Rev. G. Kargbo: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 5 September 2019:
The national football team of Sierra Leone, Leone Stars, have lost the first leg of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers preliminaries to the Lone Star of Liberia by three goals to one (3 – 1), after a 95-minute encounter at the Samuel K. Doe Sport Complex in Paynesville, outside Monrovia, Liberia yesterday Wednesday, September 4.
It was a star-studded affair as both sides fielded big names from across the globe. The visiting team from Sierra Leone conceding the first and second goals through penalty kicks. The first goal was described as very controversial and coming in the first half of play; and the second scored in the second half of play.
Terrence Tisdell, who plays professional football in South Africa, and Mohammed Sangare, who plays professional football in England, of Lone Star converted their kicks from the penalty spots in the 18th and 82nd minutes of play, respectively.
The second and third goals scored by the Liberian side came in the last ten minutes of play after the visiting team had reduced the deficit in the second half during the 56th minute of play with Kwame Quee, who plays professional football in Iceland, scoring the only goal for Leone Stars.
However, the third goal for the Liberian side came from Sam Johnson, who plays professional football in the USA, in the 89th minute after what appeared to be a defensive blunder and lack of proper coordination between the central defender and the goalkeeper of Leone Stars.
Commenting on the outcome of the match, many Sierra Leoneans, who watched what came to be known as the Mano River Union Derby through SLBC TV and other local channels, blamed the country’s defeat on poor refereeing and terrible defending on the part of Leone Stars.
The Leone Stars’ technical side is called upon to fix the problem before the return leg at the Siaka Stevens National Stadium in Freetown on Sunday, September 8, 2019.
Others commentators said it was the better side that won, whilst also expressing patriotic optimism that Leone Stars could win on their home tuft to return the compliment, as they play host to the Liberian side whose first leg victory was watched by their President – George O. M. Weah, one time Player of the Year Award Winning Footballer.
Bilal Coleman – I have promised a lot of people that I will not get suspended again on this forum – the stakes are just too high for me to let that happen. Ever seen a monstrous Lion devouring a prey,eating its entrails hungrily, while its still alive? Against the opposition I could be far worse than that. Trust me, had I not given my word to Mr Thomas that I will tone down my comments, I would have chewed you roughly and swallowed you hastily like a Young fearsome, mean-looking Orangutan who has not eaten in days. For your own sake – this conversation is over. Rising Sun Will Rise Again!
Mr Conteh and Mr Coleman – come on guys, lets move please. Thank you.
Armchair critics – strategising on paper (lmao). Men who never once kicked around an empty Pepsi can or a deflated ball in their lives, talking about – tactical changes, offensive onslaughts and defensive mindsets. Hilarious! Its easy to see that misconceptions, confusions and delusions are all lawfully married to the SLPP like a weird polygamous husband and his many quarrelling wives.
Funny is it not, how they arrogantly think all things are easy, doable and feasible until they are rudely awakened by reality, then their stuttering, floundering and ineptitude begins. Second guessing our coach is of no consequence whatsoever. Why not try and do the honorable thing, the sensible thing, by becoming a Patriotic adviser to your Finance Minister whose financial nooses are choking, lynching and strangling the poor, innocent masses of Sierra Leone.
Football is just a pastime, a sport designed to entertain – today you may win, tomorrow you can lose. The outcome is never guaranteed. That is the reason why its not that important! Things change, situations become transformed,and people never remain the same. Only love, empathy and peace are the values worth pursuing and dying for. So Quit flushing your money down the drain, watching a time wasting, profitless game – support the blind, deaf, mentally ill and disabled generously instead….Rising Sun will Rise Again.
Saidu Conteh,
You are lucky that this forum has restrictions relative to what should be written. I would have taken you to the cleaners like nobody’s business. If you have personal issues, is a public forum the right place to vent your frustrations?
Do you know me to determine that I have never played soccer in my life? Also, who are you to determine the contours of debate on a public forum? This is the same display of rudeness that got you suspended the last time. But I will let you go to preserve the decency of the forum.
Notwithstanding poor referring which contributed to the defeat of Leone Stars, I blame Leone Stars coach, Silas Tetteh, for our defeat. After the Kwame Quee Leone Stars equalizer in the 56th minute, coach Tetteh failed to make a tactical change thinking that his boys would win the game. Big mistake.
With the game tied at 1-1, the series favored Sierra Leone. The coach should have made a tactical change from an offensive onslaught on Liberia to a defensive mindset in order to protect that scoreline. Returning to Freetown with a 1-1 tie would have put Leone Stars in the driver’s seat due to the FIFA away goal rule, which counts one goal as two.
Now, for Leone Stars to advance, they need to score at least two in Freetown and prevent the Liberians from scoring. Is it doable? Definitely it is. But the task has become more difficult.