 1-3 to Morocco in another friendly.
  • June 5: Sierra Leone won 2-1 against Djibouti in a World Cup qualifier.
  • June 10: Sierra Leone tied 2-2 with Burkina Faso in a World Cup qualifier.
  • September 6: Sierra Leone tied 0-0 with Chad in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
  • September 10: Sierra Leone lost 2-3 to Zambia in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
  • October 11: Sierra Leone lost 1-4 to Ivory Coast in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
  • October 15: Sierra Leone won 1-0 against Ivory Coast in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
  • October 27: Sierra Leone lost 1-2 to Liberia in a CHAN qualifier.
  • November 1: Sierra Leone tied 1-1 with Liberia in a CHAN qualifier, but lost 3-2 overall.
  • November 10: Sierra Leone tied 1-1 with Chad in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
  • November 18: Sierra Leone lost 0-2 to Zambia in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.

Who Has Coached the Team?

Many coaches have led the Leone Stars over the years. Here are some of them:

  • West Germany Burkhard Pape (1966–1968)
  • West Germany Klaus Ebbighausen (1976–1978)
  • England Warwick Rimmer (1979)
  • Sierra Leone Christian Cole (1989)
  • Sierra Leone Christian Cole (1991)
  • France Raymond Zarpanelian (1993–1994)
  • Sierra Leone Roger Palmgren (1996)
  • Sierra Leone John Sherington (1996–1997)
  • Sierra Leone Abdulai Sesay (1997–2000)
  • Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Dušan Drašković (2000)
  • Sierra Leone Christian Cole (2001)
  • Brazil José Antonio Nogueira (2003)
  • Sierra Leone John Sherington (2003–2006)
  • Nigeria James Peters (2006–2007)
  • Sierra Leone Mohamed Kanu (2007–2009)
  • Sierra Leone Daniel Koroma (2009–2010)
  • Sierra Leone Christian Cole (2010–2011)
  • Sweden Lars-Olof Mattsson (2011–2013)
  • Northern Ireland Johnathan McKinstry (2013–2014)
  • Sierra Leone Atto Mensah (2014)
  • Sierra Leone John Ajina Sesay (2014–2015)
  • Sierra Leone John Sherington (2015)
  • Ghana Sellas Tetteh (2015–2017)
  • Sierra Leone John Keister (2017–2019)
  • Ghana Sellas Tetteh (2019–2020)
  • Sierra Leone John Keister (2020–2023)
  • Sierra Leone Amidu Karim (2023–)

Meet the Players: Current Squad

These are the players who were chosen to play in the 2025 AFCON qualification matches in October 2024.

The numbers for games played (caps) and goals scored are correct as of September 10, 2024, after the game against  Zambia.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Mohamed Kamara (1999-04-29) 29 April 1999 (age 26) 24 0 Guinea Horoya
23 1GK Francis Koroma (2000-05-15) 15 May 2000 (age 25) 2 0 Sierra Leone East End Lions
16 1GK Isaac Caulker (1992-01-20) 20 January 1992 (age 33) 0 0 Sierra Leone Kallon
19 2DF Emmanuel Samadia (2001-04-19) 19 April 2001 (age 24) 21 0 United States Hartford Athletic
5 2DF Steven Caulker (1991-12-29) 29 December 1991 (age 33) 15 0 Spain Málaga City
15 2DF Abdoulie Jarjue Kabia (2001-01-27) 27 January 2001 (age 24) 5 0 Israel Hapoel Kfar Saba
3 2DF Mohamed Bangura 0 0 Sierra Leone Wilberforce Strikers
12 2DF Nathaniel Jalloh (2005-09-07) 7 September 2005 (age 19) 0 0 Sierra Leone Kallon
10 3MF Mustapha Bundu (1997-02-27) 27 February 1997 (age 28) 18 3 England Plymouth Argyle
6 3MF Alhassan Koroma (1997-06-09) 9 June 1997 (age 28) 18 1 Qatar Al Shahaniya
4 3MF Abu Dumbuya (1999-01-29) 29 January 1999 (age 26) 16 0 Northern Cyprus Gençlik Gücü
11 3MF Sullay Kaikai (1995-08-26) 26 August 1995 (age 29) 16 1 England Cambridge United
8 3MF Alusine Koroma (1997-06-09) 9 June 1997 (age 28) 14 0 Spain Orihuela
3MF Jonathan Morsay (1997-10-05) 5 October 1997 (age 27) 11 1 Cyprus AEL Limassol
18 3MF Ibrahim Sillah (1995-04-04) 4 April 1995 (age 30) 8 0 Netherlands ACV
21 3MF Rodney Michael (1999-08-10) 10 August 1999 (age 25) 6 1 Cyprus POX
17 3MF Issa Kallon (1996-01-03) 3 January 1996 (age 29) 5 0 China Nantong Zhiyun
27 3MF Hindolo Mustapha (2006-07-29) 29 July 2006 (age 18) 2 1 England Crystal Palace
14 3MF Tyrese Fornah (1999-09-11) 11 September 1999 (age 25) 1 0 England Salford City
22 3MF Momoh Kamara (2005-05-06) 6 May 2005 (age 20) 0 0 Portugal Leixões
3MF Augustus Kargbo (1999-08-24) 24 August 1999 (age 25) 19 5 Italy Cesena
9 4FW Amadou Bakayoko (1996-01-01) 1 January 1996 (age 29) 12 3 Japan Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo
4FW Daniel Kanu (2004-11-14) 14 November 2004 (age 20) 5 0 England Charlton Athletic
4FW Josh Koroma (1998-11-09) 9 November 1998 (age 26) 2 0 England Huddersfield Town
2 4FW Nabieu Navas Daffae 0 0 Sierra Leone Luawa

Team Records: Who Played the Most?

