Leone Stars

Leone Stars
Name	Leone Stars
Association	Sierra Leone Football Association
Confederation	Confederation of African Football (Africa)
Coach	Amidu Karim
Captain	Steven Caulker
Most caps	Umaru Bangura (62)
Top scorer	Mohamed Kallon (10)
Home Stadium	Siaka Stevens Stadium
FIFA Trigramme	SLE
FIFA Rank	117
FIFA max	50
FIFA max date	August 2014
FIFA min	172
FIFA min date	September 2007
Elo Rank	120
Pattern la	_sle22h
Pattern b	_sle22h
Pattern ra	_sle22h
Pattern sh	_sle22h
Pattern so	_sle22h
Leftarm	006400
Body	006400
Rightarm	006400
Shorts	006400
Socks	006400
First game	Sierra Leone 0–2 Nigeria, (Freetown; 10 October 1949)
Largest win	Sierra Leone 5–0 Niger, (Freetown; 6 October 1990)
Largest loss	Mali 6–0 Sierra Leone, (Bamako; 17 June 2007)

Leone Stars. The national football team of Sierra Leone, they are governed by the Sierra Leone Football Association and are members of both the Confederation of African Football and FIFA. The team, whose name references the lion on the national coat of arms, has experienced periods of promise and challenge, often competing in Africa Cup of Nations qualification and World Cup qualifying campaigns. Their home matches are primarily played at the Siaka Stevens Stadium in the capital, Freetown.

History

The team's early history is marked by its first official international, a 1949 match against the Nigeria national football team. A significant period of growth occurred in the 1990s under coaches like Rene Feller and José Antonio; this era saw the emergence of star players like Mohamed Kallon and a memorable run in 1994 World Cup qualification, where they narrowly missed out on a final round place after a controversial match against Ivory Coast. The team qualified for its first and only Africa Cup of Nations finals in 1996, though they withdrew from the tournament due to political instability. Subsequent decades have been defined by near-misses in qualification, most notably for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, alongside challenges such as FIFA suspensions and the impact of the Ebola virus epidemic in Sierra Leone.

Team image

The team's traditional colours are green, white, and blue, reflecting the Flag of Sierra Leone. Their home kit typically features green shirts, white shorts, and green socks. The crest prominently features a lion's head, symbolizing the nation's name and the team's moniker. Historically, kits have been supplied by manufacturers like Adidas and Puma. Notable sponsorship deals have included partnerships with Orange S.A. and QNet. The team enjoys a passionate fan base, with supporters' groups like the Salone Jamboree creating a vibrant atmosphere, particularly during home matches at the National Stadium.

Results and fixtures

Recent campaigns have included matches in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification and the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF first round. In the 2023 qualifiers, they faced groups containing opponents like Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau, and São Tomé and Príncipe. Memorable recent results include a 0-0 draw against the Algeria national football team during 2022 World Cup qualification and a 2-2 draw against Ivory Coast in the same campaign. Upcoming fixtures are part of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification and continuing World Cup qualifiers, with matches scheduled against teams like the Egypt national football team and Burkina Faso national football team.

Players

The current squad draws from a mix of domestic-based players from the Sierra Leone National Premier League and a large diaspora contingent from clubs across Europe, Asia, and other parts of Africa. Recent captains have included defender Steven Caulker, who previously played for Tottenham Hotspur and the England national under-21 football team, and midfielder John Kamara. The nation's all-time appearance leader is defender Umaru Bangura, formerly of FC Zürich. The all-time top scorer is striker Mohamed Kallon, who had a notable club career with Inter Milan and AS Monaco. Other historically significant players include Keziah Kamara, Alhassan Bangura, and Julius Gibrilla Woobay.

Management and coaching staff

The team is under the technical direction of head coach Amidu Karim, appointed by the Sierra Leone Football Association. The current technical staff includes assistant coaches like Ibrahim Sesay and fitness trainer Abu Bakarr Kamara. The team manager is Mohamed Bangura. Historically, the side has been led by several notable managers, including Swedish coach Lars-Olof Mattsson, John Sherington, and Milan Živadinović. The squad's selection and development are supported by a national team committee within the SLFA, which works in conjunction with scouts monitoring players in leagues such as the English Football League and the Belgian First Division A.

Honours

While the Leone Stars have not yet won a major continental trophy, their primary achievement remains qualification for the 1996 African Cup of Nations finals. Their best performance in a regional tournament was finishing as runners-up in the 1980 CEDEAO Cup. The team has also won several friendly tournaments, such as the Mano River Union Cup. At the individual level, players like Mohamed Kallon have received accolades such as the Sierra Leone Footballer of the Year award, and several players have been included in CAF Team of the Year nominations during their careers.

Category:African national association football teams Category:Sierra Leone football Category:National sports teams of Sierra Leone