Why I Resigned as SLFA President – Isha Johansen Finally Releases Statement

President of the Sierra Leone Football Association, Isha Johansen has officially released a statement confirming her resignation as the president of the SLFA and withdrawal from the upcoming electoral congress.

Johansen in her statement said due to her new role as a FIFA Council Member Council she would not be able to effectively perform as the FA’s President.

The Release reads as follow:

Dear Football Family,

Dear Friends,

Dear Sierra Leonean,

As a recently elected FIFA Council Member, I will be required to play a higher level and more active role as a Global Ambassador for football and for FIFA.

Building on several years of experience in using football as a tool for change, development, peace, and unification, I will be working closely with FIFA in diverse areas including football as a force to unify and bring peace, women in football leadership and promoting women’s football, Additionally, I will continue acting as an ambassador for Africa and Sierra Leone in FIFA in Sierra Leone.

“My new role will require extensive global traveling and consequently increased demands on my time. After much deliberation and soul searching it is with sadness that I have to announce the withdrawal of my candidacy for President in the upcoming Sierra Leone Football Association elections.”

I hereby offer the new SLFA Executive and Staff my best for the future and assure my full support from within FIFA.

I want to thank all my supporters and well-wishers from across the country for their unwavering loyalty, integrity and for the years of dedication to our cause and vision in changing our narrative and raising the game of footballing Sierra Leone.

Whilst I pride myself in the belief that I have played a significant role in restoring integrity, compliance, and good governance in our nation’s football, my fervent prayer is that we do not lose what we fought so hard to build.

As long as we continue to respect the rules of compliance and good governance, I pledge to expend every effort to ensure the delivery of football development programmes and infrastructure in Sierra Leone, to the deserved benefit of our children and our Nation.

I remain your mother, sister, and friend in football.-