By: Mohamed Abu Conteh
LUAWA FOOTBALL CLUB has unveiled Sebastian Bowles as their new head Coach for the senior team and Technical advisers for all sporting branches in the Country.
The unveiling took place at the Club Secretariat, Charlotte Street in Freetown, the and for the New Coach to plan ahead of upcoming Premier League season.
While making his Statement, the CEO Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai said the Club was founded ten years ago when he was with Old Edwardians Football Club as a Chairman. He noted that the purpose forming the club is for it to serve as feeder team to Old Edwardian Football Club at that time, but the agreement never work as planned.
He affirmed that, Luawa Football Club is the only club in the Country that started from Non Division, Second Division, and First Division and to the Topflight of the Sierra Leone Premier League, and that must of the clubs were at the top level, but Luawa Football Club has to start from down to the top.
He noted that Last year the club played one of the most difficult play-Offs in the Country but amidst that the club survived in making it to the Topflight League the Sierra Leone.
Dr. Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai said from January to July as a club they expended (1.3) billion on the Premier league club which has to do with paying of players, traveling and other expenses in the entire campaign, noting the money is equivalent to (55000) fifty-five thousand United State dollars.
He sent strong message to the Government of Sierra Leone and the Ministry of Sport:
“It is time for everyone to take Football or sports seriously as it not a place for mediocracy, it is not a place for dumpling Political Stewards, it is not a place for rewarding people, and it is a place for proper investment.”
He pointed out that if the Government of Sierra Leone and Football Administrators can take it seriously it will create thousands of jobs for the young people in the Country.
The CEO of Luawa Football Club said the money BO Rangers, FC Kallon are spending on Football can take care of whole District.
He added that LUAWA FOOTBALL CLUB is having the biggest Football Academy in Sierra Leone having branches across the Country, as a club that have branch at Parade ground, Approved School, Lumley and at present they are negotiating to buy a team from Waterloo the Rural part of the Country.
He noted that they are excited that the Government of Sierra Leone free Education policy is great because most of players in the different Academies are School going people pupils and are benefiting from the scheme.
On the planning for the next Premier League the CEO said they want to be in top five and looking forward to win the league as part of their plans and they want the coaches to get in house training; noting that in the coming month as plans for a new campaign of the season they are bringing in 8 new players to boost the squad.
He concluded that “People have to be serious about Football across the board, Government, SLFA, WAFA, Football Administrators, Journalists everybody in the Country.”
Sebastian Bowels the new head Coach of Luawa Football Club said two years he was contacted by Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai about his club Luawa FC playing in the first Division, he give his word about coming down to Sierra Leone and taking over as head Coach; he is delighted about the project and wants to be part of it because he like to take up new challenges and to develop Young players.
Luawa Football Club is among the surprising teams that started the new Premier league campaign last season in good footing.
