Sierra Leone will face the Squirrels of Benin for their crucial Group L clash today, Monday, June 14th at Lansana Conte Stadium in Nongo, Guinea.

The two teams will be battling for the last spot in the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon 2021, to join 23 already qualified teams for the next year’s tournament in Cameroon.

The Group L fixture, initially billed for Tuesday, March 30, at the National Stadium, Freetown did not take place owing to a Covid-19 controversy.

A 1-0 win will be enough for Sierra Leone to qualify. But should Benin – who just need a draw to book their flight to Cameroon – score, Sierra Leone will need a two-goal margin win at least to qualify and end their 26-year AFCON hiatus.

Sierra Leone coach John Keister admitteed that “there is no pressure. Our ultimate goal is to qualify for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, and there is no discomfort within our squad.

“This squad is a blend of both young and experienced players, I’ve rationally selected 11 local and 15 foreign-based players. Thankfully despite the numerous challenges, we succeeded to arrange a camp and let our players train together in Freetown since last Monday,” he underlined.

“What I need now is support from our fans at home and abroad. Already there is huge willingness among the players and the whole nation wants us to qualify. So I’m on to guide the team to get the best result against Benin and proceed to Cameroon next year.”

Soka25east.com