SLFA President Babadi Rejected Request to Endorse My FIFA Presidential Bid – Isha Johansen
Alex Fefegula Harding Former Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) President Isha Johansen says current federation president Babadi Kamara declined her request for institutional backing for a potential FIFA presidential bid, citing the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) position.
Johansen disclosed during an interview with Liberty Online TV, describing the disagreement as a wider question of Sierra Leone’s influence in African and international football rather than a personal dispute with Kamara.
She said she had approached the SLFA president to seek the federation’s endorsement and had also held discussions with several senior political figures in Sierra Leone about her ambitions.
Johansen explained that seeking endorsement does not necessarily mean securing a commitment to vote for a particular candidate. She argued that CAF operates a collective voting practice in which member associations are expected to rally behind an agreed candidate.
She said her request was declined because it conflicted with the continental body’s position, which favours incumbent FIFA President Gianni Infantino for another term.
The former SLFA president stressed that her decision to speak publicly was not intended to discredit Kamara. Instead, she said she wanted the discussion to focus on Sierra Leone’s contribution to football governance and Africa’s representation in international football leadership.
However, the distinction between CAF’s collective position and individual voting decisions is important. CAF announced on April 29, 2026, that its 54 member associations had unanimously agreed to support Infantino’s re-election for the 2027-2031 term.
Under FIFA’s electoral system, however, each of its 211 member associations has one vote, while the continental confederations themselves do not vote. Reuters has also reported that African associations have previously voted against candidates endorsed by CAF, demonstrating that institutional backing does not automatically guarantee a unified vote. Reuters
Johansen maintained that her interest in the FIFA presidency should be viewed through the broader question of African representation and Sierra Leone’s place in international football administration.
The 2027 FIFA presidential election is scheduled for March 17 in Morocco, with the deadline for prospective candidates to submit their nominations set for Nov. 18, according to Reuters.