Football has become by far the most popular recreation world-wide and no nation can ignore it without risking obscurity which is why the fans are sorely disappointed. Football is the game in which the gain serves as a recompense for the dexterity of the body or the mind. Since when did we lose the ‘’superior’’ skills of those days when victory was the name of the game? As the competitions for placings in the world go on Sierra Leoneans beep sighing and seem to be self –excluded as the blame game mounts.
It would have been expected that the ten odd years of league less football would have been used for reform, rehabilitation and rejuvenation that would yield positive dividends sadly though, it has not been as perceived .It is not easy to point a finger on where exactly the blame for the lack of progress of Sierra Leone’s football lies or which institution or organization bears the greatest responsibility.
Even as a non-flagship program President Bio bent over backwards and revived national league football which was in hibernation for over ten years. In so doing he has put smiles on the faces of Sierra Leoneans especially the youths who had found solace in relaxation only in far-flung foreign leagues. It was a risk of pouring billions of Leones into a hitherto defunct national league but the response of the populace has been overwhelming. To the disappointment of the people it is the performance of the national team ,the Leone Stars ,that has been lackluster.
There seems to be a coterie of citizens who are striving to get football to go their own way in contrast with the New Direction. And they are going about their agenda in such a subtle way that government may not be aware of it. Because of this there is conflict from the group who feel that because they lost the last premier league they have all the answers. They have been wolves in sheep’s clothing’s and government ought to be circumspect in dealing with them. They are vying to have the leadership in the upcoming elections as a repeat performance when the likes of Rodney Michael were corruptly booted out. The Present head of the SLFA under whose leadership Sierra Leone has not found a headway in all international competitions should not be allowed to prevail.
Let us remember that it was organization and discipline shorn of politics and sentimentalism that caused SLFA to have been achieving victories over Nigerian and Ghanaian national teams in the past. It is the same factors that caused SLFA to achieve victories in zone two over teams that are currently making their mark in the world cup matches.
The impotence of our national team is not in our stars but in our lack of revolutionary changes in Football. If our players are not goaded to pull up their socks we shall remain backwards ever and forward never.