Sierra Leone U-20 head coach Mohamed Lamin Kamara says the Shooting Stars will approach the 2026 WAFU A U-20 Championship in Mali with greater belief and experience as they target another Africa U-20 Cup of Nations qualification.

The Shooting Stars have been drawn in a demanding Group B alongside defending champions Senegal, Mauritania and Guinea-Bissau, with the tournament serving as the qualifying route to the 2027 U-20 AFCON.

Kamara’s side enters the competition after a breakthrough 2025 campaign that saw Sierra Leone win the WAFU A U-20 Championship in Liberia before making their continental debut in Egypt. The Shooting Stars reached the quarter-finals of the last U-20 AFCON, where they suffered a narrow 1-0 extra-time defeat to Morocco.

According to the Shooting Stars coach, last AFCON experience has changed the team’s outlook ahead of their return to the regional stage. “We’re no strangers anymore.

The experiences we acquired from the 2025 AFCON campaign could prove crucial in our quest to go through another highly competitive WAFU tournament,” Kamara said. The skilful, disciplined, and results-oriented Kamara knows the challenge will be significant, particularly with Senegal in the same group.

Despite Senegal as the reigning WAFU A’ champions defeated Sierra Leone in the previous final and remain one of the region’s leading youth sides, coach Kamara believes his players are better prepared for the challenge and determined to secure another continental appearance.

“We’ll be journeying to Mali with fresh experiences, determination and the belief that our breakthrough in Egypt can be the foundation for something greater,” he said. 

Meanwhile, the Shooting Stars will be seeking to turn their historic Egyptian breakthrough into sustained progress, beginning with a difficult group campaign in Mali as they begin their hunt for a spot in next year’s U-20 AFCON final to mark a historic back-to-back appearance at the prestigious youth tournament.