By Sulaiman Koroma, PV Correspondent, Freeetown, Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone’s first female Minister of Sports, not only in Sierra Leone but in the entire West African region, is presently transforming football and other sporting disciplines in the country.

Madam Augusta James-Teima is a long-serving lecturer in Physical and Health Education at Milton Margai Technical University and a former athlete herself. She was appointed on 15th July 2023 by President Julius Maada Bio in his second term as the first female Minister of Sports in the history of Sierra Leone.

A woman of substance and very industrious, Minister Teima has shown outstanding leadership. Recently, on 8th October 2026, she signed a NLe 4.1 million sponsorship deal with Leone Rock Metal Group for the 2026/27 Premier League. The deal was launched at the Bintumani Hotel, Freetown.

She is also the lead initiator of the campaign to stop fan violence, working closely with the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion (Peace Commission).

SLFA Under New Leadership

The new SLFA President, Babadi Kamara, who replaced Thomas Daddy Brima and took over after Mohamed Kallon’s contract as Leone Stars coach was terminated in April 2026, has revealed that he is facing serious challenges in running the association.

In an exclusive interview with football stakeholders, they revealed that one of the key issues is poor monitoring and assessment of funding projects from FIFA, as well as the issue of ghost staff and incomplete staff records.

Minister Teima has laid these challenges to rest in her department. Football-loving fans in Sierra Leone are now enjoying the best of football, as community leagues and the Premier League are ongoing with no government interference.

*New Head Coach Building a New Team*

The new Head Coach of Leone Stars, Didier Gomes Da Rosa, started coaching in 2008 in the lower divisions in France. He has managed over twenty clubs and three national teams in Africa and the Middle East. A French-Portuguese dual citizen with a UEFA Pro Licence, he is now working round the clock to win matches and qualify Sierra Leone for AFCON 2027 to be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

In his first two AFCON 2027 qualifiers in September 2026, played in Morocco due to the unavailability of an approved home stadium, Leone Stars lost 3-2 to Zimbabwe and 1-0 to Equatorial Guinea.

The new coach has called for patience, saying he is building a new team to qualify for AFCON 2027.

The National Stadium Delay

It was revealed that all home matches are currently played out of the country. On 30th June 2026, Government did a partial handover of the Siaka Stevens National Stadium. The basketball court, practice field, volleyball court, swimming pool and hostels were completed. The main bowl is still under construction.

Parliament summoned the National Sports Authority (NSA) in June 2026 to explain the delays. Officials revealed that some of the key factors are:
1. Plastic seats approval from FIFA - FIFA requires individual plastic bucket seats and China has to approve them. That approval is still pending.
2. Work stopped during the rains and only resumed this October.
3. FIFA/CAF requires international standards for floodlights, drainage and car park.

Football stakeholders are therefore requesting the Minister of Sports, Madam Teima, to continuously monitor the completion of the national stadium so that Leone Stars can finally play at home.