Sierra Leone 2 - Tunisia 2

There have been many firsts in my time in Sierra Leone but I did not expect to see my first international football match here.

This country is football mad.  There is a huge following for the Premier League and I am struggling to remember who in the office supports which team so that I can make the appropriate comment on a Monday morning.  Sierra Leonean league football never seems to be mentioned but there is a strong support for the national side – The Leone Stars.

So it was great to have the opportunity to see them in action in a qualifier for the African Cup of Nations.  This is a two leg tie with the first held in Freetown last Saturday (8 Septmeber) at the National Stadium.  I decided this was also a great chance to get to know some of the guys in the office better so asked the accountants in the next office if I could go with them.  Flickinger manfully stepped up to the plate and offered to take me under his wing. Here I am settled in my seat and taking in the spectacle of the packed open stands.  There is one covered stand but the ticket price was Le 150,000 against the Le 15,000 I had paid.

The match started slowly but the crowd exploded when the Leone Stars scored - not expected at all!  As the title of this entry gives away it ended up a draw as another three goals were scored after the first one.

Here are Flickinger and I celebrating the second Salone goal.  These celebrations were short lived as less than a minute later Tunisia equalised again. Perhaps too much celebrating and taking your eyes of the ball Leone Stars!

Getting into the stadium had been an experience with my heart pounding as we snaked towards a teh gate which was protected with policemen with big sticks.  There was lots of pushing and shoving but that was nothign compared to the scrum to leave.  I found it all a bit much and had to ask Flickinger to stop as we let the masses push their way forward.  This is the perfect pickpocketing environment and I had been well warned to take as little with me as possible - so nothing in my pockets and I squeezed the life out of my purse as I made my way through the crowds.  Happily I can report that I left the stadium with everything I entered with.

A great afternoon out to be remembered for many years to come.