By Sallkieu S. Kanu
The Executive Committee of the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) has announced March 1, 2025, as the new date for its Ordinary Congress. A notification signed by nine out of eleven committee members stated that the decision was “in line with Article 26, Par. 2” of the Association’s statutes.
This decision follows a recent court order that halted the FA’s plans for a congress due to the previous notice lacking a specific date and venue, which contravened SLFA laws. Some observers believe the omission was a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise certain candidates ahead of the congress that will determine the future of football administration in Sierra Leone. The new development is also believed to result from an out-of-court settlement between the FA and aggrieved parties.
As the situation unfolds, football executives and stakeholders from the Northern and Northwestern Regions of Sierra Leone are rallying behind Bo Rangers Executive Chairman, Babadi Kamara, for the FA presidency. The Northern stakeholders have decided to support someone outside their region based on Kamara’s unparalleled leadership, support, and investment in the game. They cited several instances where the Bo Rangers Chairman, who once served as Team Manager for the National Team, Leone Stars, went above and beyond to support struggling football teams across the country.
Prominent among these Northern Region delegates is Member of Parliament from Bombali, Mohamed Papa Bangura, who is also a senior executive of the Wusum Stars Football Club. He emphatically stated:
“I believe he has the capacity and passion to develop football in Sierra Leone. We have seen people exposed to opportunities in football, but such opportunities have not translated to the growth of the game… in the case of Babadi, it’s a different story.”
Hon. Mohamed Papa Bangura reiterated that districts in the entire Northern Region are throwing their support behind the business tycoon. Football stakeholders in the region have resolved to reject any form of regional, ethnic, or political pressure in their decision to elect the next SLFA President.
“Politics or region should have no place in football,” he stressed.
Other Northern Region football executives, including the Secretary of the Port Loko District Football Association and the Bai Bureh Warriors FC, Alhaji Salifu Kargbo, shared similar sentiments.
“As a region and a district, we are united in our support for Babadi Kamara. We believe in his leadership and ability to transform football to the level we will all be proud of,” said Kargbo.
While Babadi Kamara has yet to publicly declare his intention to run for the FA Presidency, many believe that the man who has single-handedly built a 6,000-capacity stadium in the Southern Region, re-established a modern football club, and spent over SLe1.5 billion (old Leones) to support football tournaments across the country, is firmly on course to become the first gentleman of the country’s football association.