On 12 August 2024, the head coach of the Sierra Leone national football team, Amidu Karim, announced the invitation of 26 home-based players to begin training on Wednesday, 14 August 2024.

This initiative by Coach Amidu is commendable as it shows his commitment to building a strong national team. However, for the benefit of the squad, it is now crucial for the coach to prohibit these selected players from participating in the ongoing community leagues across the country.

The focus should be solely on the national assignment, ensuring that all players are fully dedicated to their training and preparation. Participating in community leagues while preparing for national duties can be detrimental to their performance and increase the risk of injuries, which could weaken the squad.

We also urge the president of the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) Thomas Daddy Brima to take decisive action by enforcing this directive. It is essential that these players concentrate entirely on the national team training to achieve better performance.

Allowing them to continue playing in community leagues while in national team training is counterproductive and could undermine their readiness and fitness.For the sake of the national team’s success, it is time for all involved to prioritize national duties over other engagements.

The future of Sierra Leone football depends on it.