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Sierra Leone - Benin AFCON clash delayed

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson
Group L match day 6 crunch tie between Sierra Leone(4points) and Benin(7points) has been delayed over controversies after Benin received their Corona Virus test results after 48 hours of testing upon arrival at the Sierra Leone International airport in Lungi. 

The results were handed over to the visitors at the stadium before the match and five of their players including a goal keeper test results showed positive of COVID-19.

Upon noting that the said players that tested positive of the virus are key to the squad to face Leone Stars, the 80-man Benin delegation including players and some officials refused to step down from their bus at the Siaka Steven's Stadium to warm up before the kick off time of 4:00pm local time.

After one hour of waiting, a decision has been reached after a close door meeting with officials of both teams for the match to be played five hours off the scheduled time. 

The match venue remain unchanged  but the game is expected to be played at 21:00GMT later today.

This means the squirrels will still face host Sierra Leone at the newly facelifted Siaka Steven's Stadium in Freetown.

Benin have however agreed to play without the said players after earlier refusing to play without them.

But a highly motivated Sierra Leone side remained confident of securing the much needed result from today's must win encounter to book an AFCON ticket to join Group-L leaders and already qualified Nigerian at the same time put an end to the Benin squirrels unbeaten run over Sierra Leone since 2006. 

However, the visitors will go into today's game to secure a much needed point might slash Leone Stars quests to broke their 26-year AFCON jinx since they last qualified in 1995.

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