By: MOhameh Abu Conteh
The Minister of Sports Ibrahim Nylenkeh has disclosed in Press Conference that the defeats of the Senior National team Leone Stars in the two Friendly matches are a result of the Preparation of the team.
The Sports Minister affirmed that Friendly matches are necessary for any national team that is preparing for competitions and qualifiers, noting that they can help to do a thorough assessment of the team, and strengthen its preparedness the team. He further that friendly matches are not about only winning but you don’t need to allow your opponents to demoralize you, to humiliate you noting what happened with the National team in the recent international friendlies.
He added that yes there is a problem with the Preparations of the national team he doesn’t think that the preparations of the team should be used as an excuse for the humiliating defeats the team pointing out that there have been many instances of the national team playing late and later end up winning those matches, a key example is in 1994 when Sierra Leone Senior National play against Mauritania and the team only has five hours to prepared ahead of match day an end up winning that match by five goals to nil.
He said on the issue of Visa the Ministry of Sports has set up criteria that they will have to handle all visa issues going forward to prevent the delay the team faces in the two friendlies in both South Africa and Morocco.
He said so many factors were responsible for the team’s defeat nothing that a single position is used in the match against DR.Congo as the team lost to that embarrassing defeats In Morocco pointing out that it is only Sierra Leone where you can see the national team allowance is paid before match day and that has been a new trajectory on the new dispensation of the New Direction Government.
At the Commonwealth Games where Sierra Leone’s Sporting discipline went and represent the Country and the allegations that were raised that the Ministry of Sport and National Sports Authority give out so many tickets to people that is total misleading, untrue, and unfounded that he as Minister of Sports was only giving a month Visa to be part of the Commonwealth Games in England.
The Minister of Sports said the Ministry doesn’t have the power to sack a coach but it is the responsibility of the Sierra Leone Football Association as their mandate is to supervise but doesn’t have the mandate to relived a coach but hope to take action when the need raised, because Government is using huge found to prepare the team.
Some of the achievements done by the Ministry of sports and National Sports Authority the head of Media Eric Bartilo Fomba read out some of the achievements, noting that there has been matching the achievement of the Ministry of Sports. Key areas are the Gold medal Sierra Leone Gymnastics won in the just concluded Islamic Games in Turkey.