Sierra Leone To Play Cote D’Ivoire in Lagos

Sierra Leone and defending champions of the AFCON title, Ivory Coast will be playing their Group I AFCON 2017 qualifiers match in Nigeria on September 6, today.ng informs. As such, the Leone Stars have not been playing their worldwide matches outside the country – for example, they played their 2014 World Cup Qualifier in Abidjan.

The Teslim Balogun stadium, which was used during the 2009 Under-17 World Cup, will host the game.

“And we have taken the request to the ministry of health who approved that the Leone Stars can play in Nigeria”.

NFF President Amaju Pinnick said yesterday that on receiving the request from the Sierra Leone Football Association, which is the host association for the match, the NFF approached the Federal Ministry of Health for a go-ahead.

SLFA President Madam Isha Johansen who joined them later, expressed her honest appreciation to the Ghanaian FA and the Government of Ghana for their support towards the development of Sierra Leone Football.

“We are happy about the go-ahead because, once more, our country has an opportunity to underscore its leadership role on the African continent, nay global sphere.”

Mohammed added that the NFF have offered them Lagos or Port Harcourt to use as a match venue.

Sierra Leone sit at the base of Group I after losing their first game 1-0 to Sudan courtesy of Ramadan Alagab’s strike in the 77thh minute at the Khartoum Stadium, Khartoum on June 14.