Grieving for nine players who died in road accident
The football family in Sierra Leone has been thrown into shock following the death by road accident of nine players of a local club Makarie FC in the north of Sierra Leone. They were on their way to play a non-league match over the weekend. Many more are in hospital with serious injuries. The gruesome incident happened along the Makeni –Freetown highway. The bus in which the players were travelling reportedly had a head on collision with a truck that was heavily loaded with local produce. The boys were from Karene district and had left for a scheduled match with another club in Makeni. Meanwhile Gianni Infantino, the secretary general of football world governing body FIFA has in a letter addressed to the FA president Isha Johansen expressed the federation’s sympathy over the tragedy.
The letter says: “On behalf of FIFA and the global football community, we would like to express our condolences to the Sierra Leone Football Association, to the North East Region Football Association, to Makarie FC and , above all, to the families, friends and loved ones of the victims”. FIFA also wished a speedy recovery to the injured.
Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Sports also issued a message expressing condolences to the bereaved families and the regional football association.
Search for alternative venue for Leone Stars/Benin Afcon tie
A delegation from Sierra Leone was expected to depart Freetown this Wednesday 3 February 2021 for neighbouring Guinea for talks on the possibility of Sierra Leone switching the African Cup of Nations qualifying match against Benin to Conakry. The move follows the decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) banning the use of the Siaka Stevens Stadium in Freetown for all international matches, raising a number of concerns including the poor condition of the pitch.
Reports say the Sierra Leone football authorities were also considering other possible venues such as Liberia and Gambia. The national football team Leone Stars were scheduled to play Benin at the Siaka Stevens Stadium in Freetown later this month. The CAF ban has sparked public debate with some asking why it was allowed to reach this point, when they could have upgraded facilities at the stadium beforehand.
FCFC have a new Coach
One of the Premier league sides Freetown City Football Club can now boast of having a new coach. Francis Koroma popularly known as Zappa has signed a four year contract with the club that is managed by the Freetown City Council. Asked what convinced him to take up the job, Zappa told Politico that FCFC have a structured system that ensures the salaries of the players are paid regularly. He said he was also attracted to the frankness of his employers who told him they want the club to compete instead of participating whilst responding to a series of questions he asked them during discussions leading to his contractual agreement with the club. He had been approached by a host of clubs but said he decided to commit to the FCFC because of the system that is in place. Zappa played for prominent local clubs Diamond Stars and East End Lions. He has 58 international caps to his credit and was part of the team that went to the 1996 African Cup of Nations tournament in South Africa, and was with the squad a year earlier that won the 1995 regional Zone!! Competition.
Zappa featured for Gambian side Wallidan and Santos in South Africa. He played for Vasalund Syrianska in Sweden and Vietnamese side Dontam. The former national under 17 and 20 coach, also performed a similar coaching role at Diamond Stars, Mount Aureol , and Real Friends as well as community clubs.
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