Leone Rock Inter-District Derby: Fresh contenders Kholifa Stars, to host familiar rivals, Wusum Stars

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson

The long-standing rivalry between Kholifa Stars of Tonkolili and Wusum Stars of Bombali will take center stage today at the Magburaka playing field as both teams face each other for the first time in the national men's top-flight tournament. The Saturday match day-8 Leone Rock Premier League encounter will be the third meeting this year between these inter-district rivals. In their previous matches, Kholifa Stars emerged victorious with a 3-1 score line, but they suffered a defeat of 2-0 last month in a warm-up match at the Wusum Stadium. As newcomers and hosts, Kholifa Stars will enter the game with a modest desire to overcome their familiar adversaries. However, they must also contend with the pressure from their home crowd, who are eager for a victory to help the team move up from their current 16th position in the league standings. Kholifa Stars have managed to secure six points from seven league games so far. On the other hand, Wusum Stars, as the visiting team, will aim to enjoy the match and uphold their reputation. They have had an impressive start to the 2023/24 Leone Rock Premier League, accumulating 11 points from their first seven league matches, which places them comfortably in 5th position on the league table. Currently, both coaches, Hassan Maddie Conteh of Kholifa Stars and Mohamed Lamin Kamara of Wusum Stars, when contacted by Awoko Newspaper, have expressed their satisfaction over the increasing support from their respective fan bases, and have promised that this clash will be a friendly competition that will settle the on-going debate about which team is the best.