“Not going to go there and lie down”- Keister warns Leon Stars ahead of Nigeria AFCON Q clash

Sierra Leone will tackle the Super Eagles of Nigeria on June 18, in the match-day five encounter of the AFCON qualifiers

Sierra Leone’s head coach, John Keister, issued an extreme caution to his players ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier match against Nigeria, Soccernet.ng reports.

According to the former Shrewsbury Town star, his players should approach the game with a serious attitude.

The Super Eagles squad narrowly secured a 1-nil victory against Guinea-Bissau in the second leg of their doubleheader clash. Which put them first in Group A of the AFCON qualifiers, two points ahead of Djurtus and four points ahead of Leon Stars.

Meanwhile, in their first qualification encounter in June 2022 in Abuja, the Super Eagles rallied from behind to defeat Sierra Leone 2-1.

However, addressing the media, Keister acknowledged how dangerous the Nigerian side would be, citing their professionalism in playing in European football, but he has issued a message to his players.

“We are going to go there to compete. We are not going to go there and lie down. And these are times I don’t really need to let the players understand the significance of these matches. I think the players themselves should understand that. They should relish the challenge coming up against Nigerian players who are doing well overseas.” he said.

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The Leoneans are third in the group rankings, and a win against Nigeria would still ensure their place in the AFCON 2023 competition, which will be held in Cote d’Ivoire.