By: Mohamed Abu Conteh
The Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA), under the dynamic leadership of President Babadi Kamara, has kicked off a nationwide referees’ training program aimed at enhancing the standard and integrity of football officiating across the country ahead of the upcoming leagues.
This initiative follows the success of the FIFA Member Association Course for Elite Referees’ Instructors & Assessors, which several referees attended a few months ago in Bo.
Building on the success of that program, President Babadi Kamara has directed that the referees’ instructors take the knowledge gained and extend it to all five regions of Sierra Leone, ensuring that every referee, regardless of their level, benefits from a deeper understanding of the Laws of the Game.
The regional training tour began on Saturday, 25th October 2025, in Kenema, Eastern Sierra Leone, and attracted a full house of both male and female participants.
The training sessions began with practical field exercises in the morning, followed by theoretical sessions featuring demonstration videos through the FIFA RED Platform. This allowed referees to visualize and interpret real-match situations.
The opening session concluded with a speech by Abu Bakarr Cantona Kallon, Secretary General of the Eastern Region Football Association, who praised President Babadi Kamara for his unwavering commitment to the development and capacity building of referees.
Kallon urged all participants to uphold integrity, passion, and professionalism, emphasizing the SLFA President’s consistent call for honesty and discipline at all levels of the game.
“President Babadi Kamara places a strong emphasis on integrity in football, especially across all league categories,” Kallon remarked.
The training team then moved to Bo, Southern Sierra Leone, on Sunday, 26th October 2025, continuing the regional tour.
The training will proceed next weekend to the North-East and North-West regions, including Makeni, Tonkolili, Kabala, Port Loko, Kambia, Lunsar, and Lungi, before concluding in the Western Area (both Rural and Urban) the following weekend.