Bristol Rovers midfielder Kamil Conteh features for Sierra Leone in dramatic World Cup qualifier

Kamil Conteh earned his ninth senior cap for Sierra Leone on Monday night with a 21-minute appearance from the bench as the Leone Stars secured a dramatic point in World Cup qualifying against Burkina Faso.

The Bristol Rovers midfielder came on in the 69th minute with his side 2-1 down, having pulled one back through Augustus Kargbo 11 minutes prior after conceding two first half goals. Sierra Leone then snatched a draw via an equaliser from Forest Green Rovers striker Amadou Bakayoko in the 87th minute.

Having beaten Djibouti 2-1 last Wednesday, this international camp has certainly been productive for the Leone Stars with four points in World Cup qualifying, having taken one point from their opening two matches. That leaves them fourth in Group A with Egypt, Guinea Bissau and Ethiopia the other sides in their group.

Conteh was an unused substitute against Djibouti but, before Monday, hadn't featured for his country in over a year and, at 21, he remains one of the younger players in the squad which included the likes of Charlton Athletic's Daniel Kanu and Cambridge United's Sullay Kaikai.

Sierra Leone's next scheduled World Cup qualifiers aren't until March next year against Guinea-Bissau and Egypt having never appeared at a World Cup finals before. However, there are expected to be Africa Cup on Nations 2025 qualifying commitments later in the year, although the CAF have admitted to a "scheduling nightmare."

Conteh enjoyed a stellar first few months at Rovers following his January switch, demonstrating excellent ball-winning capabilities while also reading the game with a maturity well beyond his years. However, the young midfielder struggled for a regular starting spot towards the end of last season, mainly because of Jordan Rossiter's long-awaited return from injury.

Regardless, he remains one of the most exciting prospects in Matt Taylor's squad and will now get a much-needed three-week break before returning to The Quarters for pre-season on July 1.