By Ibrahim Karim Bangura (Tanko)

Daniel Amokachi, one of the Nigerian greatest football legends in Africa soccer, has identified the qualities of the Sierra Leone U-20 team, Shooting Stars, in the ongoing U-20 in Egypt this year.

“Sierra Leone is a surprise to me because they are the first to qualify for the quarter-finals,” Amokachi shared.

He praised the team’s captain, Momoh Kamara, who scored three goals against Egypt on match day two.

The Nigerian also tipped Morocco as the second favourite to win the competition. He selected West African teams Nigeria, Ghana, and Senegal as competitive sides in this year’s competition.

Some Sierra Leoneans are optimistic of advancing to the semis with their head coach, Mohamed Lamin Kamara, setting his eyes on the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile later this season. He explained that the teams reaching their semis in this year’s competition will gain automatic qualification for the FIFA competition as per CAF regulations.

Sierra Leone topped Group A with 7 points, leaving Egypt, South Africa, Zambia, and Tanzania trailing.

This is the Shooting Stars’ first appearance in the competition, but their performance has changed perceptions classing them as minnows.