In the highly anticipated Football Congress of the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) scheduled for Saturday, April 5, 2025, FIFA and CAF representatives witnessed severe violence and misconduct.
Just prior to the start of the congress, there were several injured individuals, including the President’s Personal Assistant, David Turner. This unexpected act of violence, unprecedented in any sporting event in Sierra Leone, resulting to Ordinary Congress was aborted.
The congress was intended to elect various independent committees for a four-year mandate, specifically the Ethics Board, the SLFA Appeals and Disciplinary Committees, the newly proposed Audit and Compliance Committee, and the electoral bodies.
It was also slated to review and approve newly proposed football statutes, as well as other agenda items typical for annual ordinary congresses, such as the approval of the annual audit report and the budget for the upcoming year.
The behavior of delegates and supporters at the congress has been condemned by a significant portion of Sierra Leoneans, as well as by global football pundits and analysts. It has embarrassed the nation and raised concerns about FIFA’s next steps.
During the congress, there was evident animosity and division within the Executive Committee (EXCO), political divides among delegates, and a desperate scramble for power among leading aspirants. The involvement of government officials and security forces, who appeared to incite problems in favor of certain candidates, further exacerbated the situation.
According to a reliable and knowledgeable source, the only viable option for FIFA in this context is to establish a Normalization Committee due to the level of conflict and incidents that violate FIFA’s policies against third-party interference.
Normally, FIFA would refer such matters to the General Secretary of FIFA and CAF to determine a new attempt at convening the congress. However, due to the extensive violence, reported divisions among EXCO members, and inappropriate behavior towards FIFA and CAF representatives, it is likely that the FIFA Secretariat, responsible for operational affairs and decision-making in the absence of a FIFA Council meeting, will move towards implementing a Normalization Committee.
The source explained that a Normalization Committee would be authorized by FIFA statutes and would be supervised and directed entirely by FIFA. Unlike an elected executive, this committee would be accountable only to FIFA.
The only other alternative would be a more lenient approach involving one more attempt to convene the congress, which is typically pursued when issues are less severe than those currently faced in Sierra Leone.
The source concluded that the FIFA General Secretariat would probably wait for reports from the FIFA and CAF representatives, as well as the General Secretary of the SLFA, before consulting with the Head of the African Division and the CAF General Secretary for a final decision, which could be expected before the end of the week.
