By: Mohamed Abu Conteh
The Sierra Leone National Football Referees Organization has on 23rd January 2023 lifted the ban to officiate all matches in the Sierra Leone Premier League.
In a Press Release date 23rd January, it states the Sierra Leone National Football Referees Organization had an engagement with the President of the Sierra Leone Football Association Thomas Daddy Brima, and the Executive members on the 21st of January 2023 at the Football Federation Secretariat in Kingdom.
The Press Release informed that after the engagement, the Sierra Leone Football Referees Organization is pleased to inform the public, especially the Football loving fans that the Sierra Leone National Football Referees Organization will continue to officiate all Premier League matches in ongoing Sierra Leone Premier League, while Sierra Leone Football Association continues an investigation into matters raised by both parties.
It could be recalled on Friday last week the Referees Organization failed to Officiate FCFC Vs FC Kallon match at the Brima Attougia Mini Stadium as they said the reason is what Mohamed Kallon posted on Facebook.
The Referee’s Manager Franklin Foray Marrah said what happened is wrong and uncalled for in modern-day Football, noting that his Office is in charge of assigning Referees to officiate matches across the country in the Premier league but what happened that day is not up to his knowledge with regards of a Referee boycott.
He affirmed that his Office owns an apology to the public for what has happened, but noted they are going to fix it as soon as possible so it does not repeat itself, adding that his Office has summoned an emergency meeting on Wednesday to meet with clubs officials to map out the way forward on the persistent attack on Referees and to also get a lasting peace between both parties involved in the development of Football in Sierra Leone.