From Leeuwarden to Sierra Leone

It seems that Sierraleonean Dutch football player Issa Kallon wants to play for Sierra Leone, his parents' homeland. Sierra Leone managed to qualify for the Africa Cup this year for the third time, after also qualifying for this prestigious tournament in 1994 and 1996. Issa Kallon now is playing for FC Cambuur at Leeuwarden, the capital of the northern Dutch province Friesland.

I wonder if Issa Kallon is in any way related to Mohammed Kallon, one of Sierra Leone's most famous football players. My friend Susu Sesay played for FC Kallon as a teenager and was trained and supported by Mohammed Kallon. I couldn't reach Susu today, but I will ask him.

The fast Issa Kallon played in a number of Dutch youth selections but never managed to reach the bigger teams. Now Sierra Leonean journalist Sahr Morris Jr. states in a tweet that the Sierra Leonean Football Association has confirmed that Kallon wants to play for the national team.

Lion to lion

The Dutch word "leeuw" that sounds in the name Leeuwarden means "lion", and the coat of arms of the city shows a right up standing heraldic golden lion (though the origin of the name probably doesn't go back on that Dutch word but is derived from an older language, meaning something like sheltered landing place or harbour). The name Sierra Leone is derived from Portuguese and means "lion's mountains" or better: "lioness' mountains". So Kallon would go from one pride of lions to the other. 

Sources:

Cambuurfront

Sahr Morris on Twitter

The @SLFA_sl today confirmed that @Cambuurfront winger& former #Netherlands U15 &U20 #IssaKallon,born to #SierraLeonean parents in #Holland,has expressed his interest to play for #LeoneStars just a month after the country qualify for the #AFCON2021 in #Cameroon#SierraLeoneSports pic.twitter.com/S41Rbmyvn9

— Sahr Morris Jr (@morrisjr88) July 11, 2021