By: Mohamed Abu Conteh
The buzz is back at the Approved School field, East of Freetown as the Approved School Sports Promoters Association (ASSPA) kicks off its ninth edition of the prestigious ASSPA Inter-Community League. What began years ago as a modest grassroots competition has today grown into a much-anticipated community league, drawing together football fans, players, and stakeholders from across the nation’s capital Freetown and its surrounding communities.
The curtain-raiser features a fiery clash between defending champions Kuntorloh Community and last season’s semi-finalists Wellington Community, a fixture that has already garnered fierce debates and raised the stakes higher among loyal supporters from the two communities. “The bragging rights are as important as the three points,” one Wellington fan noted ahead of kickoff, summing up the spirit that has long defined the rivalry.
Speaking at a pre-tournament seminar on Monday, 27th August 2025, held at the Association’s headquarters, ASSPA Chairman Abu Bakarr Kamara, popularly known as Councilor ABK, unveiled a groundbreaking prize for this year’s champions. The announcement, which was met with excitement, represents the highest prize money in the league’s history.
“This year’s edition of the tournament will see the champions take home a whopping NLe150,000,” he revealed before an audience of press men, referees, security personnel, and some key community stakeholders. The announced prize money marks a historic high in the organization of inter-community football in the Western Area.
This record-breaking prize underscores the league’s steady transformation from a dusty field rivalry into a polished community institution. But the chairman was careful to note that the spirit of partnership remains key to its growth.
When asked about sponsorship, Councillor ABK paid tribute to the league’s long-time benefactor, Mr. Mohamed Gento Kamara of the Gento Group of Companies, who has faithfully backed the competition over the years.
“We have had Mr. Mohamed Gento Kamara as the league’s sponsor over the course of the previous editions,” chairman explained. “He supported us when we were playing on stones and dusty pitch, and he stood with us when the facility received a facelift with green grass through the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA). We are hopeful he will continue to extend his goodwill and the support he has always shown.”
But perhaps the most stirring element of Councillor ABK’s address was his emphasis on legacy. Football, he argued, must leave footprints not only on the pitch but in the community itself.
“Part of the proceeds goes back to the field,” he said with conviction. “We have provided comfortable sitting accommodation, dressing rooms with toilets for both home and away teams, including referees. All that we’re doing now is improvising to provide a safe space for fans and stakeholders. This facility cuts across, it does not only benefit ASSPA as an organization, but also the men’s top-tier league, the women’s league, and Division One and Division Two competitions.”
To him the broader vision of ASSPA is to create a footballing hub where young players, communities, and fans can gather in safety, dignity, and pride each time they visit the the Approved School field.
This season will be the most ambitious yet, with 32 communities from across Freetown’s capital and the fringes of Waterloo, in the Western Area Rural District, entering the fray. Each comes with dreams of glory, but only one will ascend as champion, crowned not only with the record-breaking NLe150,000, but also with a legacy burn into the history books of community football.
As the sun sets on the Approved School field and the first whistle blows to kickstart the competition proper, the communities brace for weeks of rivalries, triumphs, heartbreaks, and unforgettable drama that comes with the beauty of the ASSPA Inter-Community league.