AWE Media Sierra Leone

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson  The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced far-reaching reforms to its medical protocols and anti-doping framework following a high-level meeting of its Medical Committee in Lomé, Togo, marking a significant step toward modernizing healthcare standards in African football. The meeting, chaired by Dr Soueilim Mohamed Bouya and attended by Vice Chairman Dr Thulani Ngwenya alongside medical experts from member associations, focused on strengthening medical governance, enhancing player welfare, and aligning practices with global benchmarks. A key outcome was the approval of revised MRI testing protocols for youth competitions. Beginning in 2026, players will undergo a single MRI scan, with those cleared during zonal qualifiers exempt from further testing ahead of the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026 where only newly registered players will be required to complete left wrist MRI examinations. The committee also initiated ...

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson The Sports for Empowerment Foundation (SFEF) on Saturday brought together past and present beneficiaries at a reunion event held at the SLTU Hall in Makeni, reaffirming its commitment to transforming lives through sports and education. The gathering attracted beneficiaries, stakeholders and partners from across the Northern Region, including representatives from the Bombali District Council, members of the Sports Writers Association of Sierra Leone (SWASAL) Northern Region branch, and Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) and CAF Commissioner, Mrs. Emilea Jengo Kamara. Also in attendance was the Chief Executive Officer of StarBurst Park, Mr. Ibrahim Kanu. Founded over a decade ago by former Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) journalist, Mr. Desmond Paine, SFEF has used sport as a tool for youth empowerment, mentorship and social development. Reflecting on the foundation’s journey, Paine said the reunion was not only an opportunity for beneficiaries...

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson Makeni-based female outfit Mena Queens Football Club will be aiming to bounce back from a humiliating 5-0 defeat as they host league leaders Mogbwemo Queens in a crucial Marampa Mines Women’s Premier League encounter at the Wusum Stadium on Sunday morning. The hosts, currently languishing in eighth place with 18 points, face a daunting task against a dominant Mogbwemo side sitting comfortably at the top of the table with 45 points, a staggering 27-point gap between the two teams. For Mena Queens, the fixture presents more than just a chance to earn three points. It is an opportunity to restore pride following their heavy loss away to Ram Kamara Football Club in Bo. With the season entering a decisive phase, the Makeni side will be desperate to steady their campaign and avoid another setback on home soil. Their head coach Fatmata Turay acknowledged the strength of their opponents but struck a determined tone ahead of the clash. “We respect Mogbwemo Queens for th...

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson  As Journalists, media innovators and civil society actors across the globe on Thursday, marked World Fact-Checking Day 2026, renewing calls for stronger defenses against misinformation in an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, social media and rapid information flows.   The day observed annually on April 2, and promoted by global fact-checking networks, the day highlights the critical role of verification in safeguarding democracy, public trust and informed decision-making.    This year’s observance comes amid growing concern over the scale and sophistication of false information worldwide, with experts emphasizing collaboration, digital literacy and technological innovation as key tools in the fight for truth.   Globally, fact-checking has evolved from a niche journalistic practice into a central pillar of modern media ecosystems and the rise of digital platforms and AI-generated content has intensified both the spread ...

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson  The Gender and Social Inclusion Unit of the National Disaster Management Agency has taken a major step toward inclusive disaster governance with the launch of its “Women in Disaster Management Initiative.” The maiden meeting, held on March 31, 2026, brought together female staff and senior leadership, including Director General, John Vandy Rogers, to shape the initiative’s framework and roadmap ahead of its official rollout. Designed to empower women and institutionalize gender mainstreaming, the initiative aligns with global standards such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, while adapting them to Sierra Leone’s context. “Mainstreaming gender is not optional, it is essential,” Rogers said, stressing that sustainable resilience depends on women’s full participation in disaster risk reduction and leadership. Female staff described the initiative as inspi...

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson  Mohamed Kallon, the Head coach of Sierra Leone's senior men's national football team (Leone Stars) has unveiled a refreshed national team squad for the March 2026 FIFA Series friendlies, handing opportunities to a cluster of first-time call-ups while recalling several experienced internationals in a bid to reshape the Leone Stars. The selection reflects a clear recalibration by Kallon, who is seeking to inject youth, restore competitive balance, and evaluate depth ahead of upcoming continental and World Cup qualifying campaigns. Among the most notable inclusions are a group of potential debutants including John Thomas Kamara (Jay Tee) and Yayah Kallon, .  In the defense, regular suspects Abdulai Juma Bah, Nathaniel Jalloh, Emmanuel Samadia, Sallieu Tarawalie and Alpha Turay are joined youngester Citta Bah, and Idriss Kanu who have been drafted in as part of what appears to be a long-term rebuilding of the backline. Their elevation signals a shift towa...

By Chris Kamara GDMS The FRMF in the finals of the AFCON 2025 acted in bad faith towards the match and played a key role in cajoling Senegal to continue the match despite Senegal were in breach of Article 82 of the AFCON Regulations , by walking out of the game , without the approval of the referee.   Morocco acted in bad faith on the pretext that, they have an advantage due to the penalty that had been awarded to them and they believed that, they will score and eventually go on to win the tournament.  On that note, they were very sure that getting Senegal back on the pitch will secure that agenda and as such enable them win the AFCON.  What they failed to know is that, such intentional dishonest and deceitful conduct would waive their rights ( estoppel) to any successful litigation in future as they have participated in correcting the wrong doing of Senegal; and did not find anything wrong in their conduct.  Morocco  did not refuse to play citing the breac...