"S. Leone can make it to 2012 AFCON"

  1. Posted on Wednesday 8 September 2010 - 10:53
    Gbentil
    Image of Gbentil
    Glorea Bentil, AfricaNews reporter in Accra, Ghana
    Sierra Leone international and IK Oddevold striker Ibrahim Tahini believes his team would break their 14-year absence from the African Cup of Nations and make it to the 2012 edition in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. The West Africans last made it to the Nations Cup in 1996 but failed to go beyond the first round.
    Ibrahim Tahini of Sierra Leone
    The hits man was impressed with his side holding African champions Egypt in a one all game at the start of their Nations Cup campaign over the weekend.

    “I believe Sierra Leone can qualify. Nothing is impossible,” he told Goal.com.

    “We have been there before and why can’t we qualify now again? If we continue to play like that taking points away and then winning our home matches then we stand a great chance to live the dream by qualifying for the 2012 Nations Cup.”

    The Sweden-based player admitted he foresaw a tough game for his side when the west Africans were paired with the north Africans in the same group, but the outcome has surprised him. The reigning African champions, he noted, might have underestimated Sierra Leone.

    “When I got the information that we were paired with Egypt, it was like wow! What a tough game it will be from the African Champions. They are a perfect champions who play extremely good football. They dominate African football all the time in both country and clubs. So it’s always a tough draw to meet Egypt but I could not have dreamed about Sierra Leone holding them to a draw. It would have been out of my head.

    “Well it was a big surprise for me anyway and even the rest of Africa wouldn’t have expected it. Egypt might have underrated the Sierra Leone team and when you do that it’s not good for any top team. I couldn’t see the match but I followed it on the internet.”

    The Oddevold goal poacher said it shows how the Leone Stars are improving but they should not be complacent.

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