Cricket Sierra Leone U19 Men's team captain has call on his teammates to tighten up their belt for the huge task ahead
As they prepare for the ICC U19 Men’s World Cup Africa Division 1 tournament, the skipper for the Sierra Leone U19 Cricket team John Bangura has encouraged his teammates to man up for the big task in Dar Es Salam, Tanzania later this month.
Bangura called on his contemporaries to work on their skills to help the team achieve its desired goals.
The Skipper said with Coach Kenneth Masinga around, the squad is alive.
“We saw some significant vacuum during the Abuja battle to reach this stage. Those are behind us now. We are happy to get ourselves out there, execute the needful, and have fun,” he adds.
Bangura lavishes praises on the dutifulness of Coach Masinga, who, he says, has rebranded their playing style and has worked on their mental toughness.
“We had these abilities last year, but we were unable to put them together as a team. Right now, it’s different,” he explains.
Bangura says all teams are tough. “I mean you cannot rate someone because of rankings and all. My boys and I are going to treat each team as the same. We do not recognize any team as a small side or a big side. For us, they are all equal,” he remarks.
Last year at the ICC World Cup Qualifier Africa Division 2 held in Abuja, Bangura scored above 150 runs in three decisive innings and made headlines in the foreign press, bringing Sierra Leone to the center of global attention.
Facing Namibia, Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda (all tough sides), the Skipper hopes to replicate an improved version of the Abuja performance.
To get this done in time, fourteen players along with Coach Masinga and a Team Manager will depart the shores of Sierra Leone on July 16 for Tanzania for a week-long training before the qualification commences. The squad will undergo further workouts on foreign soil and will play a series of matches with local clubs before the start of the six-nation tournament.
