This is not the first time the Confederation of African Football (CAF) is banning Sierra Leone from using its national venue for International competition because of poor facilities.
CAF has informed the Sierra Leone Football Association, that the country’s Capital Stadium lacks adequate facilities.
Sierra Leone is to host Benin in their next home game on 30 March, their final African Cup of Nations Group L qualifier, days after their away tie at the Setsoto Stadium in Lesotho.
CAF in his latest decision has asked SLFA to find another neutral venue for Leone Stars to play their Group L final match against Benin.
According to the head of competition and license manager at the SLFA, Sorie Ibrahim Sesay, after the Nigeria game last year, they understand that Nigeria made an official complain about the poor facilities, and CAF had warned SLFA to improve facilities at the stadium.
He said that they informed management of national stadium about those concerns.
FIFA suspended the venue in 1992 for one year due to overcrowding. The Leone Stars had to use the 28th September Stadium in neighbouring Guinea to play host to Senegal and Togo in qualifiers for the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations.
In March 2008, FIFA banned the said venue due to poor dressing rooms and a sub-standard pitch.
In February 2017, the Presidential Pavilion of the Siaka Stevens Stadium was given a facelift with 950 chairs installed as part of the upgrade to an all-seater international standard.
The national stadium was built in 1979, and has been in existence for over 40 years.
By Desmond Tunde Coker
02/03/2021. ISSUE NO: 8012