As Women’s AFCON returns today after 4 years hiatus, Sierra Leonean representation remains in the dark

​By:  Alusine Rehme Wilson

There is no Sierra Leone Referee for the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations among the final list of 40 Female Referees published by the Confederation of African Football-(CAF) for the continent’s biggest showpiece for Women.

Of the CAF Final Referees list, there are 16-Referees, 16-Assistant referees and 8-Video Assistant Referees (VAR) from 24 countries including the host nation Morocco, Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Cameroon and twenty other nations were selected after a rigorous process. 

This means, like the Sierra Queens absence in the tournament, there will also be no Sierra Leonean representation in the continent’s.

The Women’s National teams contest which kick-off today in Morocco that will be contested by twelve of Africa’s strongest Women’s National team including Botswana, Nigeria, Zambia and host Morocco will mark the return of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations after four years, will be played in two Moroccan cities: Rabat and Casablanca from Saturday 2nd July to 23rd July, 2022.

This latest development further pinned the point for urgent attention to be given to the development of women’s refereeing as well as Women’s football should Sierra Leoneans Football Administrators and partners want Sierra Leone to be represented in other Women’s tournaments.