Author: Alusine Rehme Wilson

by Alusine Rehme Wilson

SLFA Raises Coaching Bar Amid CAF A-Licence Questions

The Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) has announced a rise in the minimum coaching qualification standards for the 2026/2027 domestic football season, setting tougher requirements for coaches and technical directors across the country’s football pyramid.

Under the new framework announced by the local football federation, Premier League head coaches must hold at least a CAF A, B or C Licence, while their assistants are required to possess a CAF B or C Licence.

On the other hand, top-flight technical directors of male and female football clubs must possess a CAF A Licence or equivalent PRO/A qualification.

However, the requirements are progressively adjusted for Division One, Division Two and the TDS League, with coaches expected to hold relevant CAF or SLFA qualifications.

In addition, TDS coaches must also have FIFA Safeguarding Essentials certification. Although the SLFA says the reforms are aimed at improving technical standards and establishing clearer professional benchmarks for clubs, the announcement of the new coaching policy has raised a key implementation question.

How will Sierra Leone enforce CAF A-Licence requirements at the highest level when the country has gone ages without conducting a CAF A-Licence coaching course?

The gap, some local coaches say, will open a box of struggling to meet the new standards while most clubs face another mounting pressure to comply.

The SLFA has yet to clarify when the next CAF A-Licence course will be conducted in Sierra Leone, prompting calls for the association to provide a clear pathway for local coaches to acquire the qualifications now required.

Ultimately, the success of the new framework will depend not only on enforcement but on whether the SLFA creates realistic opportunities for Sierra Leonean coaches to meet its elevated standards.

Mogbwemo Queens Name 22-Woman Squad for WAFU-A Qualifiers
by Alusine Rehme Wilson

Mogbwemo Queens Name 22-Woman Squad for WAFU-A Qualifiers

Mogbwemo Queens Football Club head coach Adama P. Suma has unveiled a 22-player squad for the 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League WAFU A Zone qualifiers in The Gambia.

The reigning national women’s top-flight champions and representative of Sierra Leone at this year’s zonal women’s inter-club tournament will be led by a balanced squad featuring two goalkeepers, eight defenders, six midfielders and six forwards as they prepare to compete for a place in the next stage of Africa’s premier women’s club competition.

Coach Suma’s squad includes two goalkeepers, Isatu Dumbuya and Ahouef Larissa Godui. The defensive line-up comprises Fatmata T. Koroma, Musu Sengeh, Saio M Quraishi, Edit David Doe, Penda Colley, Honoria Hotta, Olufunke Victoria Taiwo, and Sangay M. Moulton.

In midfield, coach Suma has selected Jeneba Koroma, Kadiatu M. Kamara, Fatmata Turay, Sallay Jatta, Adama Jalloh, and Jeanette Dominique Sagna.

The attacking options are Fanta Nabe, Nadi Quade, Amos Patrick, Isatu A Bangura, Wuyah Mohai, and Marguerite S Ahouassou.

Coach Suma, who’s no stranger as guardian of Mogbwemo Queens in the WAFU-A’ Zone Women’s tournament after the team’s debut two years ago in Liberia, has described his latest squad announcement as “one that reflects the club’s ambition to make a strong impression in the WAFU-A’ Zone qualifying competition and secure progression in the CAF Women’s Champions League pathway.”

With the regional qualifiers bringing together leading women’s clubs from the WAFU-A’ Zone, the Sierra Leonean side will be seeking to combine defensive stability, midfield creativity, and attacking firepower under Suma’s leadership.

Meanwhile, the squad, which departed Freetown via the Lungi International Airport for Banjul on Sunday, August 23, is currently in the Gambia, all set to carry Sierra Leone’s hopes in this year’s WAFU-A’ Zone Women’s Champions League qualifying campaign.

East End Lions Unveil 30-Man Squad for CAF Confederation Cup Qualifier
by Alusine Rehme Wilson

East End Lions Unveil 30-Man Squad for CAF Confederation Cup Qualifiers

Newly appointed East End Lions head coach Patrick Bangura has unveiled a 30-man squad for the club’s CAF Confederation Cup preliminary-round double-header against Côte d’Ivoire’s AF Amadou Diallo next month.

Bangura, who recently took charge of the reigning Orange Sierra Leone FA Cup champions after his stint with Old Edwardians, has selected three goalkeepers, nine defenders, 10 midfielders and eight forwards for the club’s return to continental competition.

