Simbo to miss Leone Stars-CMR match

Central defender David Simbo will not be featuring for Leone Stars against at home to Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions in a 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier next month because he’ll not be eligible to play.

The former Mighty Blackpool defender who plays his club football in Sudan for Al-Hilal played for Leone Stars in a 2-0 defeat to Democratic Republic of Congo last Wednesday and was booked to pick up his second yellow card of the AFCON qualifiers.

His first was against Les Elephants of Ivory Coast in Abidjan on 6th September. The competition rules state that a player with two yellow cards will be suspended for the following match after the match he receives his second booking.

Simbo is a starting player in the Leone Stars team and Coach Jonathan Mckinstry says a replacement for him will be found.

“No doubt that Simbo is a good player and he has played well in previous matches. We’ll miss him but a replacement for him against Cameroon will be found,” said Leone Stars coach Mckinstry.

He added: “I don’t think we’ll have a problem in the central defence because Skipper Umaru Bangura will be fit for the match and Aldul Rahman Bangura can play well as central defender.

Simbo will train and be around the team for the home match and will play in the return leg in Cameroon.”

The venue for the match is yet to be identified by the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) as the African football governing body, CAF will review the Ebola disease situation in Sierra Leone in a few days’ time to determine whether or not the game will take place in Freetown.