Leslie Allen was a former Sierra Leonean professional footballer. Leslie attended the St. Edwards Secondary School in Freetown. Leslie have had a successful playing career between the late 1960’s-2000’s, he played both as a winger and striker for Ports Authority, East End Lions and Old Edwardians all of whom were top flight football clubs in the country.
Leslie also played club football in Benin, Ivory Coast (Asec Mimosa) and as well as Gabon. However, Mr. Leslie Allen had a major surgery after he collided with Horoya FC of Guinea goal keeper Fode Laye Kamara during a West African Football Union (WAFU) club game in Conakry. He scored hat-trick in the first leg of the fixture in Freetown.
Leslie Allen won many caps for the country’s national team Leone Stars and scored as many goals during his time spent with the Sierra Leone national team. He was a member of the Leone Stars squad that nearly qualified the country to the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco after knocking out both Liberia and Ghana but lost out in the final qualifying round 3-2 on aggregate to Nigeria. He netted the winning goal against Liberia in Freetown.
Leslie played in several West African sub regional Amical Cabral Zone II football tournaments and was a squad member of the Leone Stars team that first won the tournament in Freetown in 1993.
Allen was also a member of the Leone Stars team that represented Sierra Leone at the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations final in Tunisia. His last game for Leone Stars was during the 1997 Zone II tournament in Banjul.
Today someone with such a legendary feat who served Sierra Leone through football is no more, nobody can take away the pain that death causes in the heart.
Sir, we recognize your unending service to this nation…Till we meet again, May you abode in God’s highest heavens, Legendary Leslie Allen.
Photo: During Leslie Allen early playing days with Ivorian giant club, Asec Mimosa.
Source: Football Sierra Leone
