Sports

By Kemoh Sesay

The national Under 19 Cricket team was not allowed to participate in the ICC U-19 World Cup by the host country, Zambia due to the current Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone. The tournament has already commenced.

The president of the Sierra Leone Cricket Association (SLCA) Francis Trevor Samura described the situation as unfortunate "especially after we had undergone medical test from Ministry of Health and Sanitation".

The Central One Football Association (COFA) has asked squatters to leave the parade grounds for the improvement of the facility to take place before the start of their league season.

COFA Chairman Sammah Sesay said they intend to construct a perimeter fence, a pavilion and dressing rooms for the teams.

"We have instructed all squatters to leave and we are using our own money to fund this project",  said Sesay.

The Director of Competition at the Sierra Leone Football Association Sorie Ibrahim Sesay has confirmed that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has allowed the national football team, Leone Stars to progress to the group stage of the AFCON 2015 qualifiers.

Sesay said "the call came from Hicham El Amrani, Secretary General of CAF to congratulate me with apologies that Match No.42 of the 2015 AFCON has been cancelled and Sierra Leone has progressed to the group stage to face Ivory Coast, Cameroon and  DR Congo.

The fourth season of the Airtel Rising Stars (ARS) competition has been "suspended till further notice".

This is according to a representative of the organising committee Imorana Barrie who told Politico that as a result of the President’s declaration of a Public Emergency over the Ebola outbreak, "we saw the need to put a halt to the nationals and ask all the players who were in town to return home.

(C) Politico 01/08/14

By Kemoh Sesay

Musa Conteh, coach of Portuguese Tong community football team has accused the organisers of the Central One Football Association (COFA) non-division league of drawing the league fixtures with the motive of making money.

Forty teams have been drawn for this year’s league grouped into five with only two teams qualifying from each group.

The Central One Football Association (COFA) is set to begin its Non-Division League on 3rd August, with 40 teams at the Parade Grounds.

Defending Champions Malcolm Football Club will engage Portuguese Town Football Club, in the opening match.

By Kemoh Sesay

Leone Stars Coach Johnathan Mckinstry says his team's away fixture with The Seychelles could be tricky as the Pirates could pose a real threat.

Mckinstry who was addressing a news conference after Leone Stars defeated the Pirates 2-0 in Freetown described the performance of his team as "encouraging taking into consideration the state of the pitch which was not good for my players and their opponents as well".