Sierra Leone host Djibouti on Wednesday in a World Cup qualifying match at Ben M'Hamed El Abdi Stadium
The Leone Stars and their opponents are winless after two games, further highlighting the difficulty they face in ending atop a group that includes Egypt, Burkina Faso and Guinea-Bissau.
Match preview
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Sierra Leone return to World Cup qualifying keen to record maximum points at the third time of asking after picking one point from an available six in Group A.
Amidu Karim's men played out a draw against Ethiopia in November and could not thwart a Trezeguet-inspired Egypt in their following game a few days later.
Those fixtures took place a month after Karim replaced John Keister in the Leone Stars dugout, and the new boss seeks his first triumph since assuming the role in October last year.
However, the new boss must guide Sierra Leone to their first competitive win in over a year since a 2-0 AFCON qualifying win over Sao Tome & Principe in March 2023 to record success.
While qualification from the group is a long shot for a side never to make a World Cup finals, every win the Leone Stars have secured in qualifying has been on their turf, and they hope to record a 10th triumph on Wednesday, even if the match will be played in Morocco.
As for Djibouti, the precedent does little to favour the Shoremen of the Red Sea heading into their third match in qualifying.
Two defeats from two leave Abdourahman Okieh's men bottom of Group A and facing a battle to claim points on offer, underlined by losing 6-0 to group favourites Egypt and falling to a 1-0 loss to Guinea-Bissau.
For a nation with just two wins in World Cup qualifying — the first against Somalia in 2007 and another against Eswatini in 2019 — Riverains de la Mer Rouge are not anticipated to secure a positive result.
Since picking four points from six in a doubleheader with Eswatini, eight consecutive defeats underline the height of Djibouti's task heading into Wednesday.
Avoiding defeat will be seen as a positive outcome, but whether that is possible is anyone's guess.
Team News
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Former West Bromwich, Aston Villa and Hull City defender Curtis Davies could make his competitive debut for Sierra Leone at 39, months after featuring in an unrecognised friendly against Somalia in October 2023.
Rodney Michael, involved in goals against Morocco and Ivory Coast in January, should play from the off for the Leone Stars on Wednesday.
Despite scoring five times in 11 appearances for Indy Eleven, Augustine Williams was not included in Karim's squad to face Djibouti and Burkina Faso. Abdul Kabia will serve a one-match ban after his sending-off against Egypt, while Tyrese Fornah has been excluded after his straight red card for violent conduct against the Pharaohs in November.
Abdi Idleh Hamza was one of the goalscorers in Djibouti's last World Cup qualifying win over Eswatini in 2019, and the 32-year-old should feature against the Leone Stars.
While Gabriel Dadzie's three goals in last season's CAF Confederation Cup qualifying rounds could not carry AS Arta into the group stage, the striker hopes to help his nation end a long wait for a win in a World Cup qualification match.
Sierra Leone possible starting lineup:
Kamara; Kakay, Caulker, Davies, Samadiya; Kargbo, Alusine Koroma, Alhassan Koroma, Kaikai; Bakayoko, Kanu
Djibouti possible starting lineup:
Luyima; Farada, Siad, Hamadou, Aden; Elabeh, Hamza, Ahmed; Dadzie, Akinbinu, Zakaria
We say: Sierra Leone 1-0 Djibouti
Despite Wednesday's fixture being held at a neutral venue (Morocco), Sierra Leone simply have far too many more match-winners than Djibouti, even if most of them do not play in Europe's major leagues, giving the Leone Stars the edge in the round three encounter.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
