In one of the super 10 matches recently played in Kono on July 3rd, 2022 at the Koidu Community Football field between Gulf FC vs Koaquima Lebanon FC that ended to a hilarious 91-1 in favor of Gulf FC within the 90 minutes of normal play time, the Kono District Footbal Association, affiliated to ERFA and SLFA has called the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) to investigate alleged match manipulation in Kono.

It is no contradicting the fact that Kono District Football Association (KDFA) is an affiliate membership to the Eastern Region Football Association (ERFA) and SLFA, the body with the responsibility with football activities in the country.

As SLFA cannot have all its tentacles directly stretched to other districts and sub-regions in the country to oversee football activities in the country, it delegates responsibilities to sub football associations. In the Eastern part of the country, it is headed by the Eastern Region Football Association. The ERFA is charged with similar responsibilities in addition to regional competitions on behalf of SLFA in the Eastern Region. This includes local leagues such as Super 10 competition which gears to promote teams to another tier in the Sierra Leone leagues.

Following to the hilarious match that ended 91-1 in favour of Gulf FC, as an association, the match was considered an embarrassment and utter disgrace to every football stakeholder including KDFA, ERFA, SLFA and the nation as a whole, and also a disgrace to the international community.

To prevent such unfortunate events from happening ever in the history of football in Sierra Leone, KDFA calls on national football governing body, SLFA to institute the following constraints as measures to address and fix this anomaly:

  1. That SLFA immediately sets up an independent investigation panel to query the said match
  2. That SLFA ensures: (a) all those who were in-charge of organizing the games be suspended and investigated with immediate effects. (b) nulify the said match in its entirely.

The organizing secretary reminded SLFA that, as a member Association to WAFU, CAF, and FIFA, it has obligations to, and among them were :

a). Observe the principles of loyalty, integrity and sportsmanship in accordance with the principles of fair play.

b). Uphold these values and as well provide that leagues, clubs, players and officials also observe these obligations.

Further reminding SLFA, KDFA also wish the SLFA to note that a breach of any of these principles by anyone: (a) who acts in a way that is likely to exert an influence on the course and/ or the result of a match or competition by means of behaviour has breached the stationary objectives of WAFU, CAF and FIFA.

Concluding the press release to the Sierra Leone Football Association, Pecos Lamin, Secretary General, KDFA called the intervention of the Ministry of Sport, NSA and Parliamentary Committee on sports being moral guarantor, regulator and playing oversight role respectively, ensure enforcement of the investigation to save the face of the country from ugly International reputation and integrity.

He further urged SLFA to act and act decisively now to save Sierra Leone Football.