The squad includes 11 new signings acquired on permanent and loan deals, among them midfielder Saymah Kamara, who joins from Bullom Stars of Lungi.

Coach Bangura said the team is ready for the continental challenge, stressing that the players and technical staff are mentally, morally, and physically prepared to represent Sierra Leone.

Coach Bangura also appealed to East End Lions supporters and football fans across Sierra Leone and beyond to rally behind the club as it embarked on the prestigious continental campaign.

East End Lions are scheduled to face AF-Amadou Diallo in a two-legged preliminary-round tie during the first and second weeks of September. 

And should they shine in the first round of qualifiers, they’ll meet the winner of the tie between Nigeria’s Shooting Stars and Tunisia’s CS-Sfaxien in the second preliminary round.

Full East End Lions’ 30-Man Squad

Goalkeepers: Abdul Bundu, Abubakarr Kamara, Chinedu Udeh.

Defenders: Abdul Nyamekye, Idrissa Sesay, Musa Ademu, Mohamed Fofanah, Abubakarr Kargbo, Abubakarr Massaquoi, Emmanuel Ansumana, Mohamed Kallon, Abdul Bangura.

Midfielders: Alusine Dumbuya, Osman Koroma, Dominic Kargbo, Musa Bangura, Saymah Kamara, Bankole Cole, Sunday Oliseh, Philip Aidoo, Kabba Timbo, Yusif Ibrahim.

Forwards: Mohamed Bangura, Sulaiman S. Kargbo, Alie Conteh, Emmanuel Innocent, Mohamed Adil, Alusine Turay, George Mattar, Hosea Nuhu.

Breaking Barriers, Masongbo Women Rally for Grassroots Football
by Alusine Rehme Wilson

Breaking Barriers, Masongbo Women Rally for Grassroots Football

A spirited group of women from Masongbo Community has issued a powerful call for change, urging their peers across Bombali District and beyond to “break stereotypes and embrace local football as active supporters.”

The appeal came at Makeni’s Wusum Stadium during the 2026 Inter‑Area Football Tournament match-day eight clash between Masongbo and Wallah Communities, which ended in a 1‑1 draw. Speaking on behalf of the group, Jariana Barrie described the experience as both entertaining and inspiring.

“We have been watching international football on television, but today we had the opportunity to watch our own people play live. It is an experience we will always cherish,” she said. Barrie, who also identified herself as a devoted Arsenal fan, explained that seeing her relatives represent Masongbo on the pitch broadened her appreciation of the game beyond televised matches.

The Masongbo Ladies firmly rejected the notion that football is a male‑only sport or that women who attend matches are idle. “Those who think football is only for men should stop thinking that way. Women who watch football are not idlers, they are key supporters and players in the development of the game,” they emphasised.

Their presence at the Wusum Stadium is considered not just symbolic, but vital to strengthening community participation and nurturing grassroots football. The ladies from Masongbo Community also appealed to other women hesitant about attending matches to join in supporting local competitions.

The recent move by a cross-section of women from the Masongbo Community showcases the growing importance of female spectators in Sierra Leone’s football culture, signaling a shift toward inclusivity and community‑driven support for the sport.

Cape Verde Appoints Humberto Bettencourt as New Coach
by Alusine Rehme Wilson

Cape Verde Appoints Humberto Bettencourt as New Coach

The Cape Verde Football Federation has promoted their long‑time assistant Humberto Bettencourt to head coach, entrusting the 51‑year‑old with guiding the Blue Sharks into their next chapter after a historic FIFA World Cup debut.

Coach Bettencourt succeeds his former boss Bubista, who departed to manage Moroccan side RS Berkane. Having served six years as Bubista’s deputy, Bettencourt was a key architect of Cape Verde’s rise, including their landmark 2026 World Cup campaign where the island nation stunned global audiences.

Cape Verde’s federation opted for continuity, banking on Bettencourt’s tactical familiarity with the squad and philosophy that helped the team hold eventual champions Spain, draw Uruguay, and push Argentina to extra time in the round of 32.

His first major test will be the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, with crucial fixtures in September and October, as expectations are higher than ever, since Cape Verde are no longer seen as outsiders but as a resilient force capable of challenging Africa’s elite.

For Bettencourt, the promotion marks a transition from behind‑the‑scenes strategist to the public face of Cape Verdean football, and he’s now tasked with ensuring the World Cup is remembered not as a one‑off triumph, but as the foundation for sustained success on the continental stage.