The Team Manager (TM) of Leone Stars, Christian Dauda, has appealed to government for the lifting of the ban on sports activities. He said the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA), the Ministry of Sports (MOS) and the National Sports Authority (NSA) recently appointed coaches who are going to be paid by government, “and how can you pay coaches when they are unable to do their work?”
He stated that the various categories of football teams have pending competitions, including the national team against Nigeria during a resumed Afcon in November, both home and away. Dauda added that the players need to start training to be in good shape ahead of the competition.
He suggested that the ban could be lifted with some restrictions and preventive messages from government. Meanwhile, other sports coaches, athletes and fans also expressed the same. According to coach Daniel Conteh, the MOS and NSA should be planning for the resumption of sporting activities in the country.
As a football coach, and on behalf of all athletes, coaches, referees and key sports stakeholders across the country, he said resumption of all sporting activities backed with COVID-19 guidelines “cannot be overemphasised at this time when athletes, players, coaches, referees and other stakeholders are struggling to make ends meet”.