June 17, 2021
Albert Baron Ansu
President has scored another political winning shot in the victory of the national team after over two decades. His undisputed contribution to the victory of the team after 25 years since the green, white flag was unfurled in the African cup of nations has an electrifying and unifying effect on all Sierra Leone.
It is amazing how that singular event has led to the groundswell of popularity for the President. The lead opposition political party, All Peoples Congress must be in mixed feeling-making them admire and jealousy the President at the same time.
It is a reminder of their failings of the past government and the innuendoes that Sierra Leone Messi, in the sycophantic ascription of former President Ernest Bai Koroma his fans. He watched over the downhill slide of football in this country.
Let’s put a dark chapter of football history behind us and celebrate the fact of the moment. President Bio is more than a happy man and when he takes credit for the redemption of football in the crucial win over Benin on the turf of the Lansana Conteh, he is justified to say he had all these years kept the key to now unlock the football prowess of the national team.
Looking back, we have memories of how he personally worked as number two man in that regime, the National Provincial Ruling Council; NPRC junta used the self-same combination of motivation and inspiration to see Leone stars qualifying for the South Africa Nations Cup in 1996. After that Sierra Leone could not put together what it takes to qualify until now. The team had become an embarrassment to the football impassioned population.
Now, there is game changer optimism in the air. The whole country is pulsating as though heaven has descended on a barren field. And in counting the blessings that come with this victory, we should also be counting the political number game playing out- foreshadowing what is to happen in the 2023 elections.
World Best Salone Messi, who could not score this victory, must be dancing with us and yet feeling apprehensive that 2023 chances for the opposition All Peoples Congress has become farfetched. This is the connection that Sierra Leone Musical Ambassador Kao Denero has made in swift lyrical chorus: “mek dem bear we foss…”
The hip hop prodigy is simply telling the opposition that their hope of coming back to power in 2023 has been dashed with the lone goal from Kei Kamara.
Personally, President Bio is in different frame of mind to now invest more in the team and in process win the hearts and minds of Sierra Leoneans so that those bigots in the opposition are going to change from prejudice to reverence for the key holder who is ready to release the energy for the flight of Leone Stars to an enviable football height on the continent. I feel the ambition of the country taking an overdrive with suggestion that the national team under the prevailing environment aspiring towards winning the Africa nations cup.