“We were more determined for the match that; is the reason for our victory. We fought hard from the start for our victory. We’re going home to prepare for the return leg.” Sise told press men immediately after the match in Makeni.

The Young Scorpions, as the Gambian team is known, will have to face Morocco in three weeks time, after the Sierra Leone encounter. If they defeat the Atlas Lions they will proceed to the finals of the Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Zambia net year.

The two winning goals in the Saturday match came during the second half. The first came as a result of a deflected kick which gave edge to the visitors after their outstanding play in the first half. The goal scorer was Bun Sanneh, and he scored at the 61 minute, finishing off from the box a right wing cross that hit Shooting Stars defender Ibrahim Mansaray before entering into the net.

The second goal came 14 minutes later when Gambian Captain Abdulie Jallow released a shot into the net from an angle outside the left of the box, after a defensive blunder from Shooting Stars.

Shooting Stars coach Charlie Wright, after the march, blamed lack of experience on the part of his players for the defeat. He also said the ban on football games caused by the Ebola epidemic contributed to the situation.

‘’Most of the players in my team got their debut for the national team today, and there has been no competitive league in the country. These factors also affected my players.’’ Wright said.

He however promised to beef up his squad to overturn the results in the second leg encounter in Banjul in three weeks time.