The document is the first issue of the newsletter "Raise Your Game" published by the Sierra Leone Football Association. It includes: - A message from SLFA President Isha Johansen discussing the role of football in rebuilding Sierra Leone after Ebola and announcing a new initiative to develop women's football in Africa. - An article about Johansen becoming the first Sierra Leonean to act as a FIFA match commissioner at the 2015 Women's World Cup. - Details of the new annual "Power Play" forum on women's football in Africa led by Johansen and Lydia Nsekera of Burundi.

1. RAISE
YOUR
GAME
THE OFFICIAL
NEWSLETTER
OF THE
SIERRA LEONE
FOOTBALL
ASSOCIATION
Volume 1 ∞ Issue 1 2015
Message from Isha Johansen, SLFA President
Welcome to Raise your Game, SLFA’s first newsletter and an exciting new initiative for us.
It is a forum for us to tell you about the projects we have underway to raise the standard
of Sierra Leonean football both nationally and internationally. In time I hope it will also
become a space for Sierra Leone’s football faithful
to share their news and views.
Sierra Leone has suffered immeasurably from the
Ebola epidemic. It has had a devastating effect on
our society and our economy. Thankfully, we are in
the final stages of that fight. Ahead of us we have
the challenge of rebuilding our society and our
economy. In this context, I see a great role for Sierra
Leone’s football teams, as positive role models
within our borders and as brand ambassadors
internationally.
FIFA our parent body is grappling with its own governance issues. It is important that the
organisation regains the trust of its stakeholders and emerges stronger and more effective
through a transparent and objective process of reform. Football is known globally as the
beautiful game and, in the game’s spirit of inclusivity, unity and passion, we must call upon
FIFA to continue its work developing football globally.
In that respect, I am delighted to share with you an intiative to develop women’s football
in Africa that I will be spearheading with Lydia Nsekera of Burundi. It is an initiative that
emerged from Sierra Leone and that has won the backing of FIFA and the Confederation of
African Football. You can read more about it below.
We have the opportunity to transform Sierra Leone into an internationally recognised success story. Our country’s homegrown
talent is formidable, and the foundations of good governance, commitment and teamwork that we lay down now, will ensure that
our footballing talent is able to represent Sierra Leone with pride and confidence as the world enters a new era of football.
God bless Sierra Leone
Isha Johansen
President, Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA)
www.slfa.sl | starsierra@gmail.com
I see a great
role for Sierra
Leone’s
football teams,
as positive role
models within
our borders
and as brand
ambassadors
internationally.
National team training at the Olympic Stadium in Mauritania

2. SLFA President becomes
first Sierra Leonean to be
appointed FWWC match
commissioner
SLFA President, Isha Johansen has made Sierra Leone proud in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup (FWWC) by becoming the
first Sierra Leonean to be given the honour of acting as a FIFA match commissioner for the tournament. Commenting on the
appointment, a FIFA spokesperson said: “Appointment as FIFA commissioner for a match in one of the FIFA competitions is an
honour – but it also entails a wide range of responsibilities. The FIFA commissioner is regarded as FIFA’s official representative at a
match and the role is of paramount importance in organising the match.”
Mrs Johansen was given responsibility for the high-profile Group D which included the tournament favourites - USA. Dubbed
the ‘Group of Death’ by some football commentators, it featured three teams ranked in the top 10 in the world (USA, Sweden and
Australia) and one of the world’s up-and-coming nations in Nigeria. She was then given the additional responsibility of match
commissioning the Thailand V Germany game.
Sierra Leone leads the
way on women’s football
in Africa with FIFA/CAF
annual forum
For the first time in the history of FIFA, an initiative to increase the participation
of African women and girls in football is being launched at the FIFA Women’s
World Cup (FWWC) symposium. Endorsed by FIFA and the Confederation
of African Football (CAF), Power Play: giving African women and girls a
voice through the sport of football is being led by Lydia Nsekera, FIFA’s first
female executive and Isha Johansen, the only female president of a football
Association in Africa.
The symposium launch of Power Play, heralds the start of an annual forum on
the subject, and by including it in the symposium programme, FIFA are ensuring
that representatives from all their member associations can be included in
discussions on the format, date and location of the inaugural event.
