By Rodney Edmond Michael (A Politico exclusive)
The tournament is the African Cup of Nations 2021 (AFCON2021); the host is Cameroun, the land of the indomitable Lions: the city is Douala, the commercial and economic capital of Cameroun; the stadium is the newly constructed 50, 000 capacity (all seater) multi sports complex officially known as Stade Omnisport de Douala (also known as Japoma Stadium); and the team is the Mighty Leone Stars, the darling of Sierra Leone.
In the midst of a pandemic that has ravaged the world and created chaos unprecedented and unexpected, all sports have suffered like everything else, and football probably more than any other. Africa as a continent has had its fair share of challenges with numerous sporting events either cancelled or postponed.
The AFCON 2021 has had to be rescheduled twice; the first was announced on the 15th January 2020 by CAF, from the original June/July 2021 to January/February 2021, citing unfavourable climatic conditions as the justification. This schedule did not last long as CAF was forced to once more reschedule the event to January/February 2022 in an announcement on the 30th June 2020, this time forced by the catastrophic COVID 19 Pandemic, retaining the official name of the tournament as The Total Energies 2021 African Cup of Nations, for sponsorship purposes.
Cameroun, the land of the Indomitable Lions will host the event, one of Africa’s most successful footballing nations, having qualified 7 times for the World Cup, winning the AFCON 5 times out of 19 appearances, winning the Olympic Gold in 2000 and having represented the continent in the FIFA Confederation Cup 3 times. The host will be a force to reckon with, irrespective of their inexplicable mess within their football association, and will host the event as one of the favourites to win the trophy.
The city is Douala, the commercial and economic capital of Cameroun and the entire CEMAC region comprising Gabon, Congo, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Central Africa Republic and Cameroun, the Capital of Cameroun Littoral Region, and home to Central Africa’s largest port and its major International Airport, with a population of 2,769,400 and a GDP of $ 42 billion dollars (forty two billion dollars), the city sits on the estuary of the Wouri River and its climate is tropical.
The stadium is officially known as Stade Omnisport de Douala (also known as Japoma Stadium) and is a newly constructed 50,000 all seater multi sports complex, predominantly to be used for football, but will additionally accommodating an athletic track, basketball courts, handball, volleyball and tennis courts, an 8 lane Olympic size swimming pool, conference and commercial canters, a four-star Luxury Hotel and a parking lot.
The Leone Stars are drawn in group and will face Algeria with an enviable 27 games unbeaten record and defending champions, the nemesis Ivory Coast, and a rather more convenient opponent in Equatorial Guinea. The draws were done on the 17th August 2021 and the battle line is drawn, with high expectations from a passionate Sierra Leone football Nation, expecting Coach John Keister’s boys to prepare for battle as competitors and not mere participants.
The debate and discussions, mainly on social forums and at times heated with a lot of intolerance to banter or negativity, have been extensive with nearly everyone and anyone wanting their own choices in the final squad. This is understandable for several reasons and paramount amongst is that an entire generation has never been privileged to watch their national icons qualify for a major tournament, with the only previous qualifications some 27 and 25 years ago respectively (1994, 1996).
There is also justification for Sierra Leoneans to be optimistic, for at no other time in our history has a coach been spoilt for choices as John Keister is today, with over 25 players plying their trade in the diaspora, many of them in the 2nd and 3rd tier of the numerous football leagues in Europe or the USA, added to the very effective and excellent home-based options who contributed to the qualification stage.
There is the saying “he who fails to prepare will prepare to fail”, and by all indications those in charge of preparing our team for the AFCON 2021 are not prepared to fail, and want to do what is right to succeed. Th early signs are positive whilst many believe a lot more can and should be done. But it is early days although preparation is never too early, and the earlier you start the more time you have to ensure all is perfect.
There are several areas to work on in preparation, but for this opinion, best to categorise it in three sectors; administrative, technical and financial.
Administrative Peparations:
The Sierra Leone Football Secretariat, irrespective of what we may think of them as individuals, are in charge of all administrative arrangements and should be trusted fully and allowed to perform their roles.
The FA Executive, on the advice of the General Secretary, should focus on putting together several committees, in addressing the following areas; to work with the technical team on their requirements, a finance committee on the financial budgets, the Director of Competitions on the rules and regulations of the tournaments, the advanced preparations in Cameroun to ensure hotels, transportation and catering is well sorted, flights are all arranged well in advance, and with the medical team to satisfy all health protocols and other health related issues.
