Marie Esther Samura,AYV Sports
The Sierra Leone Football Association is set to usher in a new leadership team as delegates prepare to converge at the Gateway Hotel conference centre in Lungi, Port Loko District, today. The elective Congress is expected to start at 11 am, and will see the election of a new president and various executive positions, including Vice Presidents 1 and 2. Some incumbents will be seeking re-election, while others will be newcomers vying for a spot on the executive committee.
Three candidates are vying for the presidential seat. Umar Bah, the current Team Manager of Sierra Leone senior men’s football team, Leone Stars, and CEO of Division One club Sierra Dopper Fishery FC, is one of the contenders. A celebrated businessman, Bah also is the chairman of Real Republicans FC, a side that was relegated from the Sierra Leone Premier League last season.
Aminata Bangura, a well-established businesswoman and co-founder of Freetownians SLIFA FC, is the only female candidate in the race. She stepped into the SLFA elections spotlight in June 2025 when a group called Third Force was launched, with 95% of its membership being firm supporters of President Thomas Daddy Brima. Her candidacy has been surrounded by controversy, having been initially disqualified by the Ethics Committee due to allegations of fingerprint falsification, which she denied. The High Court of Sierra Leone ruled against her appeal to halt the elections and fined her and President Thomas Daddy Brima who also sought an injunction. Two days later, the Court of Arbitration for Sport provisionally reinstated her in the race in a preliminary ruling.
Babadi Kamara is the third candidate. He came to football limelight in the 2018 when he was asked to be the chairman of Bo Rangers Fan Club. In 2019, he was appointed chairman of the club and transformed Bo Rangers from a relegation struggler to a three-time champions of the Sierra Leone Premier League. He is also the owner of the 6,000-capacity Southern Arena stadium, built in 2023.
With adequate security in place, the Congress is expected to proceed smoothly, with delegates converging at the venue ahead of the 11 am start.
