Sports Mole previews Wednesday’s Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying clash between Chad and Sierra Leone, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Chad and Sierra Leone will be hoping to stay in contention for a place in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations when they face off for the penultimate qualification game at the Alassane Ouattara Ebimpe Olympic Stadium on Wednesday.
The hosts are bottom of Group G with two points from four matches, two points behind the visitors who are in third place.
Match preview
After surviving an onslaught to earn a draw against the Chipolopolo of Zambia on October 11th, Chad could not replicate the feat a couple of days later, as they lost 1-0 to the same team to remain winless in the 2025 AFCON qualification series.
Les Sao have played four matches with two draws and losses each, but they are yet to find the net, which is their biggest issue despite conceding the second-lowest number of goals in the group.
The North-central Africans, who have never qualified for the World Cup finals or Africa Cup of Nations in their history, will see their dreams of achieving this year crushed if they fail to pick up a win against Sierra Leone on Wednesday.
Both sides settled for a goalless draw in the first leg back in September, but before that, they had won one each in their previous two meetings, with Chad picking up a 1-0 home win during a World Cup qualifying match in 2015.
Kevin Nicaise‘s side are five points behind second-placed Zambia with two games left to play, and the only way they will remain in contention for an AFCON ticket is if they win and Zambia fails to pick up a victory against Ivory Coast.
However, Chad have not won any of their last six matches across all competitions, losing four matches and drawing the other two, since a 2-1 win over Mauritius in March in an AFCON qualifying preliminary round game, conceding six goals and scoring none in those matches.
Meanwhile, Sierra Leone are hoping to make it to the AFCON for the first time since the 2021 edition in Cameroon, and the Leone Stars picked up an important first victory in their last game against Ivory Coast.
Amidu Karim‘s side lost 4-1 in the first leg of October’s double-header against the reigning African champions, but the Leone Stars limited Ivory Coast to one attempt on goal a couple of days later before Amadou Bakayoko scored with five minutes left on the clock to win 1-0.
Sierra Leone must now pick up a win to keep up their AFCON hopes alive or avoid defeat while hoping that the outcome of the game between Ivory Coast and Zambia is in their favour.
However, the West Africans have lost both of their away games in this qualifying series, while they also lost the last time they travelled to play against Chad.
Chad Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying form:
Chad form (all competitions):
Sierra Leone Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying form:
Sierra Leone form (all competitions):
Team News
© Imago
Chad will likely have ZESCO United’s 26-year-old striker Amine Hiver leading the line once again as they search for their first goal of the qualifying series.
Samsunspor’s Marius Mouandilmadji and Haroun Tchaouna are the two players likely to play behind the striker, while Gabin Allabatna remains between the sticks.
Los Angeles FC’s forward Kei Kamara returns to the Sierra Leone side, two years and seven months after announcing his retirement from the national team.
Another player making a return is Alhaji Kamara, a forward who scored for the Leone Stars during their last appearance at the AFCON in 2021.
Chad possible starting lineup:
Allahbatnan; Thiam, Tchouplaou, Mbangossoum; Ngouyamsa, Yeo, Allarabaye, Na’a; Mouandilmadji, Tchaouna; Hiver
Sierra Leone possible starting lineup:
Koroma; Jalloh, Jarjue Kabia, Caulker, Samadia; Bundu, Dumbuya, Fornah, Alu. Koroma; Kamara, Bakayoko
We say: Chad 0-1 Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone will be backing themselves against a Chad side who have won just two of their last 24 matches, and are without a win in their last six matches, which is why we are predicting a narrow victory for the visitors.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
