By Ibrahim Karim Bangura (Tanko)

The National Sports Authority (NSA) is a body owned by the  Government of Sierra Leone and was established by an Act of Parliament with the mandate to promote, encourage, develop, and supervise all sports and sporting activities in the country.

In his statement, the Executive Director of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Dr. Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai, said Leone’s value in the face of the public hinges squarely on it winning  more games.

He made this speech during Friday’s post-match briefing after Leone Stars’ goalless draw with Chad.

“The government can no longer afford to pay bonuses for any draw, especially for home matches.”

“This result was not what Sierra Leoneans had expected. The government is spending a huge amount of money on this team. The only favour you can do the people of Sierra Leone is to win matches, especially against opponents.

“This result does not reflect the team’s recent performance in the World Cup qualifiers. If we are to qualify for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, we should start winning our home matches.”

“It is now becoming a pattern for Leone Stars to start its AFCON and FIFA qualifying campaigns on a slow pace and struggle for qualifications in the end,” he told the players.

Meanwhile, The Standing in Group G goes as follows: Ivory Coast-3 points (first), Sierra Leone- 1 point (second), Chad- 1 point (third), Zambia 0 point (fourth).