By Nenneh Fofanah
Freetown, 29th October, 2026 – The Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) on Wednesday launched its first-ever Women’s Football Strategy (2026-2029), themed “Rise, Play, Inspire,” at the Freetown City Council Building.
The historic document was developed over 16 months with 88 stakeholders, engaging across Bo, Kenema, Makeni and Freetown, facilitated by FIFA Technical Experts. It is built on six pillars Grassroots and Youth Development, Competitions, National Teams, Capacity Building, Media and Marketing, and Governance and Leadership, with 127 key actions targeting major tournament qualification by 2029.
During the launch the President of the Sierra Leone Football Association Babadi Kamara in his keynote Address said delivery for Sierra Leone football is non-negotiable and pledged that the strategy will not gather dust in cupboards.
“Talent without direction is nothing,” he said, citing Bo Rangers’ matches against Abidjan to emphasize the need for discipline and structure.
He disclosed that he woke at 4:00 a.m. and drove five hours to attend the ceremony to demonstrate his administration’s commitment. He credited Women’s Football Manager Elizabeth Alberta Kailey for leading the development process, and announced that free CAF C to CAF A coaching education for women has already been approved by his Executive Committee to remove financial barriers.
He also confirmed that three FIFA-funded programmes are already approved with funds disbursed.
Officials and women footballers pose for photo at the launch of the female football strategy
FIFA Representative Thuba Sibanda described the strategy as brave, ambitious, inspiring blueprint and a mission, not just a document.
The Executive Director of National Sports Authority Mohamed Alpaka Conteh Esq. hailed it as historic and monumental, urging that it must serve as the bible for football development and not be kept on shelves.
The launch also marked the opening of a three-days FIFA-supported Capacity-Building Workshop for women’s football administrators, signalling the immediate move from strategy to implementation in pursuit of a strong, inclusive and sustainable future for women’s football in Sierra Leone.
