Sierra Leone name merged squad
Sierra Leone have named a final squad of 17 foreign-based for their 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at home to Niger on 4 June. (Photo: Lars Olof Mattsson (r) and Christian Cole have named their final squad )
The list replaces the two separate squads named last week by the Swede Lars Olof Mattsson and Christian Cole.
Mattsson had the backing of the country’s sport’s ministry while the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) wanted Cole as coach.
The two bodies have agreed on Mattsson as coach with Cole assisting him.
Before the agreement was reached about the coach the SLFA had threatened to withdraw the Leone Stars from Nations Cup qualifying.
The two original lists have now been looked at by the SLFA and a harmonised list of 17 players has been announced.
Of the final squad 10 of the players were named by both coaches in their original selections.
One player who was on both lists but has been ruled out is Cyprus-based Mustapha Bangura after he was injured in a car crash on Tuesday.
The 21-year-old was due to have surgery on Thursday but that has been postponed until Monday.
His club Apollon Limassol had wanted Bangura to fly Cyprus for the surgery but he has failed to secure the necessary medical documents to make the trip.
“It is not that I don’t have confidence in the doctors at the hospital where I’m admitted in Sierra Leone but I thought I would have had a better treatment abroad,” he said.
“I needed some medical papers to fly out but I was unable to get them. I must have to do the surgery now in Sierra Leone because I’m in pains. I hope I’ll be fine to play football again after the surgery.”
The Leone Stars are currently third in Group G, five points behind leaders South Africa.
Final Squad:
Goalkeepers: Christian Caulker (Vasteras SK, Sweden), Patrick Bantamoi (SC Telstar, Holland)
Defenders: Ibrahim Kargbo (FK Baku, Azerbaijan), Ibrahim Koroma (Trelleborg FF, Sweden), Umaru Bangura (FK Haguesund, Norway), Sheriff Suma (Jonkoping Sodra, Sweden)
Midfielders: Rodney Strasser (AC Milan, Italy), Mohamed Kamara (Partizan Belgrade, Serbia), Samuel Barlay (FK Mugan, Azerbaijan), Gibrilla Woobay (Khazar Lankaran, Azerbaijan), Khalifa Jabbie (Fredrikstad FK, Norway), David Simbo (Motala AIF FK, Sweden), Alfred Sankoh (Stromsgodset IF, Norway)
Forwards: Mohamed Bangura (AIK Solna, Sweden), Ibrahim Bangura (AIK Solna, Sweden), Kei Kamara (Sporting Kansas City, USA), Sam Obi Metzger Jr (FC Haka, Finland)
By Mohamed Fajah Barrie, BBC Sport, Freetown
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