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Emergency Appeals Committee reverse Freetown City's judgement
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Intriguing twist in Sierra Leone Premier League relegation battle

Freetown City and Wilberforce Strikers have been granted a replay by the Premier League Emergency Appeals Committee, overturning the previous decision.

However, no date was mentioned to replay the remaining minutes of June’s 30th top-tier football contest, which was later abandoned due to chaos.

The issue began on June 30, the second-to-last day of the league. A disputed penalty was awarded to Wilberforce Strikers in the 52nd minute while FCFC was leading 1-0. This resulted in the match being stopped and eventually called off by the referee.

A replay win for Freetown City will mean Real Republicans are relegated from the Sierra Leone top-tier men’s football league.

The previous Ruling – On July 19, 2024, the Disciplinary Committee awarded three points and two goals to Wilberforce Strikers, claiming that FCFC fans, officials, and players had behaved improperly. FCFC denies this claim.

A recap of the Emergency Appeals Committee’s decision

The Emergency Appeals Committee’s report states that the remaining minutes of the match between Freetown City Football Club and Wilberforce Strikers should be played according to Rule 23.2 to Rule 23.2.8 of the SLFA Premier League Rules and Regulations 2023.

The report recommends lifting the fine imposed on Abdul K. Turay, the captain of Freetown City Football Club. The Committee did not find evidence supporting the claim that he assaulted the referee, besides the referee’s report.

New Premier League Emergency Appeals Committee ruling in full in case between Freetown City and Wilberforce Strikers
Southern Arena ready to host San Pedro as Rangers bolster squad
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Southern Arena ready to host San Pedro as Rangers bolster squad

Bo Rangers, Sierra Leone’s reigning champions, have bolstered their team with the season’s top scorer, Musa Noah Kamara, and six new players.

In addition, the Confederation of African Football has approved the Southern Arena to host next month’s Interclub first-leg match against Ivorian side San Pedro, Football Sierra Leone Understands.  

The new additions to Bo Rangers’ squad include young left-back Idrissa Sesay from Freetonians SLIFA, versatile defender Edmund Momoh, Lamin Conteh from FC Johansen, goalkeeper Abubakarr Kamara from Wusum Stars, George Mattar, who was in Sweden and Michael Brima from Alpha Lions in Kenema, making the squad stronger – as they prepare for the upcoming CAF Champions League campaign in August.

Musa, the leading goal scorer this season, scoring 15 goals and winning the Golden Boot, has re-joined his former club and is the first player to achieve this award with three different clubs.

Bo Rangers will face the Ivorian team San Pedro in a crucial match during the preliminary round of the CAF Champions League next month for a place in the next round.

The tie will occur between the 16th and 18th of August, followed by a trip to Ivory Coast the following weekend.

It’s worth noting that since 1989, when Mighty Blackpool reached the Quarterfinal stage of the African Cup of Champions Clubs, no Sierra Leonean team has progressed to the group stages of Interclub competitions.

These upcoming competitions will provide a chance for Rangers and East End Lions to make a significant impact in continental football and rewrite history.

Sierra Leone Interclub representatives await CAF clearance to host matches
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

Sierra Leone await clearance to host CAF Interclub matches

Sorie Ibrahim Sesay, the Director of Competitions and a CAF-certified stadium Inspector for the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA), diligently inspected the Southern Arena on Saturday, July 20th, to ensure it meets the standards required for CAF approval.

Sierra Leone stadiums were not included in the initial list of approved stadiums by CAF for the 2024/25 Inter-Club competitions.

In August, Champions Bo Rangers FC and East End Lions Football Club are scheduled to participate in the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup, respectively.

There is a chance that these matches could occur in Sierra Leone. This will depend on the review of the pre-inspection report by CAF in the coming days, which will determine the eligibility of the Southern Arena stadium for these important matches.

In the preliminary stages of the 2024/2025 CAF Confederation Cup, East End Lions will play against ASC Jaraaf from Senegal, and Bo Rangers will play against San-Pédro from Ivory Coast in the 2024/2025 CAF Champions League.

The first leg matches are scheduled for August 16th-18th – with the return fixtures taking place the following weekend.

Freetown City's relegation confirmed after the Disciplinary Committee's decision
by FSL News

Freetown City relegated after Disciplinary Committee’s decision

On July 19th, 2024, Freetown City suffered relegation from the Sierra Leone Premier League. This decision came after the league’s Disciplinary Committee awarded three points and two goals to Wilberforce Strikers.

On the second-to-last day of the league, a controversial penalty was awarded to Wilberforce Strikers in the 52nd minute while FCFC was leading 1-0. As a result of this decision, the match was halted and subsequently abandoned by the referee.

FCFC has forfeited the match. As a result, 3 points and 2 goals have been awarded to Wilberforce Strikers FC by Rule 24.2 paragraphs b, c, and d, reports the Emergency Disciplinary and Protest Committee.

Several fines and suspensions were imposed on FCFC players, coaches, and management due to the incident. Additionally, FCFC has been fined 10 million Leones for the collective misconduct of its players, officials, and supporters.

The Secretary General of FCFC expressed disappointment with the decision and stated that the club will challenge it through established mechanisms to ensure justice.

https://twitter.com/football_sierra/status/1814606173993144383

New East End Lions Coach Mohamed Lamin aim to restore glory.
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

New East End Lions Coach Mohamed Kamara aims to restore glory

The newly appointed coach of East End Lions, Mohamed Lamin Kamara, has expressed his aim to bring the club back to its former glory of winning championships and consistently competing for honours.

“We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Mohamed Lamin Kamara (ML) as our new Head Coach on a two-year contract, with the option to extend for an additional year,” stated the management of the East End club.

Coach Kamara and his team will focus on helping the club as they prepare to face tough competition as they take on ASC Jaraaf from Senegal in the preliminary stages of the 2024/2025 CAF Confederation Cup.

The first leg will be hosted by The Killers between the 16th and 18th of August, followed by a trip to Senegal to face Association Sportive et Culturelle Jaraaf the following weekend.

Speaking about the task ahead, Kamara emphasized the immense effort needed to build trust and confidence and deliver positive results.

“My leadership is open to collaborating with all those who are dedicated to the club’s success, in order to tackle these challenges to the best of our ability,” the former Wusum boss explained. “My vision is to rejuvenate the success of East End Lions at all levels, by establishing structures and achieving the required results.”

“I believe I have the necessary experience to lead the Lions, and with freedom in technical matters and support in other areas, our collective experience will help us reach our objectives.”

Lions also announced that the coach will oversee the backroom staff, focusing on player development, winning games and trophies, and maintaining discipline among players.

The club is fully committed to providing the necessary resources to support the coach and is confident that his leadership will lead to great success for the team.

In addition, one of Sierra Leone’s most distinguished clubs revealed that Abdul Karim Bangura (Mexes) will serve as Assistant Coach 1, Abdul Rahim Sheriff (Bellamy) as Assistant Coach 2, and former player Alie Jaward as the club’s new Goalkeeper Coach.