Power Play was conceived by Isha Johansen and Sierra Leonean firm Elixir
Marketing and Media. They argue that while women’s football in Africa has
been the focus of previous FIFA roundtable discussions and conferences, Power
Play will keep it on the agenda by making it the subject of an annual forum. Isha
Johansen says: “Women’s football globally has a bright future, and by creating
a dedicated space to discuss the particular challenges and opportunities of the
sport in Africa, we can ensure that we are part of that future.”
Nsekera and Johansen are themselves veterans of the football industry in Africa. Both have been immersed in the game from
a young age, as participants, spectators, officials and football administrators; and as nationals of Burundi and Sierra Leone
respectively, they have first-hand experience of the potential that African football offers to African women.
Women’s football
globally has a bright
future, and by creating
a dedicated space to
discuss the particular
challenges and
opportunities of the
sport in Africa, we can
ensure that we are
part of that future.
RAISE YOUR GAME Volume 1 ∞ Issue 1 2015

3. U-23s - the future
of Sierra Leonean
football
The Sierra Leone U-23 football team successfully eliminated Cameroon (the
Sydney 2000 Olympics football gold medallists) in the ongoing World Cup
eliminations. As a result of the CAF Ebola restrictions placed on Sierra Leone,
both legs were played in Yaoundé. The first leg was 0-0 (SL hosted) and the
second, 1-1. Sierra Leone qualified to the next stage on the away rule and is
slated to meet Algeria in July.
Their achievement is particularly commendable considering that all the
players are home-based and only started training in January. They played two
test matches against two clubs in Liberia two weeks before the Cameroon
encounter; winning one by 2-0 and losing the other by 2-1.
Sirajin Rollings-Kamara, an Executive Committee member of SLFA,
commented: “Cameroon fielded over five foreign based players and looked
like ‘Goliaths’ in every shape and form. But our lads proved to be the ‘Davids’
and their dedication, commitment, hard work and discipline made the
difference. With a coaching staff headed by John Keister, the future of a
national team is born in these boys.”
In a related development, the Senior National Team, Leone Stars locked
horns with their Sudanese counterparts over the weekend in Khartoum in the
Orange AFCON 2017 qualifiers. They lost by 1-0 but put up a strong fight and
proved themselves a force to be reckoned with.
Congratulating the Leone Stars, Isha Johansen said: “I am proud of you and SLFA is proud of you. For a team predominantly
comprised of young home-based players, you have proved you have what it takes to be national team players on the global stage,
and shown the world what real commitment and patriotism means. You are more than a team, you are the pride of our nation.
Good luck with the rest of the journey.”
Doubt over the Leone Stars participation in the AFCON 2017 qualifier due to a lack of government funding, was resolved at the
last minute by cement manufacturing firm LEOCEM, whose generous sponsorship made the trip possible. Commenting on the
match results, Arne Johansen, LEOCEM’s Managing Director said: “Any country on earth would be proud of such a team, and of
the journey which has made it possible. The Leone Stars have risen above the problems and difficulties of the last year to put in
a creditable performance. They have demonstrated resilience, loyalty and patriotism and we are delighted to be associated with
them.” (More on LEOCEM’s sponsorship can be read on page 4).
FIFA and CAF
projects back in
play in Sierra Leone
With a clean bill of health on the horizon, Sierra Leone can expect FIFA and CAF to refocus on developing football in Sierra Leone.
The Ebola epidemic meant that several FIFA sponsored programmes were put on hold, but as the country counts down to zero,
these initiatives are coming back into play.
FIFA puts more than $500,000 daily into development programmes around the world. Like other member associations, SLAF
depends on this support to finance its operations, and ensure that football can have a solid foundation in Sierra Leone.
Once the state of emergency has been lifted, work will begin on renovating SLFA’s headquarters in Kingtom as well as significant
improvements to the Academy buildings and playing field. Women’s and youth football in Sierra Leone will benefit from financial
and technical assistance as well as training equipment, and a significant project to replace the turf at the national stadium has also
been approved by FIFA.
The Ebola epidemic meant the departure of Mr Yvon Avry, who had been seconded by FIFA to SLFA as a consultant, but his
conviction in Sierra Leone as a country with a bright footballing future remains and he says: “In a country with so much passion
and enthusiasm for football, SLFA has taken the road for a great future. It’s a long way, and all members and stakeholders must
understand the reality of actions and be patient and confident.”
