FIFA lifts suspension on Sierra Leone

FIFA on Monday lifted a suspension imposed on Sierra Leone eight months ago over alleged government interference.

The decision comes a week after Isha Johansen and her Sec-gen Chris Kamara were acquitted of corruption charges at a court in Freetown, paving the way for FIFA to lift the international ban on the West African country.

A suspension that prevented the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone from participating in their remaining 2019 Cup of Nations qualifiers.

As a result, Ghana and Kenya qualified from the same group for this month’s tournament in Egypt.

Football’s governing body announced the news in the lead-up to the 69th FIFA Congress and the opening of the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019, the members of the FIFA Council convened in Paris today for meeting no. 10 of the decision-making body.

“Decision to lift the suspension of the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) with immediate effect, after the High Court of Sierra Leone acquitted the SLFA President and the SLFA General Secretary of all charges on 27 May, which ensured that the recognised leadership has full control of the member association again,” Fifa stated was one of its key discussion of meeting no 10.

The Fifa also confirmed that following the approval of a revamped FIFA Club World Cup with 24 teams, the pilot edition of which will be played in 2021, the FIFA Council decided to award Qatar the right to host the next two editions of the tournament in its existing format in 2019 and 2020.

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