BBC Sport - Football - Strasser ready for Sierra Leone (original) (raw)

Mohamed Fajah-Barrie
BBC Sport, Freetown

Strasser is ready for Leone stars debut

AC Milan youngster Rodney Strasser believes he is ready for his Sierra Leone debut next weekend.

The 20-year-old has been called up for the 2012 African Cup of Nations qualifier against Egypt in Cairo.

Strasser is among three new players in a 15-man foreign-based squad summoned for duty by coach Christian Cole.

"I'm very happy to be given the chance to make my international debut," he told BBC Sport ahead of the 5 September clash with the Pharaohs.

He added: "This is also a chance for me to come back home for the first time since I joined AC Milan in 2007."

However, Strasser's call-up has come as a surprise because he has not been a regular at the Serie A club.

He joined the former European Champions as a junior from Sierra Leone club Kallon FC.

But Strasser is unperturbed by the lack of game time at Milan.

"Yes, it's true that I've not been playing regularly at AC Milan but I want to assure you that I'm fit to give out the best for my country."

The other two new faces called up by Cole are Mohamed Bangura who joined the Swedish Champions AIK Solna last month, and Gibrilla Sankoh of German side Augsburg.

Former captain Mohamed Kallon, currently playing in China, is also included for what will be his first game since October 2008.