It is understood that from previous tournaments, the maximum number allowed in a delegation was restricted and additional numbers were not allowed to form part of the official delegation. One seasoned journalist with vast experience in such tournaments advised that it used to be 10 officials and 23 players, which may change now with the covid pandemic, especially for the squad limits. The selection of officials must be carefully discussed as the current technical team (around 10 excluding the Exco and Secretariat) may need to be reduced to pave the way for Executive and Administrative inclusion who would have significant roles to play. If we prepare well administratively, it will create the conducive atmosphere required for the team to focus purely on the matches without any discomfort or distractions, and will allow for a much better show at the tournament.
Financial Preparations:
It is no secret that African Football Tournaments are a burden on Governments, FAs and Clubs in Africa. In fact, some have suggested that the longer you last in an African Tournament the more you lose, and this truism has been the case for the last several decades. The financial commitment and funding have always been far less than the continents counterparts especially EUFA.
That said, there has been a marked improvement with CAF increasing prize monies in all their tournaments from 2017. The AFCON Total prize money for the period 2017-20 rose from $ 10 million dollars to $ 16.4 million dollars, an increment of 64%, which implied that the minimum any team leaves the AFCON tournament with was $ 475 000, that is the team occupying last in the group stages, whilst 3rd placed in the group stages earned $ 575, 000. Quarter finalists earned $ 800,000, semi finalists $ 1, 500,000, finalists $ 2 million and the winner went home with $ 4 million dollars.
The format has now changed with 24 teams and a round of 16 which should mean less for the group stages to allow for the round of 16, and subject to the revenue CAF generates from different sources, namely sponsorship, TV Rights and Marketing.
Whatever the potential prize money from the tournament, the prize will come after the tournament and could delay for a while. This implies Sierra Leone has to prepare financially, well in advance, and adequately without relying on the prize money or TV Rights, irrespective of what they are at the end of the tournament.
As a country struggling with revenue generation, and dependent on donor support, Sierra Leone cannot have the laxity of some other countries that can finance such tournaments with much higher fundings. Therefore, the financial burden has to be carefully assessed and a budget well drafted months in advance to ensure the funds required are available, whether from the Ministry of Finance or from whatever means. It is going to be an expensive tournament and we must prepare early for it.
Technical Preparations:
Sierra Leone is blessed to have a dynamic, hardworking, dedicated and very professional Coach in John Keister. No one deserves this qualification more than John, and he will surely do the Nation proud. But he will be first to admit that he is gaining a new experience in life and this being his first tournament at the highest level in the continent, he will be as desperate as the boys to get the right results.
It was reported in some social forums that John has now commenced the task of identifying a new breed of foreign based players he would like to invited, but these are for now mere speculations and unconfirmed.
What is clear though is that the Coach and his technical team have a pool of young and highly rated players all over Europe and the USA to select from, not to disrespect the highly talented group of home based players he has been working with for the last year.
Whilst this is good, it makes the job a lot harder in determining the right blend of players required for such a competitive tournament. With squad limitations for a tournament, not just a match, you have only one chance to get it right.
Sierra Leone is blessed with incredible talents in the English Leagues, for example the Chalobah brothers, if they are eligible and so desire to play for Sierra Leone would be a big bonus for Keister. With already Osman Kakay and Sullay Kaikai honouring their invitations in the qualifier against Benin, Bakayoko of Leicester and Joshua Koroma of Huddersfield are exciting options, as is Alex Bangura playing for FC Cambur in Holland. The much talented Yahya Kanu of Genoa is another to consider
It is a difficult decision and at times a problem for a coach to have so many options, but it a much more pleasant head ache than not having enough quality to add to your team. Keister is a good coach and a lucky man to have such problems for the options. Without rushing him, he has to request two things; first the list of players he wants to invite should be contacted immediately for them to consent, and secondly he should make a request for a series of friendlies during the international window to test as many players as possible, as a way of helping him conclude on his preferred final squad.
Leone Stars, along with Equatorial Guinea will be the underdogs in Group E to qualify, yet with high expectations from Sierra Leoneans, this is a team going to Cameroun determined and confident, fearing no one and prepared to compete with the best in Africa, to win and not just to participate, and most importantly enjoy the tournament and be the cherished Ambassadors Leone Stars has always been, and will be in Cameroun.
Good luck Leone Stars!
Copyright © 2021 Politico Online (20/08/21)
