October 2 – Sierra Leone captain Umaru Bangura says he is considering his international future after angry supporters vandalised his house in retaliation for him missing a decisive stoppage-time penalty in a World Cup qualifier against Liberia last month.
Liberia won the tie 3-2 on aggregate but Bangura scored, Sierra Leone would have levelled the tie and gone through to the next stage on away goals.
After the game fans pelted Bangura’s home with stones and he said at the time it was “one of the worst days of my life.”
Now he says he may quit altogether.
“I’m surprised and shocked at the fans’ behaviour to go to my house and vandalise it, and because of this I’m considering my international future,” Bangura, who plays for Swiss side FC Zurich, told the BBC.
“To miss a penalty kick is normal in football, past and current best players in the world have failed to convert penalty kicks. I never intended to miss, I was just unlucky.”
The Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) has already provided funds to help carry out repairs to the property.
But he added: “I will decide whether or not to retire from international football before our 2021 Africa Cup of Nations opening game against Lesotho in November.”
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