By Alpha Abu
The runaway leaders of the Sierra Leone Premier League were on Sunday crowned as the Champions of football in the country.
Fresh from their 4-0 drubbing of Central Parade at the Bo mini-stadium, to go 16 points clear of their nearest rivals East End Lions, Bo Rangers were presented with the trophy at a colorful ceremony.
Ahead of the weekend match, the hosts were treated to a guard of honour by Central Parade FC.
Brimming with confidence, the Rangers were in full control of play, cheered on by their enthusiastic supporters, some travelling from neighbouring Liberia. They were in a joyous mood and quite rightly relished the spectacle on the final day at a stadium full beyond capacity.
At half time, it was 1-0 to the home side, a goal scored by Amadu Mansaray just in the 4th minute of play, and it could have been more.
Such was the ease and surety of Rangers’ dominance in the first half that one could tell the gulf between the two sides. Central Parade had to make two substitutions before the break due to injuries.
In the second half, the league’s top scorer Musa Noah Kamara aka Musa Tombo replicated his devastating form he so clearly demonstrated in the entire season, by scoring a hat-trick to take his goal tally to an incredible 19.
The club’s Financier Babadi Kamara was present to see his team’s action on the final day, and must have been pleased at what he saw.
Rangers topped the league table with 78 points, from 34 matches played. Tombo scooped three awards: Best Striker, the Golden Boot and Best Player. His teammates Mohamed Fogbawa and Esheikh Kamara won Best Midfielder and Best Defender respectively. Rangers’ Chilean coach, Solomon Jose Cortes was named by the Premier League as Coach of the Season.
Alie Conteh of East End Lions won the Young Player award, and the league’s Best Goalkeeper was Saidu F Kamara of Mighty Blackpool.
The Sierra Leone Football Association after the Rangers-Parade match then handed over the Le 250 million champions’ prize money (in cheque) to the team from the south of the country who were winning the leagues for the first time in their 68-year history.
Popular Bo-based businessman Fasali Tarawally promised to give Rangers Le 500 Million for winning the league. More partying went on in the southern city until late into the night.
In contrast to that lively atmosphere, the mood in the camps of the Sierra Leone Police FC, RSLAF FC and Anti-Drugs was somber as they all got relegated. They will have to play Division One football next season.
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