By: Mohamed Abu Conteh
The Southern Region Football Association has on 25th April 2023 released fixtures ahead of the Sierra Leone Football Association’s proposes FA Cup preliminary stage across the Region.
Ten teams are set to kick off the Preliminary rounds and teams from Division One are set to be part of the competitions.
David Lebbie the Media Officer of the Southern Region Football Association said after a successful meeting with the Executive members of the Southern Region with the Director of Competitions at the Sierra Leone Football Association Sorie Ibrahim Sesay it was agreed that the tournament should kick start at a lower level with the team in the Division one Category along with Division two teams.
He affirmed that the selection of the ten teams was done through balloting and it is based on that process they get the teams that are going to Kick-off the Preliminary of the FA Cup competitions in the region, noting that a meeting was called for all the teams that last participate in Division one and Division two competition last year.
He further the format of the Competition is very clear and it is knock based and the (16) teams will join the rest of the others in the Round of Sixteen but added that what is clear from the Competition director is that there is no fund allocated for any team that progresses to the next rounds of competition.
Sorie Ibrahim Sesay the head of Competition said
Speaking on the rationale of the Competition, the Head of Competition at SLFA Sorie Ibrahim Sesay said the competition will provide an opportunity for teams in the lower division to display their talents at the national level and will further strengthen the collaboration between SLFA and its affiliated members in the Districts and Regions.
Sorie Ibrahim Sesay further stated that the Fa Cup Competition was last played in 2016 and the internal abnormalities in the Fa have hindered its continuation.
The Competition according to the delegation from SLFA will start at the district level and each winner for every district (except for Moyamba and Bonthe in the Southern Region and Koinadugu and Falaba in the Northwest one from each pair) will progress to the next round.
Highlighting the list of qualified teams Mr. Sesay ssaisaid 0-second division, all first division teams in every district, and 18 premier league teams only will play this edition of the Sierra Leone Football Association Cup.
The Competition he revealed will kick off in the Kono district on April 30 whilst the grand final will be played in Makeni Wusum field.
The fixtures for the Preliminary round 1 of the Southern Region FA Cup are as follows.
Match one Sewa Eagles Football Club will entertain Tucker Football Club
Match two Hopanda Rovers Football Club will lock horns with Kanja Football Club
In match three, Manchester United Academy Football Club will go head to head Kindia Football Club and in match four Valunia Football Club will welcome FC Johnson, and Commit Football Club will take TBA.