Last weekend saw Leone Stars on the pitch for the second time in successive weeks in the on going FIFA/CAF 2010 qualifying series.
Again it was no surprise as the Stars were eclipsed by the Eagles of Nigeria 0-1 to give them maximum points from two matches and the Leone Stars two down and counting.
This weekend, South Africa will visit Sierra Leone for the third match in the group and we will see what happens.
As I have said before, SLFA – their band of players are just giving Sierra Leoneans heart break because many of them were optimistic that Leone Stars will defeat Nigeria, – even my Deputy Editor Samuel John was quoting history for Leone Stars, but alas, the Eagles landed and gave us a crushing blow to tell us we should start parking as we cannot compete at the highest level.
When the APC government took power I said they should not waste tax payers’ money on this particular FA and Leone Stars because they will never bring smiles to our faces, – but my appeal was never heard as the government wants to make a name.
Football is an industry and not a past time, hundreds of millions that should have been used to alleviate poverty have been wasted and more will be wasted in the coming days on a bunch of people calling themselves football officials and players.
If I can do some analysis, the highest number of points we will get from this group is six that is if we are able to beat South Africa and Equatorial Guinea at home, that’s all. It is definite that the two away matches – we will not be able to win, and not even score a goal in those matches. The number of goals I expect them to score is two not more.
We have to be practical in saying the truth; sycophancy will not do us any good. I am a Sierra Leonean and have been following football for very long. Football has no magic and sentiments, when a team is competitive, we say it, and if the team can’t compete again we report it, which is what a journalist should be seen to be doing.
Our players and officials lack the mental, technical and psychological balance to compete in the highest level. I am sure if FIFA organizes a tournament for Sierra Leone, Djibouti, Afghanistan, Seychelles and Nepal, the chances that Sierra Leone will win it will be fifty percent, why, because we are ranked above these countries in the last page of FIFA ranking. But these countries are improving every month gaining upward movement whilst we are retrogressing by our downward movement.
The last 10 matches played by Leone Stars saw us winning one, scoring two goals, conceding 17, losing three home matches, draw one and win one. We were able to get an away draw against Guinea Bissau. All the rest now is history.
Can we be proud of such hopeless statistics and all these matches were played under the worst executive of Nahim Kadi and this man has the guts to tell us again that he wants a second term? To do what?
The only thing Nahim succeeded in is making millions of Leones and repaying his boys JJ, Taqi and Sweet Kay for their roles in helping him win the last elections.
Until the game of football in Sierra Leone is restructured from the clubs level, we will never enjoy football in the country.
When football was in the schools, we produced quality players and most of them after football had very good jobs; from the Weah Sawyerr to Achie Amara, from Joseph Morsay (banga boy) to Little John, all of them were successful in the football field and their current trade.
Now the players that are retiring from the game – where can we find them and the ones that are playing now, where will they end up, God only knows.
Football is a very intelligent game; we’ve seen medical doctors, lawyers, and engineers playing football at the highest level and upon retirement they choose to either continue in football or their other profession.
If the new executives can be business minded and positive, I am sure they will be able to turn around the fortunes of Sierra Leone football once and for all.
Is there anything to write home about of Sierra Leone football, can we continue to watch in pain and heart break whenever Leone Stars take the field?
Well, we will have elections this month and if the poverty stricken club officials should accept Nahim’s money then take an oath on the Bible or Quran and ‘sasa’ then the government should hands off football and stop wasting precious monies on these people.
It is sad always when asked by colleagues about my country’s result, because I just tell them as usual. U-20 we were beaten, Under-17 as usual and club level ditto.
Can Emerson and the other musicians’ help me out with a song for such wonderful work done by Nahim Kadi?
When he won the elections, he said Leone Stars will qualify for nation’s cup, we played it in Ghana this year and we won the cup, He said we will qualify for the world cup, presently we have played two matches and have won both of them and now we are on course for world cup 2010. WELL DONE NAHIM KADI, YOU HAVE MADE SIERRA LEONEANS PROUD OF YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS, YOU WILL RECEIVE YOUR REWARD IF NOT ON MOTHER EARTH, YOU WILL RECEIVE IT IN THE GREAT BEYOND.
By Austin Thomas in China
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