Should Mohamed Nbalie Kamara’s latest AFCON accomplishment be a lesson for Musa Tombo?
You are probably thinking, making assumptions in your head as to the main purpose of this article. Well, I am sure you are in for an interesting bump. Or should I say, an introspective reflection?
The Sierra Leonean national team, Leone Stars, on Tuesday showed an outstanding performance against the Desert Foxes of Algeria, in this year’s African Cup Of Nations (AFCON) tournament. Algeria, the country considered to be the uncontestable favorites for the trophy was left in a state of upset. I mean, you can perceive the grimaced faces and shrugs from the players and coach alike. A sight to forever cherish by fans and supporters of the Sierra Leonean side.
One name who became the headline amidst the whole applause and emotional sentiments was Mohamed Nbalie Kamara, the goalkeeper for the country’s national team. He made sweeping headlines across international sporting sites and social media. His performance was enough to win him the Man Of The Match (MOTM) award, and just recently inducted into the Team Of The Week for the first round of the competition. He is also the highest-rated player in the competition so far. Interestingly, this is his debut international competition for the country.
THE MAIN INSIGHT
Mohamed Nbalie Kamara is a player for East End Lions, the defending champions of the country’s league competition. However, the national side has its fan favorite. Musa Noah Kamara popularly known as Musa Tombo is considered to be the fan-favorite. You can imagine the concerns when the coach failed to play him in against Algeria. The roar of optimism in some parts of the country when he was shown on screen makes this position point-blank. Nevertheless, Musa Tombo has had his share of controversies. These controversies are enough to banish his promising career into a bottomless pit. Moreover, his fans have not been honest with him. The indiscipline side of Musa Tombo could trample on his progress for life. There are more than a thousand reasons why Musa Tombo should learn from Kamara.
There is no doubt that Musa Tombo is extremely talented, strong, and athletic. He is thirsty for goals and major returns on the pitch. This is the reason why he is equally an important player for the team. The top goal scorer in the 2019 Sierra Leone Premier League with 15 goals, eyes were popping out in observation of this fine player. He eventually had a major opportunity to join Swedish club Trelleborgs FF on a three-and-a-half-year deal in that same year. Despite such a significant stepping stone in his career, he comically simmered every chance of hope when he complained of the frigidity or coldness of the weather, canceling his contract. The news became a source of laughter across the country. Consequently, he returned home. He also had a short and barren stint with the Ethiopian side Hadiya Hossana which was also not forthcoming.
Furthermore, in a question and answer session conducted on TV for the national team players, when asked who always attends training sessions late, almost the whole squad pointed fingers at Musa Tombo. It was Musa Tombo who sidelined a friendly warm-up match with the Leone Stars under an excuse of bereavement, only for him to play in a meager non-division community league match in Freetown. This led to a suspension by the country’s Football Association.
One can assume that Musa Tombo’s exploit for his local side is enough to hand him a regular appearance on the pitch of play. But. how can that be possible with his attitude and approach to the game? Especially when he has a strict and stern manager in John Keister. Some section at the court of public opinion believes he is not too revered by the manager. How can he be? For Kamara to be the first name on the team list, I am sure he must have shown some form of dedication and seriousness to his work. Let’s be frank, has Musa Tombo shown any?
If anything, those who shifted the eccentric behavior of Musa Tombo on diabolic jinx or bad luck share blame for his mistakes. And for what it’s worth, Musa Tombo must use the success and acclamation of Kamara as a major motivator and lesson to further his ambition of being a world-class player. We all know he is capable.
