December 11 – Sierra Leone, which has only just returned to organised football activity having been declared ebola-free, has had its FA board dissolved by the National Sports Council (NSC), though the Sierra Leone FA (SLFA) is refusing to acknowledge the ruling.
The NSC said it took the decision after the SLFA itself dissolved a seven-man committee formed to identify candidates for election at the association’s next congress.
The NSC says this committee was set up in conjunction with FIFA and that it has reinstated it. The direct government interference will likely put the country at loggerheads with FIFA which forbids government interference in football matters and will suspend nations from international competition if required.
Sierra Leone football has been in turmoil for a number of years and not just because of the ebola virus.
Domestic league football in Sierra Leone has not been played for 18 months and players are complaining that they need their wages and calling for a restart of the leagues.
One of the issues facing football in the country is match-fixing. SLFA president Isha Johansen (pictured) has made the clean-up a football priority and says FIFA has provided her with evidence of match-fixing involving the Sierra Leone national team, Leone Stars.
In July 2014,15 people were suspended indefinitely by the SLFA and the Sports Ministry over the match-fixing allegations, but investigations have not been concluded. Reports are that “countless” matches involving the Leone Stars were fixed.
While Johansen has made the match-fixing clean-up a priority, even if it has been a slow burner in terms of action, it seems for many of her rivals match-fixing is not on their radar at all, with some of those rivals said to have strong links to the betting business.
FIFA has supported Johansen before and is most likely to continue their support, which could involve a suspension from international football if the government is not careful.
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