Sierra Leone’s hopes of reaching the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations are already under pressure after a second consecutive defeat left them without a point from their opening two qualifying matches.
Sierra Leone suffered a 1-0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea in Yaounde, with Loren Zuniga scoring inside the opening minute to secure victory for the hosts.
The result leaves Sierra Leone at the bottom of Group E, while Equatorial Guinea moved onto three points.
The latest setback has also increased scrutiny on Sierra Leone head coach Da Rosa and his technical team, with some supporters calling on the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) to consider changes.
Sierra Leone face a difficult next assignment, with their next two qualifying matches coming against DR Congo.
DR Congo strengthened their position at the top of Group E with a 2-1 away victory over Zimbabwe in Harare.
Yoane Wissa scored one and created another for Samuel Moutoussamy as DR Congo maintained their perfect record with six points from two matches. Marshall Munetsi scored a late consolation for Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe remain on three points, level with Equatorial Guinea, while Sierra Leone are yet to register a point.
Elsewhere, Burkina Faso moved onto four points in Group F after beating the Central African Republic 1-0 in Casablanca.
In Group H, Tunisia and Botswana shared a 2-2 draw in Rades.
Tunisia are still searching for their first win after also drawing 1-1 with Uganda in their opening match, while Botswana have two points from their first two games.
The latest results leave Sierra Leone with little room for error as they prepare for their two meetings with Group E leaders DR Congo.