Dylan Bettencourt
Liberian President George Weah has allowed Sierra Leone and its domestic clubs to use the Samuel Kanyon Doe sports complex free of charge.
Sierra Leone, who have no Fifa or CAF approved stadiums, gladly accepted the offer and played a “home” Africa Nations Championship (Chan) qualifier against Mali on Saturday.
Domestic clubs Bo Rangers and Kallon FC will again use the stadium for their continental matches in September.
Sierra Leone can’t host any international matches as its national stadium is undergoing renovations to meet hosting requirements.
Weah is the only African to ever win the coveted Ballon D’Or award.
“We have received the President’s mandate, which frees Sierra Leone from paying rental fees,” Liberian deputy sports minister Andy Quamie told BBC Sport Africa.
“They will only be responsible for match-related expenses for their home games in Liberia.”
Liberia was one of the many African countries which had all their stadiums declared unfit to host any international fixtures.
But recent upgrades of about R30 million to the Samuel Kanyon Doe sports complex saw the sanction lifted.
Liberia hosted its first international fixture since October 2019 when they hosted Senegal in a Chan qualifier on 24 July.
Sierra Leone’s national stadium the Siaka Stevens Stadium is set to be reopened in 2024.
When Sierra Leone Football Association secretary general Christopher Kamara wrote to the Liberian football association, requesting to use its national stadium for its upcoming fixtures the request went through the sports ministry all the way to President Weah. The president told his colleagues not to charge Sierra Leone.
A kind gesture from the only African footballer to ever to win the coveted Ballon D’Or award, handed to the best player of a calendar year.
Liberia too had to play their home games abroad, playing in Ghana, where they were charged R300,000 to rent the stadium out.
The rental fee was reduced to R75,000 last October but Liberia were since able to move their fixtures back home.
Image source: @SLFA