U-23sinYaounde,CameroonU-23strainingin
Yaounde,Cameroon
RAISE YOUR GAME Volume 1 ∞ Issue 1 2015

4. Sponsoring the new
era of Sierra Leonean
football
Sierra Leone is a nation of football fans. From the barefoot child kicking around whatever ball they can find, to the impassioned
fans cheering in the stadium, to the armchair enthusiast, football is our most popular sport.
A vibrant and dynamic national football industry could eventually establish Sierra Leone as a football powerhouse. We are not
lacking in successful home-grown talent. In the international arena, we can point to Alhassan Crespo Kamara - Orebo, Sweden;
George Kweku Davies - Greuther Furth, Germany; Kei Kamara - Columbus Crew, USA; Mohammed Poborsky Bangura - AIK,
Sweden; Rodney Strasser - Reggina, Italy; Mohamed Kamara - on loan to Maccabi Haifa, Israel; and Umaru Bangura - Dynamo
Minsk, Belarus to name a few. But as with our other national resources, Sierra Leone’s football industry needs investment to realise
its potential.
Why sponsor?
Football can be a powerful tool within your workforce, in Sierra Leone and around the world. Globally it is estimated that 500
million people are connected to football in some capacity either through playing the game, officiating, running clubs or merely
watching a match. Furthermore, Sierra Leone’s participation in this year’s major football tournaments will resonate beyond the
football community. It will send a message to Sierra Leoneans worldwide, and the international community that our country is
determined to beat its challenges.
A partnership with SLFA could offer your business the opportunity to:
∞ Publicise your products/services and strengthen consumer loyalty
∞ Align your organisation’s brand values with our national teams’ hopes and aspirations
∞ Foster your corporate social responsibility credentials by giving something back to the country
∞ Develop and motivate your workforce
∞ Receive media coverage from such sponsorship via national/international press
∞ Be at the forefront of the drive to make the Sierra Leonean football industry a globally recognised success story.
The philosophy of SLFA is that sponsorship should be mutually beneficial and we will strive to create a relationship which is
flexible enough to meet your needs and desired level of involvement and financial commitment.
RAISE YOUR GAME Volume 1 ∞ Issue 1 2015
LEOCEM’S SPONSORSHIP KEEPS LEONE STARS IN THE GAME
As part of its corporate social responsibility, LEOCEM Sierra Leone has
unveiled a generous sponsorship package worth millions of Leones for the
Sierra Leone national team, Leone Stars. The last minute sponsorship came
just in time to ensure the Leone Stars could compete against Sudan in the
2017 Orange African Cup of Nations qualifier in Khartoum, Sudan on June 14.
Private sector involvement in sports through sponsorship is the second
biggest component of the global sports market after gate revenues, and
LEOCEM’s leadership could herald a similar trend in Sierra Leone. According
to a recent survey on the subject, nearly two-thirds of those involved in sports sponsorship
believe it offers a much wider reach and impact for a brand than advertising. Over 60% also
believe that sponsorship is great for highly targeted campaigns. An added advantage of sports
sponsorship is that a carefully designed and targeted campaign can meet CSR obligations
and football has the benefit of being Sierra Leone’s most popular sport with a wide range of
stakeholders including women, youth and children.
LEOCEM already has a tradition of sports sponsorship in Sierra Leone, most notably with
swimming and golf. Commenting on the company’s decision to support Leone Stars in Sudan,
Managing Director, Arne Johansen said: “Sierra Leoneans love football. It unites people of all
ages across the country. Over the past year, Sierra Leone has survived a unique set of challenges and now more than ever
deserves to see its national football team compete on an international platform. LEOCEM
is part of Sierra Leone’s history and its future and we are proud to be able to give Leone Stars the opportunity to represent
their country.”
According to SLFA president, Isha Johansen: “A healthy and vibrant football industry in Sierra Leone has the potential to
engage the nation and showcase our country internationally. The opportunities and benefits that this offers our business
community include national and international visibility, national pride and youth engagement amongst others. We look
forward to Sierra Leone’s private sector being an integral part of Sierra Leone’s football community, as it enters a new and
dynamic era.”
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