By: Mohamed J. Bangura
Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) President Babadi Kamara has called on the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to review its 200-kilometre airport-to-stadium distance rule, arguing that the regulation is limiting the use of the Southern Arena in Bo for international football matches.
Kamara made the appeal during the CAF Strategy Conference held in Santa Maria, Sal Island, Cabo Verde, from Wednesday to Friday. He urged football authorities to consider the differences in economic conditions, infrastructure, security arrangements and geographical realities across African countries when developing and implementing regulations.
“Laws are not always universal because no two nations are the same, neither in size, economy nor people. So, when we make laws, we should take those issues into cognizance,” he said.
Using Sierra Leone as an example, Kamara said the Southern Arena, a 6,000-capacity stadium in Bo, has the facilities and track record to host international football matches but remains constrained by CAF’s 200-kilometre airport-distance requirement.
“The Southern Arena has everything to host AFCON matches. The restriction always prevents the venue from being fully utilized, despite its record of successfully hosting international football matches,” he said.
According to Kamara, the stadium has hosted four CAF Champions League matches involving clubs from Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal, as well as three CAF Confederation Cup matches.
The venue has also hosted West African Football Union (WAFU) competitions for two consecutive seasons and an international friendly between Sierra Leone and Liberia.
He said all these matches were held without any security incidents, which, in his view, demonstrates the stadium’s capacity to accommodate international fixtures safely.
“I must state that a single incident didn’t occur during these matches,” he stressed.
Kamara warned that strict enforcement of the 200-kilometre rule without considering individual countries’ circumstances could limit supporters’ access to international football, particularly those living outside capital cities.
“If there is a regulation that a team should not travel more than 200 kilometres from the airport to the playing venue, it means we are taking the game away from the people. The essence of the game is for the people to have access to watch and enjoy football, not to take it away from them,” he said.
The SLFA president called on CAF to place greater emphasis on security arrangements when assessing venues, rather than relying solely on the distance between an international airport and a stadium.
He also appealed to CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe and other football authorities to consider exceptions for stadiums located more than 200 kilometres from an international airport, provided that adequate security and logistical arrangements are in place for visiting teams.
A review of the regulation could enable Sierra Leone to make greater use of the Southern Arena and create opportunities for more international matches to be played in Bo.
It would also give football supporters in the Southern Province and neighbouring communities greater access to Leone Stars matches without having to travel to Freetown. Increased international football activity could further benefit local businesses and support the use of existing sports infrastructure.
Kamara’s appeal highlights the need to consider the geographical and economic circumstances of individual countries when applying international football regulations, while maintaining the safety and security standards required for the game.