By S. Siapha Mulbah
The Liberia Lone Star under-20 team is again set to face her neighboring counterpart at match day three in the ongoing regional international friendlies taking place in Monrovia.
Liberia Under-20 and the Sierra Leone Under-20 national teams have, in less than one week, gone to two draws against each other at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex in Paynesville city.
On Match Day One, February 18, 2024, the teams played at a goalless draw after 90 minutes played at the match venue, with both teams’ confidence and accuracy level settling at an equal scale. From the start of the opening match up till the halftime break, the home side fought courageously to have a goal secured but could not actualize their strategies on the pitch.
The visitors, with more energy in the second half, seized a space to dominate raising their own bars on a scope to get into victorious waves as vengeance for their Under-17 team that lost all four fixtures of the Mano River Union Peace Cup to Liberia last January.
Both the visitors and the home side did not achieve a goal from the first meeting and the technicians became mandated to join their different backroom departments preparing for the second meeting that took place the following Tuesday, February 20, 2024 at the same venue.
Again, the result after the final whistle of the second match did not favor any side. Sierra Leone Under-20 scored a first half goal that that was not sufficient to give them victory. Emmanuel King Sieh got the Junior Lone Star’s equalizer later in the second half to snatch a draw.
Today, coach Kelvin Segbwe and his boys will stand before the Sierra Leoneans in the third encounter, with the last match on hand. A win for any of the two countries will put them at an advantage of winning the tournament that will be ending next Sunday.
The winless spree of the national youth team of the Lone Star after nearly six matches since 2022 is now a major concern of the former Liberian midfielder, who has taken charge of the team as coach, and clinching victory over the neighbors is a feat that cannot be over emphasized.
