Sierra Leone Star Kamara Calls Time On International Career

Sierra Leonean international Kei Kamara announced his retirement on Tuesday, a day before Leone Stars’ opening 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Lesotho.

Kamara, 35, said he had made the decision due to ‘lack of seriousness by the federation in improving the game’, and he will now focus on his club career at Major Soccer League outfit, Colorado Rapids.

“I can confirm that I have retired from international football because I’m unhappy with the progress of the national team,” Kamara was quoted by BBC Sport.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] “I’ve been with the national team since 2008 and there has been no improvement, no plan for the direction the national teams should go from the youth level to senior level.”   [/perfectpullquote]

Kamara first played for the national team in 2008 in an international friendly against Equatorial Guinea that was played in Malabo which Leone Stars lost 2-0.

After that, he went on to play in 28 matches for Leone Stars and scored 5 goals in the process. His last match for the team was in September when he featured against Liberia in a 1-0 win in the ongoing 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

But it is not the first time that Kamara has had a dispute with the Sierra Leone Football Federation (SLFA). The striker was suspended before the Liberia World Cup preliminary qualifiers before his suspension was rescinded.

Photo Credit: Football Sierra Leone