Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. Sierra Leone’s U-20 side, the Shooting Stars, began their historic debut at the Total Energies U-20 Africa Cup of Nations 2025 with a bold mission to reach the semi-finals and secure a first-ever ticket to the U-20 World Cup in Chile.2
Drawn into a tough Group A with Egypt, Zambia, South Africa, and Tanzania, Sierra Leone’s U-20 team, the Shooting Stars, entered the AFCON as underdogs but made an immediate impact with a stunning 4-1 win over hosts Egypt, highlighted by a hat-trick from captain Momoh Kamara.
They followed that with a 1-0 win over Tanzania, becoming the first team to qualify from the group. Kamara and Nathaniel Jalloh were named in CAF’s Group Stage Best XI, with Kamara also winning Best Player of the Group after scoring four goals and earning two Man of the Match awards.
Level on points with South Africa but second on head-to-head, Sierra Leone faced Group B leaders Morocco in the quarterfinals. Despite going down to 10 men after Juma Bah’s red card in stoppage time, they held firm into extra time, only to concede a heartbreaking own goal in the 117th minute, ending their remarkable run.
Head Coach Mohamed Lamin Kamara praised his team’s courage and resilience, encouraging them to regroup, rebuild, and come back even stronger. His message was clear: the next goal is back-to-back AFCON qualifications, and ultimately, a breakthrough to the world stage.
The journey continues with the upcoming WAFU Zone A & B U-20 Boys Cup, scheduled for 15th–30th June 2025 in Ghana, the qualifying path to the next U-20 AFCON.
The Shooting Stars returned to Freetown on the evening of Thursday, 15th May, welcomed with pride and admiration. Though disappointed, they remain more determined than ever, their focus still firmly set on achieving that long-cherished World Cup dream.
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