Freetown, 1st September 2025– An internal review of the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) has uncovered systemic weaknesses across finance, administration, governance and legal operations, according to findings presented during a confidential exit meeting held at the SLFA Secretariat on August 26, 2025.
According to our confidential source, the Transition Committee, led by Dr. Isaac Massaquoi, outlined a troubling landscape of misaligned accounts, missing assets, and poor documentation. Financial oversight was found to be severely compromised, with discrepancies between the General Ledger and actual transactions, unrecorded inventory, and unresolved liabilities. Alarmingly, vehicles and buses procured by the FA were either non-operational or never delivered, and a major sponsorship deal from 2019 lacked supporting documentation.
Administrative lapses were equally stark. The review revealed a lack of structured recruitment, missing personnel files and no formal leave tracking. Salary structures were unclear or lacking transparency with no clear career progression or appraisal system in place. Occupational health standards and pay slip transparency were also flagged as areas needing urgent reform.
Governance issues centered on departmental overlaps, equipment shortages, and a dysfunctional media unit. The absence of a marketing strategy was highlighted as a missed opportunity for revenue generation and sponsorship engagement.
Legally, the FA was found to be operating without enforceable staff contracts, and several Memoranda of Understanding with clubs had been breached. Statutory committees mandated by law were reportedly inactive, with decision-making power concentrated in a single office.
Staff responses acknowledged the gravity of the findings, with calls for capacity building and better planning. However, concerns were raised about the financial strain caused by non-essential travel and the lack of clarity around proposed reforms.
According to our source these findings are preliminary, with final recommendations to be issued in the committees forthcoming report.
This exclusive insight paints a picture of an institution in urgent need of reform, financially, structurally and legally. The coming months will reveal whether SLFA leadership is prepared to confront these challenges head-on or allow systemic dysfunction to persist.
