Kei Kamara says his choice to return to worldwide soccer on the age of 40 was impressed by Cameroon legend Roger Milla.
Kamara was aiming to assist Sierra Leone qualify for subsequent 12 months’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), and he performed the complete 90 minutes in .
Nonetheless, the Leone Stars’ hopes of reaching subsequent 12 months’s finals in Morocco had been ended after Zambia subsequently secured the remaining qualification spot in Group G.
The ahead, who made his debut in 2008, has now performed 40 matches for his nation, scoring seven targets – however has solely ever performed at one main worldwide match, the 2021 Nations Cup.
Compared, Milla performed at 4 editions of Afcon, successful two, and three Fifa World Cups.
He nonetheless holds the document because the oldest outfield participant and goalscorer at a World Cup, netting towards Russia on the 1994 finals on the age of 42 years and 39 days, having to play on the match in 1990.
“There’s just one particular person I take into consideration after I determined to come back do that factor over again, being a part of the nationwide group at this age, and that is Roger Milla,” Kamara
“Roger Milla was doing it, got here again out, performed on the World Cup at 42.
“The World Cup is barely two years in the past away, so why not?”
No stranger to retirement
This isn’t the primary time Kamara has finished a u-turn on worldwide retirement.
He first earlier than to assist his nation qualify for the delayed 2021 Nations Cup, which was performed in Cameroon in early 2022.
He retired for a second time after the match, having which may have put the West Africans via to the final 16.
“I believed after I walked away, that was it for me,” he stated.
“After taking part in for 15 years, representing the nation, and felt like I used to be going out with the cherry on prime.”
However Kamara’s ongoing profession in US Main League Soccer (MLS), the place he’s now second on the all-time goalscorers checklist, has led to a change of coronary heart.
“Becoming a member of a group like Los Angeles FC this season, and having a lot success, and making a pair extra histories in America, and everyone simply retains asking, ‘Why are you retiring? Why cannot you be right here while you’re doing this a lot in MLS?’.
“I sort of heard the cry and a few of my team-mates that I have been with for a few years additionally referred to as and I needed to do it.”
Fleeing civil battle
Kamara was born on 1 September 1984 in Kenema, Sierra Leone’s third-largest metropolis.
He lived there till he was 16, experiencing first-hand the horrors of the nation’s civil battle within the Nineties earlier than his household emigrated to the US.
Having turned skilled with MLS group Columbus Crew, he returned to the nation of his start in 2006.
“After I made that journey, that is after I began falling again in love with soccer in Sierra Leone,” he recalled.
“Simply to see how little we had. However folks had been nonetheless simply out within the fields early within the morning, on the dusty, crimson filth fields, taking part in, going for lengthy runs.”
Regardless of having the choice of taking part in for the USA, Kamara made the choice to just accept a world call-up for Leone Stars debut in a World Cup qualifier towards Equatorial Guinea in June 2008.
“I felt like I needed to do that as a result of I need to have the ability to encourage many different folks that have love for Sierra Leone, that is dwelling abroad within the diaspora,” he stated.
“It is one of the best factor I did in my profession, to choose up that decision and characterize Sierra Leone. It acquired me so near the nation, so near the folks.”
‘I would like to take a seat down with Cristiano Ronaldo’
Now starring for his eleventh totally different MLS group, Kamara has performed 29 instances for LA FC this season, largely as an alternative, scoring three targets to assist the Californians prime the Western Convention and attain the play-off semi-finals.
They are going to host the Seattle Sounders after the worldwide break.
Former Norwich and Middlesbrough man Kamara places his longevity all the way down to wholesome dwelling, joking that he must “sit down with Cristiano Ronaldo”, who will likely be 40 in February, “to see how we’re doing this”.
“It is a reward for what you’ve got finished in a few years,” he went on to clarify.
“It is not cliché – I do not drink alcohol, I did not smoke, I did not put something unlawful in my physique.
“After I spend time in Sierra Leone, I am at all times doing lots of distance operating, maintaining myself match.
“But additionally there’s a bit little bit of luck that you just want, which is the blessings of not being injured.”
Emulating Milla within the USA?
For Kamara, there may nonetheless be an opportunity to imitate his hero Milla – by taking part in at a World Cup on US soil.
The Leone Stars nonetheless have hope of that includes on the 2026 version – to be co-hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico – however have little margin for error in qualifying.
They’re of their six-team group, trailing leaders Egypt by 5 factors.
Solely the group winners are assured a spot on the finals, however the facet ending second may go on to compete in an intercontinental play-off.
Sierra Leone have by no means certified for the World Cup and Kamara will likely be 41 by the point the match kicks off.
Reaching the finals may but supply up one closing worldwide swansong.