SLFA fall-short again in 2010
How important it is to review 2010 Sierra Leone Football, we are now in 2011 and for many sport and football stakeholders 2010 was a disappointment again for Sierra Leoneans and its football Association, SLFA. (Photo: Leone Stars v Bafana in Freetown)
Indeed 2010 was described as another bad, or the worst year in Sierra Leone football in the international scene with only the senior National team left tussling for a place in Gabon & Equatorial Guinea 2012. SEM UK Correspondent Alie Bittar looks at the bigger picture of 2011.
No doubt in Sierra Leone, football is the most important when it comes down to sporting activities and no doubt football in the country is bad as one can imagine. Let start with the international atmosphere were the country FA and stakeholders fail woefully again in all aspects of the game as far as soccer fans concern.
Our U-17 were eliminated by the Ivorians, U-20 fell short in the hands of the Gambians, and our females in March 2010 were eliminated by Guinea in the preliminary round of the 2010 CAF Women’s Championship qualifiers losing 4-3 on aggregate.
The Lone Stars put the final stop to the country’s national Under-23 team where they were out in the preliminary round of the 2012 London Olympic Games in Monrovia about two weeks ago.
All my years following Sierra Leone football it has been difficult for our National teams from junior to senior, football stakeholders are bent on backstabbing themselves instead of pushing the game forward, how on earth will Sierra Leone Football take a new turn when stakeholders and authorities are only concerned about how to reap what they never sow?
It makes it worse when top football officials in the country are backing off the game of football and they refuse to comment on what they think is going wrong and leave the country’s most respected game dismantled.
The SLFA President Nahim Kadi, whose efforts to ensure that Sierra Leone football remains number one or competes with Africa’s big names has let down many football stakeholders.
In his many years in charge, the Sierra Leone senior national team is yet to participate in any CAF major tournament.
The country’s last participation in 1996; 15 years ago, was the last time Sierra Leone competed among the big names in African football, that was under the NPRC in 1994 & 1996 South Africa and Burkina Faso respectively.
It is well overdue, 2011 will see the country’s 50th birthday and its National team lies third in Group G with 2 points from two matches, facing Niger in a back to back encounter in March 2011.
In any prospect, Sierra Leone taking all six points is a difficult question to answer. However, if they do, it will be a stepping stone for the 2012 African Cup of Nations to be co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
One good feeling about our sport and football in Sierra Leone is the fact a great man of his word was recently appointed as Sports Minister, Mr Paul Kamara. Will that inflict change to our football? Well it is yet to be proven, but one thing I know, he is a man of football and I believe better days are ahead for football fans. Despite being a controversial figure across his motherland, he succeeded in his days with Wellington as club chairman, and if that is anything to go by, there is great prospect in Sierra Leone Football in the years to come.
Nevertheless, fans want to see the green, white, and blue flag in Gabon, Equatorial Guinea 2012 and it will be appropriate if the country’s senior side Leone Stars can take all six points from Niger in both legs away and at home this year.
With that, it will bring a good atmosphere to the dressing room by the time they prepare to face the African Champions at home later this year.
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