By: Aminata Sesay
The Parliament Football Team is stepping up preparations for the upcoming Inter-Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) Football League, with Team Manager Hon. Rachael Mariatu Sesay Pessima pledging additional support to strengthen the team’s readiness and improve its chances of winning the competition.
Hon. Pessima gave the assurance on Monday, October 12, 2026, during a meeting with players, coaching staff and technical officials at Committee Room One of the Parliament Building. The meeting provided an opportunity for the team to review its preparations, identify logistical challenges and discuss resource mobilization ahead of the tournament.
Deputy Director of Human Resources, Madam Fatmata Finda Bangura, welcomed the Team Manager and commended her commitment to the team’s development. She briefed Hon. Pessima on the ongoing training sessions and highlighted resource constraints affecting preparations, appealing for additional support to meet the team’s needs.
In response, Hon. Pessima disclosed that she had already provided the team with jerseys, gloves, football boots and five footballs. She further pledged to engage other individuals and prominent personalities to mobilize additional resources for the team’s participation in the competition.
Emphasizing the importance of discipline, dedication and a winning mentality, she encouraged the players to remain focused on their objective, declaring: “I don’t like failing; I like winning.”
She also urged the coordinating team to engage Members of Parliament (MPs) and encourage their active participation in the football team. According to her, greater involvement by parliamentarians would strengthen the team’s efforts, improve its competitiveness and foster unity between MPs and parliamentary staff.
Team Captain Elohin Antta Salia-Konneh reaffirmed the players’ determination to compete for the title, stressing that the team was entering the competition with the ambition of winning rather than merely participating.
“We are not going there to participate, but to win,” he declared.
The captain also highlighted the need for logistical support, playing equipment and other essential resources for both players and technical officials. He presented the team’s proposed fundraising plan to parliamentary leadership as part of efforts to strengthen preparations and ensure adequate resources for the competition.
The fundraising initiative also includes the proposed production and sale of supporters’ jerseys to generate additional funds for the team.
Franklyn Kallon confirmed that the Parliament Football Team had been registered for the competition. He also outlined ongoing preparations aimed at strengthening the team’s operational capacity and ensuring that the necessary arrangements were in place ahead of the opening fixture.
Player welfare also featured prominently during the meeting, with medical team representative Maada Moiwai Rogers emphasizing the importance of providing adequate medical supplies and resources to protect players’ health and safety during training sessions and competitive matches.
Mohamed Alie Kamara, another member of the medical team, called for greater participation by MPs and recommended that the Committee on Sports take the lead in mobilizing support from parliamentarians to address the team’s needs.
Meanwhile, Coach Mustapha Haji Bangura expressed satisfaction with the progress of training and player selection, assuring the meeting that the technical team was working to assemble a competitive squad capable of challenging for the league title.
He added that MPs still had the opportunity to join the team and contribute to its preparations, encouraging greater involvement from parliamentarians as the competition approaches.
Director of Legislative Services Momodu Deen Rogers highlighted the Parliament Football Team’s nearly two-decade history, calling for stronger cooperation between MPs and parliamentary staff to sustain its development and improve performance.
He noted that improved collaboration would not only strengthen the team’s competitiveness but also promote institutional cohesion and cooperation within Parliament.
Other team members also commended the coordination and collective efforts being made to prepare the squad, expressing optimism that continued support and teamwork would help the team perform well in the upcoming competition.
The Parliament Football Team is scheduled to face the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education in its opening fixture on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at the Stadium Practice Field.
With the opening match approaching, the team’s prospects will depend on sustained training, effective resource mobilization, improved player welfare and stronger institutional support as it seeks to begin its Inter-MDAs Football League campaign on a winning note.