The Sierra Leone Football Association has publicly condemned theMinistry of Sports for traveling Cameroun withan "unauthorized delegation and unqualified to coaches to train and manage a national team."
A press release issued in Freetownon Tuesday 7th October reads in part, "the FA disassociates itself from the technical delegation that travelled with the national team, further more we would like to apologise to the Cameroun FA for the embarrassment or breach of protocol which arose today as a result of...unauthorized persons travelling under the guise of technical coaches and managers for the Sierra Leone National Team (Leone Stars)…”
The FA stated that they have opted to pay for their own technical team and delegation that are reported to have travelled yesterday to Yaoundé and that their head of delegation Allie B. Tarawallie who is already in Yaoundé was working with the Cameroun FA in relation to the qualifiers scheduled for the 11th and 15th October.
Reacting to the SLFA statement, the Public Relations Officer of the Sports Ministry Benjamin Pratt argued that the SLFA lacks the capacity to run the national team and should be told that that it’s not the FA that joined CAF or FIFA but the government of Sierra Leone.
"The government can opt out of FIFA and CAF at any time, it’s voluntary, we are not tied down to that relationship but if they really want national recognition they have to liaise with the government, it is the ministry that is running sports in the country."
Pratt said the SLFA cannot be allowed to run the ministry, "it is the ministry that is running all sporting disciplines in the country and if they want recognition they need to affiliate with the National Sports Council."He said, "they do not have the technical capacity and money to run sports, so let them stop making flimsy excuses."
He went on to state that the money the FA receive yearly from FIFA and CAF combined is far less than what the government spends per international match."Since they came into office as those responsible to run football in the country how much have they raised? Everything has been centered on government, so let them toe the line, if they want the game to play" Pratt bluffed.
(C) Politico 09/10/14
