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In a Strategic move to update the Public about his vision and the strive the Sierra Leone Football Association is making in the development of Youth Football in the country , the SLFA President, Thomas Daddy Brima has emphasized the need to breed up new talents with different mentality, proper skills and the right confidence for the transformation of Sierra Leone Football.
He made the statement on behalf of Salieu Bah, a young talented footballer, in a recent SLFA Press Conference on Friday 7th September, 2023 at the Sierra Leone Football Association Headquarter, Battery Street, Kingtom ahead of Sierra Leone Clash with Guinea Bissau in the Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers on 11th September, 2023,
He pointed out that sometimes it hurts when the national team go into competitions and Qualifiers and people use the common rhetoric that “they are going but they will be coming back” . He added that he believes Leone Stars coach, John Keister has also suffered from such words though they have been using what they have.
He revealed that he spoke on behalf of Salieu Bah because he is representing the development the Sierra Leone Football Association has been taking about. A development which trajectory focuses on where they are from , what they intend and their vision going forward development.
“We have always been talking about Progression in Football, Salieu has given us the reason to believe that we can trust in young players, we can develop young players and become something that we will all love to look at. A spectacular young football player, we have not heard the opportunity of seeing young players breaking into the national team since Mohamed Kallon did far back in the years.
What we are seeing is a kid who had won six man of the match Awards at the Sierra Leone Premier League ,went to Germany for three months in an established academy and he was outstanding . He went to Romania on a trial, he took a mastery In that trial and probably he is one of the first Sierra Leoneans that have signed a contract being back home to play professional football outside Sierra Leone”- he stated.
He confirmed that he was not surprised when Coach Keister gave him a national call up to the senior national team in an AFCON qualifier against Guinea Bissau devoid of his age. He decried the called-up as a credit to young player and a Plus to the Sierra Leone Football Association. He further revealed that they have sent out over 14 Young Players to different Academies around the world an action he described as the first in the history of Sierra Leone Football. Speaking on the rationale behind the move, President Brima affirmed that the Idea is that in three years the ground would have been fertile for them to have what it takes to compete by whatever standards in the world.
Thanking their International Partners for giving the FA Insights about the potentials of the various young players, he acknowledged that Sierra Leone still have other young players out there and they Just need to tap into their resources to give them right exposure for them to get the best out of them
President Brima clocked two year in office on 6th June, 2023. Though the past years have seen football stakeholders fall to the fangs of serious controversies in the struggle for leadership in the beautiful game of football; he is strong and now serving as a unifier.
Before he assume the mantle of SLFA leadership, at a time when big names in Sierra Leone football allure of the filthy lucre, Brima passed the FIFA Integrity Test-a rigorous check on an individual’s credibility and personal life- with flying colours. His transparency and incompatibility commensurately earned him the trust of football delegates who placed the destiny of Sierra Leone Football on his shoulder.
In his first and second year, President Brima has indeed evolved as a leading figure in Sierra Leone football, especially under current FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, who respects his virtues, opinions and understanding of African Football Management.
