Freetown | 10th May 2021 | Vertex Media
President of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, FIFA, Giovanni Vincenzo Infantino, and the Confédération Africaine de Football, CAF President, Dr. Patrice Motsepe, collectively recently described the President of the Sierra Leone Football Association, SLFA, Madam Isha Johansen, as the pride of African football on the global stage.
This was said on May 5th, 2021, both at the Sierra Leone’s President Brigadier (Rtd) Julius Maada Bio’s Lodge in the presence of Vice President Juldeh Jalloh, First Lady Madam Fatima Bio and other key government stakeholders and was also said at the Rodisson Blu Hotel in speeches Motsepe and Infantino had made to football stakeholders who had gone to appreciate their 6hours landmark visitation to Sierra Leone.
President of Sierra Leone Football Association, SLFA, Madam Isha Johansen, welcomed the visitors and said they were timely and historic.
The FIFA Council member recognized their choice of Sierra Leone and said their visit was germane to football development in the country.
Speaking to President Bio and other key government and football stakeholders during the curtesy call at State Lodge, Infantino was obvious to all that it was an honour and a pleasure to be in the country, and that they were very committed to helping and supporting not only Sierra Leone, but also Africa to shine on the global stage.
“We know how important football is in Africa. Football is talent, football is passion in Africa. In Sierra Leone, in particular, football is not just a game, football is life. I think the time has come where we have to move forward and look into the future,” he had said, assuring : “FIFA and CAF stand for due process, for integrity, for democracy and to make sure that we can once again put aside all negativities that have tarnished the image of football in the country in the last few years. Let us move to promote a positive and united approach because we need unity in this country.”
Infantino urged President Bio and football stakeholders to guard Isha Johansen with the utmost care as Sierra Leone now has “a brilliant ambassador in the world stage in the person of Isha”. She is part of our team to make African football, world football, schools football shine in the world stage”. He added.
He promised to be supportive to Madam Isha Johansen and help improve on the country’s football infrastructure to be able to host the African Cup of Nations.
CAF’s President Motsepe thanked Madam Johansen and called on all to work together in the best interest of football and the country.
He pledged their commitment to supporting the country with the required infrastructure to host the African Cup of Nations in the not-too-distant future.
