August 16, 2021
By Mohamed Abu Conteh
The Sierra Leone Premier league Board has disclosed that the Premier league will resume on the 17th September 2021 across the Country.
The Premier league was suspended indefinitely two months back because NACOVERCA asked all the Premier league teams to play their matches behind closed doors which the club refused to and the board decided to suspend the league.
According to Hilton John one of the media representative the Premier league chairman and the board haves been working tirelessly to see how best they can get sponsorship to run a successful League but they are yet to get any as they have contacted cooperate institutions for sponsorship but none have shown any signs.
He affirmed that in the last cancelled Premier league a year ago they also faced such challenges but Orange Mobile Company came in and help them by given the board one Hundred million Leones and also the Company placed a Star prize for the man of match award for each and every match by given out a smart phone and one million top card in it that again create huge boost to the players.
He added that the (18) Premier league clubs cannot play without Spectators and most of the clubs largely depend on gate taking and some are bankrupt and cannot able to play under such condition as their financial status can’t afford such situations amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in the World.
He furthered that the Premier league Board Chairman Alieu Vandy Koroma and team have presented a budget to the Ministry of Sports by extension to the Government of Sierra Leone for financial help because the Premier league Board want to run a successful League in the Country and able to get teams to represent the Country in inter clubs competitions which has been missing for the past three years now.
As a Premier league Board they are hopeful the Government will help, because his Excellency President Julius Maada Bio promises to restructure sports which the new directions Government have been tremendously doing in last two years.
Hilton John said the Premier league in the Country has made a tremendous help to the technical team because through the league the Technical team were able to scout seven home base players who played a pivotal role in the Country`s qualifications to the Africa Cup of Nations to be hosted in Cameroon.
Getting the Premier league running will play a pivotal role to help the home base players ahead of the AFCON.
The Confederation of Africa (CAF) has disclosed that on 13th Friday they will be conducting the draw for both the Champions League and the Confederation Cup.
The Preliminary rounds of matches will kick starts on the 10th September 2021 while the group stage with starts in February 2022.