Sierra Leone set to open their U20 WAFU Zone A U-20 male tournament against Mauritania today in Bamako. This match is their first game in the tournament and is a qualifier for the next CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027 in Ghana.

A win for Shooting Stars means they will secure a spot in the quarter-finals, even without playing their final group game against defending champions Senegal.

This is because Mauritania, who are finishing their group matches, lost their first game 2-1 to Senegal. The group only has three teams because Guinea-Bissau withdrew on the tournament’s start day.

Shooting Stars were runners-up last time in Monrovia and qualified for their first-ever U-20 AFCON, but they exited in the quarter-finals.