After a Decade Long Wait, Female Football Kicks Off Again in Sierra Leone

Structured female football league in Sierra Leone has been dormant for a decade with the last known official female league played in the 2007/2008 football season.

However, the female football league at regional level is back with the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) supporting each regional association with thirty million Leones (about Four thousand five hundred United States Dollars) to facilitate the immediate commencement of their respective female leagues.

The euphoria and excitement of a planned FIFA sponsored female league scheduled to have commenced in October 2014 was sadly brought to an indefinite suspension due to the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone, which claimed almost four thousand lives.

Though Sierra Leone is yet to compete in women’s continental tournaments, the growing acceptance of the women's game in our society is reflective in social and gender inclusivity and the SLFA President, Madam Isha Johansen was quick to voice out her optimism in women’s football.

She said the league would enable female administrators, coaches and referees to fully utilize and impact the knowledge and trainings they have acquired from the FA and also have a clearer and realistic perspective of the level of the game.

Madam Johansen proudly highlighted the fact that the FA has produced FIFA and CAF licensed female coaches and referees for the first time in the history of Sierra Leone Football administration. She disclosed that the nation should be proud to claim ownership of the fact that the country has produced its first female CAF A’ license coach and first female CAF instructor, who is Ms. Victoria Conteh.

“I’m keen and excited to see how our licensed officials administer the empowerment invested in them,” the FA Boss said.

Regional female leagues have kicked off in three of the four regions in the country and football players in the yet to be commenced region are moving into the other regions to arouse their playing career once again. It is not surprising that there are high hopes for the players and coaches, who are thrilled to be able to do what they know best and help with the development of women’s football in the country.

The National Women’s team captain, Martha Hannah Conteh said they faced huge challenges as female footballers in Sierra Leone. She disclosed that players are looking for jobs elsewhere “and most players stop playing, as football doesn’t put food on the table. Sponsorship for female clubs and leagues is non-existent and it is strange that corporates like the mobile companies, banking institutions and boutiques selling women’s products, have not come on board to help.”

Aware of the challenges ahead, the FA president said they are leaving no stone unturned to raise female football in the country despite the several hurdles it had to go through over the years.

“It is an unquestionable fact that we have a lot of catching up to do and this league will hopefully influence and hasten the need for the government and the FA to introduce the women's game to our girls schools," Madam Johansen said.

However, with this new trend surging up, Sierra Leone’s rich stream of female talents will be hoping that the ‘Dawn of a New Era’ in women’s football will blossom as the country looks set to make a headway in continental female football for the first time in many years.

Isha Johansen, a CAF Executive member, who is also chairing the committee on female football said: “There is a huge potential amidst our African girls that can be tapped into all spheres of football and this will serve a dual purpose; to be involved in social responsibility and building society, through the power of football.

“My dream is to see women’s football in Sierra Leone and in Africa evolve on to an elite and highly structured level. I look forward to the African teams being the game changers and champions in the Women's World Cup,” Madam Johansen said.