Leone Stars 34-man Delegation arrives in Praia, Cape Verde
A 34-man contingent headed by the Acting Director of Sports, Alphan Coker, which left the shores of Sierra Leone on Wednesday morning landed in Praia later in the evening after transiting for about five hours at the Leopold Airport in Dakar to honour the 5th fixture in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. (Photo: Leone Stars disembarking in Dakar)
The squad comprises of 21 players and 13 officials; three from the SLFA, one from Sports Ministry and Parliamentary Sports Committee each, four Technical Staff, a Doctor, a Medico, a Coordinator and a Physiotherapist.
The squad left Freetown without three key players; Sheriff Suma (suspended), Kei Ansu Kamara (to undergo hernia operation) and Ibrahim Tetteh Bangura (injured) and goalkeeper Ibrahim Tarawallie (Banjul) was dropped at the last minute for his below average performance in last weekend encounter while two of the three England Based players who are yet to be confirmed by FIFA made the trip and the Acting Secretary General, Abdulraman Swarray is optimistic things will be sorted out before the match on Saturday.
“We’ve done all we can as an Association and a country while our English counterpart have done the same. All documentations are with FIFA and its left with them to give us the green light to make them available for use by the Technical Team. I’m sure things will be sorted out in due time for this all important encounter on Saturday,” Mr Swarray says on landing at the Airport in Cape Verde.
The Head of delegation, who is also the Acting Director of Sports, Alphan Coker says things are at the moment going on smoothly and assured Sierra Leoneans that structures are in place to maintain the players together, keep them focused and give them what is due them according to an agreement between the Ministry/SLFA and the players.
“We’ve agreed that appearance fee per player is One thousand five hundred dollars while match bonuses are Two thousand dollars for a win and a thousand dollars for a draw. The appearance fee has been paid to all of them in full while we are waiting the result of the match on Saturday to act appropriately with regards to bonuses,” Mr Coker says.
Team Captain, Ibrahim Obreh Kargbo says they have always been doing their best despite mistakes that usually cost them their qualification but notes that they will do their best to win both remaining matches and see what happens when Tunisia meets Equatorial Guinea and Cape Verde respectively.
Leone Stars 34 delegation to Cape Verde
Officials
Alphan Coker- Acting Director of Sports & Head of the Delegation Hon. Martin Bangura- Chairman Parliamentary Committee for Sports Milton Boyle- Member of SLFA Normalisation Committee Abdul Rahman Swarray- SLFA General Secretary Sorie Ibrahim Sesay-SLFA Media officer James Fofana-Team Coordinator Jonathan McKinstry- Head Coach John Keister-Assistant Coach Tom Harris-Assistant Coach Tamba Moses-Goal Keeper Coach John Ansumana- Team Doctor Darren McKinstry-Medico Philip Kore- MasseurPlayers:
Goal Keepers: Habib Sesay (Ports Authority FC), Solomon Zombo Morris (FC Rouen, France), John Trye (Northern Virginia, USA) Defenders: Mustapha Dumbuya (Crawley Town, England), Umaru `Zeingalay` Bangura (Haugesund), Samuel Bangura (Chelsea, England), David Simbo (Sandviken, Sweden), Gibril ‘Barel’ Sankoh (Henan Jianye, China), Ibrahim ‘Marcel’ Koroma (Varbergs BoIS, Sweden) Midfielders: John Kamara (Apollon Smirnis, Greece), Mohamed Medo Kamara (Bolton Wanderers, England), Alfred Sankoh (Sanliurfaspor, Turkey), Samuel Barlay (Raevan, Azerbaijan), Abdulai Bel-Baggie (Tranmere Rovers, England), Ibrahim ‘Obrey’ Kargbo (FK Baku, Azerbaijan), Alhassan ‘Crespo’ Kamara (Örebro SK, Sweden), George `Kweku` Davis (Right To Dream Academy in Ghana), Khalifa Jabbie (Fredrikstad, Norway) Strikers: Mohamed ‘Poborsky’ Bangura (Elfsborg, Sweden), Sulaiman Fullah Sesay (Etar 1924, Bulgaria), Mustapha ‘Hadji’ Bangura (AEK Larnaca)By Abubakarr Kamara (CREDIT SWASAL & MERCURY INTERNATIONAL-SL)
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