Alhassan Bangura facing deportation

19-year-old Alhassan 'Al' Bangura is getting lots of support in Britain. He is facing the possibility of getting deported to his native land of Sierra Leone where he fears his life would be at danger from a witchcraft cult.

He has made a nice life and has a promising career with Watford in his adopted land in London where he has been for the past four years. To make matters worse, he has a new born baby with his girlfriend.

But Bangura is living on borrowed time, facing being sent back to the west African country he fled when he was 15 because he feared his father's links to a voodoo sect made him next in line for the men with the machetes. Refugees from Sierra Leone, which is still recovering from a brutal civil war, are not automatically eligible for asylum in Britain so each case must be individually proved.

It is rare in a game when you see fans of the opposition rooting for another teams player but that was the case when Watford played Plymouth. Bangura was given massive applause from both teams fans and was touched with so much emotion in him, so grateful for the support that he could hardly say a word.

A petition has been sent around and thousands have signed it for him to stay in Britain. Even singing artist Elton John has support for Bangura and has personally written to the government.

Bangura says his late father was chief of a secret society, the Soko, which practices witchcraft. His family were told that he was expected to succeed his father and would be forced to undergo an initiation ceremony involving mutilation.

Bangura is not allowed to speak to the media right now due to the sensitive case in hand but before he had said that he feared what his fate would be if he was delivered back into the arms of the cult.

"They're not good things that they are doing; they cut off bits of their body," he said.

If he were forced to return home, "it would be like someone is just taking my life away."

That Bangura made it to Britain is a story in itself. From Sierra Leone he had found his way to Guinea and then was helped by a mysterious Frenchman he only knew by the name of Pierre, who helped him to London. When two men had tried to rape him he then realized that he had fallen victim to a people trafficker. He escaped and stood in a hotel while applying for asylum. He was then seen playing amateur soccer by a Watford talent scout and things only went good from there. Up until now of course.

His club, lawyers and politicians are working overtime to keep Bangura in Britain.

Claire Ward, a lawmaker for the ruling Labour party who represents Watford, arranged a meeting this week between Bangura's representatives and an immigration minister.

She believes he has a good chance of winning an appeal.

"There are a number of factors in his favour such as the age he came into the country and the constructive way he has used his time here -- he has been a role model and has taken part in youth projects and he has contributed to the British economy.

"He has a strong case."