SIERRA LEONE PREMIER LEAGUE CLUBS SET FOR CAF CONTINENTAL TEST*
By Kemoh Sesay
Sierra Leone Premier League clubs East End Lions Football Club and Star Sports Academy Football Club will take centre stage this weekend as they represent Sierra Leone in the CAF Inter-Club Competitions.
East End Lions will participate in the CAF Confederation Cup, where they are set to face Amadou Diallo FC of Côte d’Ivoire in Abidjan in the first leg of their preliminary-round encounter.
Meanwhile, Star Sports Academy will make its CAF Champions League appearance when they host Gambian side Medina Football Club at the Bo City Southern Arena.
Both clubs come into the continental competitions following impressive campaigns in the just-concluded Sierra Leone Premier League, with East End Lions finishing fourth (4th) while Star Sports Academy secured second (2nd) place in the league standings.
The two clubs have been engaged in intensive preparations over the past few months, with their respective executives providing motivation and support as they seek to make a strong impact on the continental stage.
The Sierra Leone Premier League Board has also issued a statement calling on football fans across the country to rally behind both clubs ahead of their crucial CAF fixtures.
There is growing optimism among football supporters that East End Lions and Star Sports Academy can finally break Sierra Leone’s long-standing struggle to reach the CAF group stages.
Sierra Leonean football fans will be hoping for a historic continental campaign, as Mighty Blackpool FC remains the only Sierra Leonean club to have reached the quarter-finals of a CAF continental competition.
All eyes will therefore be on East End Lions and Star Sports Academy this weekend as they carry the hopes of Sierra Leone onto the continental stage.