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.