By: Alusine Rehme Wilson – (AR-Wilson)
After a successful National Premier League last
season, the Sierra Leone Football Association has confirmed the increment of
two teams from the northern region to add to the 14 traditional clubs from the
Eastern, Southern and Western regions for this season league which will begin
in October, according to the FA.
A
revelation has awaken tight competition among clubs in the northern region of
Sierra Leone, the only region that has been tipped to play the national
playoffs and its best two clubs to make up the 16 teams for this season’s
national premier league.
This decision has been condemned to be unconstitutional, by other regions that are
excluded from taking part in the national playoffs, and just 6 hours after the
last match in the first round of the playoff, the Southern Region Football
Association has emerged as lead protesters.
“The exclusion of
the southern region from the national playoffs has no constitutional basis, the decision clearly usurps and undermines the authority of the Southern Region
Football Association among other reasons will defeat a very cardinal principle
in football which is fairness and competitiveness,” a protest from letter from the Southern
Region Football Association addressed to the SLFA Secretary states.
An
official reply from the SLFA Secretariat is yet to be out but social media
comments from Christopher Kamara the FA’s Secretary seen recently posed this
question: “Can someone state the relevant
provision of the status that has been breached as was alleged in this letter?”
with a second post noting that: “The executive can increase the teams and
that’s final. It needs no congress approval. When FIFA and CAF Exco increased
the teams, it was never discussed at any congress.”
One
time premier league clubs, Bai Bureh Warriors of Port Loko, Wusum Stars of
Bombali, Area Best, zonal cup winners Kolenten Rovers of Kambia and 10 other
clubs in the north are all into the next round of the playoffs after knocking
out other competitors.
Marampa Stars, Bombali Shebora,
Lamboi, Great Scarecies, Tom, Annex, Osman, Ocean Boys, Hydro Stars and Katara
FC are all out of the contests after they failed to progress from the first
round knockouts stage.
“All winners in the first round of
the playoffs will face each other at a time to be determined sooner until the
two teams from the north emerge to join 14 other clubs for the 2019/2020 Sierra
Leone Premier League, which is what we are ensuring as an FA to see to it that
participating number of clubs is increased from 14 to 16 clubs, in a bid to
maintain a regional balance in the league”
said Sorie Ibrahim Sesay, Competitions Director at SLFA.
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