Here are some interesting records for the Leone Stars. Players whose names are in bold are still playing for Sierra Leone.

Most Games Played

Umaru Bangura
Umaru Bangura has played the most games for Sierra Leone, with 55 appearances.
Rank Name Caps Goals Career
1 Umaru Bangura 55 4 2006–2022
2 Ibrahim Bah 45 3 1986–1998
3 Mohamed Kallon 40 8 1995–2012
4 Kei Kamara 39 7 2008–2022
5 Sheriff Suma 37 3 2006–2015
6 Kwame Quee 35 3 2012–present
7 Medo Kamara 33 1 2008–2021
8 Julius Wobay 32 4 2001–2018
Yeami Dunia 32 0 2012–present
10 Ibrahim Kargbo 30 1 2000–2013

Top Goal Scorers

These players have scored the most goals for Sierra Leone.

Rank Name Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Mohamed Kallon 8 40 0.2 1995–2012
2 Kei Kamara 7 39 0.18 2008–2022
3 Lamine Conteh 6 20 0.3 1993–2006
4 Alhaji Kamara 5 19 0.26 2012–present
Augustus Kargbo 5 21 0.24 2021–present
6 Teteh Bangura 4 12 0.33 2011–2014
Alhassan Kamara 4 16 0.25 2012–2018
Abu Kanu 4 16 0.25 1994–2003
Mustapha Bangura 4 17 0.24 2005–2016
Julius Wobay 4 32 0.13 2001–2018
Umaru Bangura 4 55 0.07 2006–2022

How the Team Has Done in Big Tournaments

FIFA World Cup History

Sierra Leone has tried to qualify for the FIFA World Cup many times. They have not yet made it to the main tournament.

FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
Chile 1962 and England 1966 Not part of CAF yet Not part of CAF yet
Mexico 1970 Did not enter Did not enter
West Germany 1974 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 0 3
Argentina 1978 4 1 1 2 8 9
Spain 1982 2 0 1 1 3 5
Mexico 1986 2 0 0 2 0 5
Italy 1990 Did not enter Did not enter
United States 1994 Withdrew Withdrew
France 1998 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 0 2
South Korea Japan 2002 10 2 1 7 6 17
Germany 2006 2 0 1 1 1 2
South Africa 2010 8 3 2 3 5 8
Brazil 2014 6 2 2 2 10 10
Russia 2018 2 1 0 1 2 2
Qatar 2022 2 1 0 1 2 3
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined 4 1 2 1 4 5
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total 0/16 46 11 10 25 41 71

Africa Cup of Nations History

Sierra Leone has qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations three times.

Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad
Ethiopia 1962 Not part of CAF yet
Ghana 1963
Tunisia 1965
Ethiopia 1968 Did not enter
Sudan 1970 Withdrew
Cameroon 1972 Did not enter
Egypt 1974 Did not qualify
Ethiopia 1976 Did not enter
Ghana 1978 Did not qualify
Nigeria 1980 Did not enter
Libya 1982 Did not qualify
Ivory Coast 1984
Egypt 1986 Withdrew
Morocco 1988 Did not qualify
Algeria 1990 Withdrew
Senegal 1992 Did not qualify
Tunisia 1994 Round 1 10th 2 0 1 1 0 4 Squad
South Africa 1996 Round 1 13th 3 1 0 2 2 7 Squad
Burkina Faso 1998 Withdrew
Ghana Nigeria 2000 Could not play due to civil war
Mali 2002 Did not qualify
Tunisia 2004
Egypt 2006
Ghana 2008
Angola 2010
Equatorial Guinea Gabon 2012
South Africa 2013
Equatorial Guinea 2015
Gabon 2017
Egypt 2019 Could not play due to FIFA suspension
Cameroon 2021 Group stage 18th 3 0 2 1 2 3 Squad
Ivory Coast 2023 Did not qualify
Morocco 2025
Kenya Tanzania Uganda 2027 To be determined
2029
Total 0 titles 3/34 8 1 3 4 4 14 —

Who Works Behind the Scenes?

Here is the current coaching and medical staff for the Leone Stars:

Head coach Sierra Leone Amidu Karim
Assistant coach Sierra Leone Alusine Sesay
Assistant coach Sierra Leone Amara Rahman Bangura
Sport therapist Sierra Leone Abdulay Sesay
Head of medical Sierra Leone Osman Fofanah
Team manager Sierra Leone Abdulai Kargbo

Awards and Achievements

The Leone Stars have won some regional football cups!

Regional Trophies

  • Amílcar Cabral Cup
    • Champions (2): 1993, 1995
    • Runners-up (2): 1984, 1986

Images for kids

  • Umaru Bangura

    Umaru Bangura has played the most games for Sierra Leone, with 55 appearances.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Sierra Leona para niños

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