John Keister, the manager of Leone Stars of Sierra Leone, has said that the team is ready to give it back to Super Eagles when both sides clash on June 18 in Freetown.
Consequently, Keister on Monday, announced the provisional list of 38 players that will prosecute the game.
The list consists of 12 foreign-based players and 26 local-based players and they are expected to resume camping with immediate effect.
Sierra Leone is currently placed third in the group and must get a win against Super Eagles to have a realistic chance of reaching the 2023 AFCON slated to hold in Ivory Coast in 2024.
The Leone Stars will host the three-time African champions at Sam Kanyon stadium in Moronvia the capital of Liberia after their home group Southern Arena failed to get CAF approval.
Speaking to a local media, the coach said they were ready to resuscitate their 2023 AFCON dream and that there was no better time to do that than when they host the Super Eagles.
“The qualification is within our hand and we are sure going to make sure we get decent result from this game (against Nigeria).
“This is going to be a tough task because Nigeria is a strong football country but we are not deterred because matches are decided on the field and nothing else.
“I am sure with the hunger in these players we are going to do well and rekindle the qualification,” he said.
Sierra Leone will be eager to break a long-standing winless streak against Nigeria, having not defeated the three-time Afcon kings since their narrow 1-0 triumph in a World Cup qualifier back in 2001.
Since then, the Super Eagles have dominated the fixtures between them, winning four out of the six encounters and drawing the remaining two.
The Leone Stars will be determined to turn the tide in their favour and potentially boost their chances of advancing to the AFCON finals.
Ahead of the encounter, Super Eagles head coach Jose Peseiro will reportedly look to inject fresh talents into the national team squad by extending maiden invitations to a few promising players.
KAA Gent striker Gift Orban is one such player who could earn his debut call-up for the Super Eagles. Another newcomer who may grace the Nigerian squad is Union Saint-Gilloise’s Victor Boniface.
Regulars like Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, Salernitana’s William Troost-Ekong, and Everton’s Alex Iwobi are expected to feature prominently on the squad roster.
The upcoming game will be played on the artificial pitch of the Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium in Monrovia.
