Sierra Leone suffers disappointment with 2-1 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in AFCON qualifiers

As the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, Cote d’Ivoire 2023 Qualifiers near their conclusion, Sierra Leone ended their Group A campaign with a sense of disappointment, suffering a 2-1 defeat against Guinea Bissau at the Stade du 24 Septembre in Bissau on Monday, September 11, 2023.

Leone Stars took the lead in the 6th minute when Ahmadou Bakayoko capitalized on a well-executed team effort, igniting celebrations among the visiting fans as they went 1-0 up.

FULL-TIME | Guinea Bissau 2-1 Sierra Leone #LeoneStars #AFCONQ2023 pic.twitter.com/GLD4swwtOv

— Sierra Leone Football Association (@SLFA_sl) September 11, 2023

This early setback forced the hosts to recalibrate their game plan to regain control. Nito Gomes achieved just that in the 35th minute, equalizing before halftime, much to the relief of the home supporters who had been rattled by the early goal.

After the halftime break, the Djurtus maintained their aggressive style, consistently pressuring the visitors, resulting in a magnificent strike by Franculino Dju in the 48th minute, giving Guinea-Bissau a 2-1 lead.

Despite conceding the early second-half goal, Leone Stars remained undaunted and swiftly refocused, launching numerous attacks and build-up plays. However, they found it challenging to breach the opposing defense.

The match concluded with a favorable outcome for Guinea-Bissau, securing their second-place finish in the group, trailing behind Nigeria’s Super Eagles.