Sierra Leone and Benin will battle over a place in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) when they meet in their final Group L qualifier at the National Stadium in Freetown on Tuesday, kick-off at 16:00 GMT.
Benin were mere seconds away from securing qualification when they were holding Nigeria 0-0 this past Saturday evening in Porto-Novo, but the Super Eagles (who had already secured an Afcon berth prior to kick-off) struck deep in injury time through Paul Onuachu to win 1-0 and keep Sierra Leone’s hopes alive.
The Leone Stars could only draw 0-0 with hosts Lesotho in Maseru earlier the same day, a result which eliminated Likuena and left coach John Keister’s side on the verge of joining them.
However, Nigeria’s dramatic win means Sierra Leone still have hope of claiming a first Afcon appearance since way back in 1996 (and a third overall).
They are three points behind second-placed Benin and will need to win 1-0 or by two clear goals to go level on the standings and then leapfrog their opponents on head-to-head results. The Squirrels currently hold the advantage in this regard, having beaten the Leone Stars 1-0 when the teams met in Porto-Novo in November 2019.
“I trust this squad. It’s a blend of overseas based and local players, young and experienced,” said Keister. “This is no mistake owing to some of the travel laws on oversee players, but we are set to make history for our country.”
Benin coach Michel Dussuyer was left disappointed by the defeat to Nigeria, but knows that his side’s fate is still in their own hands as they seek a second successive Afcon qualification (and a fifth overall).
In head-to-head stats, Sierra Leone and Benin have met in three previous international matches dating back to 2006. The Squirrels have won all three matches, including the above-mentioned 1-0 triumph when the teams first met in Group L of these qualifiers.
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