Sierra Leone Confidence Boost as captain passed fit for Nigeria clash
Umaru Bangura has been passed fit for Sierra Leone’s crucial Africa Cup of Nations qualifier with Nigeria on Friday.
The FC Zurich defender, who was cleared of Covid-19 recently, was not part of John Keister’s initial squad to face the Super Eagles owing to fitness worries.
However, he will now travel with the rest of the Leone Stars when they fly out to Benin City as they hope to revive their Cameroon 2022 hopes with a victory against the three-time African champions after a stumbling start.
His presence is expected to boost his country’s chances of upsetting Gernot Rohr’s men, who lead Group L after garnering six points from wins against Benin Republic and Lesotho.
With this development, Ishmael Koroma, who represents newly promoted Swedish Superettan side Vasalund IF, will have to make way for the return of the country’s captain.
Bangura rescinded his retirement plans from international football in September 2019 after angry fans vandalised his house in Freetown owing to his penalty miss against Liberia in a 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifying clash.
His 95th-minute penalty was saved by 18-year-old Ashley Williams – as his country crumbled 3-2 on aggregate in the race to qualify for 2022 Fifa World Cup Qatar.
“I have decided to continue playing for my country after I spoke to my family, the Sierra Leone FA and government officials as well as other key stakeholders in football,” he told BBC Sport.
“I love my country, I have put everything behind me now and my focus now is to qualify Leone Stars to the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.”
The defender, who joined his Zurich-based outfit from Dinamo Minsk in 2016, featured in 14 Super League games in the 2019-20 season as Ancillo Canepa’s men finished seventh in the log.
This season, he is yet to play a single game for the Letzigrund giants who occupy the fourth position after accruing 10 points from six games.
Meanwhile, SN Polten midfielder George Davies will be unavailable for the first match owing to an injury suffered when in action for his Austrian side.
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