Sierra Leone disqualified from African Nations Cup

[pens]

Sierra Leone disqualified from African Nations Cup
By AFP
03 December 2018 | 3:05 pm


FILE PHOTO – Sierra Leone Football Association President Isha Johansen attends a panel discussion during the Anti-Corruption Summit London 2016, at Lancaster House in central London on May 12, 2016. REUTERS/Adrian Dennis/Pool/File Photo

Sierra Leone have been disqualified from the 2019 African Cup of Nations qualifying competition, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) said on Monday.
Football’s world governing body FIFA had suspended the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) in October due to “government interference”.

CAF’s decision means Kenya and Ghana are assured of first and second place in Sierra Leone’s Group F and have therefore booked their place in next year’s finals.

“Sierra Leone is disqualified from the qualifiers and all its matches are annulled,” CAF said in a statement.

The row stems from the decision of Sierra Leone’s anti-corruption commission to sack SLFA president Isha Johansen and general secretary Christopher Kamara during an ongoing probe into corruption and mismanagement.

In October, CAF cancelled two matches pitting Sierra Leone against Ghana due to the dispute between Freetown and FIFA.

The 2019 finals have been plunged into uncertainty chaos after CAF last week stripped Cameroon of the right to host the tournament, citing delays caused by infrastructure work.

CAF The organisation has yet to determine the new host country but said it would reach a decision by the end of the year.

https://guardian.ng/sport/sierra-leone- ... tions-cup/

[Rawlings]

Now let's hear it from the bedwetters

Urban Dictionary: bedwetter - some one who believes Ghana will not make AFCON 2019

[metalalloy]

In October, CAF cancelled two matches pitting Sierra Leone against Ghana due to the dispute between Freetown and FIFA.

Ghana ojoro

[Goldleaf]

There is just no keeping the midgets down!

[paj]

They still wont win it even dem assign dem to host am.. I don talk am..Ghana no go win jack until Nkrumah pikin become president

[1naija]

Chei shame no dey even catch Ghana. Snitching on Sierra Leone to get them banned so you can qualify is despicable!! Boooo boooo boooo

[Kabalega]

Kenya officially qualifies while Ghana gate crashes ....

[Tobi17]

Kenya officially qualifies while Ghana gate crashes ....

Always knew there was something special about Kenyan girls

[Odas]

I don't know how it works, else I think Sierra Leone should take this matter to court. That is, sue CAF and FIFA. A corrupt individual should not be protected - no mater what. What FIFA and CAF are doing is PURE intimidation; thereby, empowering the thieves.

[Rawlings]

They still wont win it even dem assign dem to host am.. I don talk am..Ghana no go win jack until Nkrumah pikin become president

we have a REAL democracy, not the American type, where children of presidents become presidents and daughters become advisers

[metalalloy]

They still wont win it even dem assign dem to host am.. I don talk am..Ghana no go win jack until Nkrumah pikin become president

we have a REAL democracy, not the American type, where children of presidents become presidents and daughters become advisers

[Chief Ogbunigwe]

kai...is this how low TFCO and Rawlings have stooped? They have to cheat and snitch on Sierra Leone in order to qualify.

[lekanlij]

CAF is a mess - they seem to be copying rules from europe blindly. The Sierra Leone government funds football and should be able to sack the FA if corrupt rather than wait for elections. if the govt doesn't fund, would CAF? If FIFA is making nonsense rules must CAF copy?

To decide to strip a country of hosting rights 6months before start of competition is irresponsible. Milestones should have been set longer than 6 months and a decision made sooner especially considering cameroun is ruled by a very old dictator, would have had recent elections by the time the competition starts and has track record of poor infrastructure even in hosting its home matches.

CAF is a mess and making a mockery of our football for example they should be looking at better sponsorship, coordinating a glamourous 3 continental championship with higher standards of say leading 8 clubs in Africa playing each other to showcase best talent, attract more investment, bridge the infrastructure/ technical gap within Africa and also with rest of world. Look into amalgamating certain small Federations into 1 to increase chance of representation in ACN.

So much they could do but it's mediocrity and poor decision making we see instead.

[Kabalega]

CAF is a mess - they seem to be copying rules from europe blindly. The Sierra Leone government funds football and should be able to sack the FA if corrupt rather than wait for elections. if the govt doesn't fund, would CAF? If FIFA is making nonsense rules must CAF copy?

To decide to strip a country of hosting rights 6months before start of competition is irresponsible. Milestones should have been set longer than 6 months and a decision made sooner especially considering cameroun is ruled by a very old dictator, would have had recent elections by the time the competition starts and has track record of poor infrastructure even in hosting its home matches.

CAF is a mess and making a mockery of our football for example they should be looking at better sponsorship, coordinating a glamourous 3 continental championship with higher standards of say leading 8 clubs in Africa playing each other to showcase best talent, attract more investment, bridge the infrastructure/ technical gap within Africa and also with rest of world. Look into amalgamating certain small Federations into 1 to increase chance of representation in ACN.

So much they could do but it's mediocrity and poor decision making we see instead.

What are you on about?

Your rants about CAF are misplaced.
If FIFA bans or suspends a country, CAF has to abide by that ban.

I do agree that Cameroon was setup to fail. They should have protested the request to have them host 24 teams when they bid to host 16.
Maybe, even the infrastructure capable of hosting 16 teams is not in place?

Regarding small FAs, I think you're misguided. Ever heard of Yugoslavia? Three of the FAs from Yugoslavia have since done OK. One of them Croatia made the World Cup final this year.
Instead of having one Yugoslavia where many talented players don't even make it, you have three teams where more talent has a chance to shine, learn the hurdles of managing a qualifying campaign, a successful team and more....

Sierra Leone are enduring growing pains they otherwise would not have faced in a consolidated FA. How long they endure those pains is entirely up to them. If they get their act together quickly, they will come out the better for it and beat bigger FAs like the NFF.

Remember, a small nation of Togo made it to the World Cup in 2006. If not for the off field distractions, they probably would have acquitted themselves well at the Mundial.

Look at the recent progress made by Cape Verde and Uganda?
Now we have the likes of Madagascar and Mauritius qualifying for AFCON.
They have done a good job managing national team qualifying campaigns in the treacherous CAF landscape, improved organization, planning and logistics.
As Rohr will attest, a big seasoned and well funded federation like the NFF is still struggling with logistics right now.

If anything, the big NFF should be split into two. Then maybe, one of them will get the last hurdle of logistics, right and go to the promised land.

Africans will be the better for it because more of them will learn how to plan long term, organize themselves,.manage finances well and be successful. This is what we need more than even the joy of watching footie on the green grass.