By: Mohamed Abu Conteh
Sierra Leone Football Association Youth Coordinator in collaboration with FANT/SL set to stage one day Football festival on the 27th of April 2023 at the Murray Town Field the Western of Freetown.
Alimamy Kurish Conteh the Coordinator of Youth Football at the Sierra Leone Football Association the Football Festival is a continuation of keeping the dreams of Young Players who are mining to play Football at the highest level to actualize their potential.
Noting that it is so difficult to look at the Progress of clubs like HADA FC, STAR SPORTS, and ARISE FOUNDATION FC all these Clubs are doing great in their respective camps; building Young Players with no competition for them, that is why in his Wisdom wants to get this teams to a Football Festival where their minds will be prepared for international tournament. Noting a Club in Makeni called Arise Foundation is set to have a Standard Artificial turf on their own which is a good development for Youth Football in the Country, he narrated.
He affirmed that the essence of getting the Football festival is to get the young players to Football competitions to prepare their minds, Physically, Mentally, and to be focus-minded ahead of the tournament.
He added that the Young Players need to prepare for international tournaments and not only when there is a tournament the boys selected to go and represent the Country, noting the impact the last under (17) team set in the WAFU Tournament in Mauritania needs to maintain and there is need for graduation from under 10 to 13 and 17 categories that will help the young boys going forward.
Alimamy Kurish Conteh said the Football Festival will Kick-off on the 26th of April starting with the qualifiers and two teams will progress to the finals on the 27th of April 2023. Noting there are plans for the grand finals to be streamed live on all Social Media platforms and there are plans for two international scouts to be part of the historic event.
He further that this first edition of the tournament is the pilot phase and there are plans next year to expand across the Country because there are regional coordinators across the country. Next year it will start in Provinces with the qualifiers and the qualified team will proceed to the finals in Freetown during those qualifiers, that will be the key interest in monitoring the best players during that phase and their progress.
He said when the forms were out about (40) clubs applied for the Football Festival, but (16) clubs were considered and those considered were based on their structure, having Secretariat, and those with functional email addresses. He noted that for a start the festival is for those under 10, 13, and 17 years-old teams, and at the closure of schools there will be tournament for under 15, and 17 teams in the ccountry.
He also revealed that there are plans with some European clubs that will be giving Scholarships to players within the ages of 10, 13 years; if they break through, they will have chances to play for bigger clubs in UK and Europe.
He ended up revealing that a player in the last under-15 squads is currently having trials in Europe and if successful he will make a move to bigger clubs and it will positively impact in his future.
