We have the players, but something is just not right – Bittar worries for Leone Stars
Sierra Leone national side Leone Stars are hosting Tunisia at the Freetown National Stadium in the Group B World Cup qualifier return leg. Unarguably this is a must win game, any other result will slim Leone Stars chances.
Sierra Express Media Sport soccer pundit Alie Bittar surveyed the stage of the present set of players and Sierra Leone’s hopes of making Rio 2014, however, he wonder if the dream to participate in our maiden World Cup will ever happen and even whether this Sierra Leone football authority will ever lead the Green, White, and Blue to any major continental competition.
The stage is set, the players are arriving, but Leone Stars as always, lack preparation in terms of friendlies due to lack of funds, which is a key detriment to our game. We have the players, the press is divided, and the authority running the game is much more divided than the press.
Sierra Leone is five points behind their visitors and can be vulnerable playing at home, four points from three matches not too bad but a defeat will leave Leone Stars seven points adrift from their North Africans counterpart, even a draw will not be in Leone Stars favour. So victory at home is all the matters.
‘I don’t think it is only me, but many soccer pundits if neutral will say the same, it does worry me,’ Bittar said ahead of the Tunisia crunch encounter.
‘I’m not sure about the manager, until proven credible to manage Sierra Leone national team, it does feel sad. It’s going to be very difficult if we cannot take all three points against a tough side like Tunisia.
‘In the last few years Sierra Leone has produced a decent talent of players, but because of the way the game is run, it is still tough for us to actually feel we have what it takes to compete against the likes of Nigeria, Ghana, and Tunisia to name a few – there’s still work to do.’
‘This is an acid test for the new Irish man McKinstry because it is always hard with the same problem to manage Leone Stars without any interference from certain authorities, despite promises that he and his backroom staff will be given a free hand in selecting players, but who knows what goes on behind the scenes,’ Bittar added.
‘I’m a bit disappointed to be honest. We have not witnessed our national flag in any major continental tournament for over a decade; our last of the least was playing South Africa 96 when we defeated Burkina Faso at the Free State Stadium Bloemfontein 15th January 1996, 17years ago, as unbearable as this fact is, we ended up third in the group behind Zambia and Algeria’.
‘Our biggest win was against Niger 5-1 twice 1976 and 1995; and our worst defeat was in Bamako on Malian soil June 2007, we’re very much inconsistent with results, we need to go back to the drawing board – maybe good Johnny McKinstry will take us to become a driving force in African football, good luck Johnny. Please forget the critics and prove all us all wrong, because for me Leone Stars is my darling, if you get criticised for it don’t walk away,’ said Bittar.
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