SLFA Urges Swift National Stadium Refurbishment

The Acting Secretary General of the Sierra Leone Football Association, Mr. Mohamed Benson Bawoh during the conducted tour of the Vice President of the Republic of Sierra Leone has called for the speedy refurbishment of the National Stadium. The SLFA Acting Secretary General further disclosed to the Vice President Mohamed JuIdeh Jalloh and His Excellency Wang Qing about the need to expedite the refurbishment process, which he said is “to give football fans in the country the much-craved opportunity to watch Leone Stars play home matches in the upcoming 2026 World Cup Qualifiers at the Siaka Steven Stadium. Mr. Bawoh provided series of professional guides to ensure the renovation exercise falls in line with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Federation International de Football Association (FIFA) stadium standards.

Key among Benson Bawoh’s recommendations is the installation of individual seats across the full capacity of the stadium which he said “is a non-negotiable criterion in the CAF and FIFA stadium approval process”. He pleaded with the Government of Sierra Leone and its Chinese partners to strongly consider this to enable the stadium meets the set international standards.

Also, part of the high-profiled delegation was the Minister of Sports Madam Augusta James-Teima, the Executive Director of the National Sports Authority Dr. Kenneth Brima, the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Sierra Leone H.E. Wang Qing, the Director of Competitions of the Sierra Leone Football Association Sorie Ibrahim Sesay and other key Ministry of Sports and National Sports Authority officials.

The date of completion of the refurbishment, as proposed by the Chinese contractors before they commenced work, is April 2024.