SIERRA LEONE, WEST AFRICA
Joined August 2010
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The Beautiful Game - BY Rodney Edmond Michael
You are the beautiful game.
Others have tried to compete,
And some have improved considerably,
Yet you lead as the best by a distance.
22 players and 3 officials follow you around the pitch—
A round leather ball, so craftily designed.
Each player brings their own talent and skills,
But teamwork always wins.
50 years of playing and watching you,
4 decades administering you.
So much I have learned, and I am still learning,
And yet you continue to amaze.
Described as a religion to fans,
We consider you even more important.
You give joy and delight to billions.
You are truly God's gift to mankind;
There is none to match you.
The USA calls you soccer,
For the rest, you are football,
But FIFA calls you the beautiful game—
The love of our life.
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Proud to call you home! By Rodney Edmond Muchael
They call you a living hell,
A shithole not fit for humans,
A good-for-nothing dump.
But you are home.
They refuse to appreciate your warmth,
They ignore our humanity,
They fail to recognise what you gave them.
But you are home.
They compare to dishonour and disrespect you,
They insult and molest you,
They pick on what you lack and humiliate you.
But you are home.
They blame you for the shortfalls,
They criticise the darkness, bad roads, poor health service, and education,
Yet they blame you for our own doing.
But you are home.
Your beautiful beaches and wonderful people,
Your religious tolerance and humanity,
Your unity as one nation,
Is why I am proud to call you home—
My only home!
A Friend You Are Not
By Rodney Edmond Michael
A friend you are not.
A pretender you are.
Your pretense is filled with deceit,
Your hypocrisy sickening.
Your smiles appear when you are in need,
Yet you disappear when help is required.
You act entitled, though you are not.
You expect everyone to bend and support,
Feeling no obligation to give back.
You forget that life is not permanent,
And no position stays the same.
Lucky you were to gain my fondness,
Though you do not deserve it.
This friendship is one-way honesty,
And one-way deceit.
Let it be known:
A friend you are not.
If this is the team to represent @SLFA_sl Leone Stars vs DRC today, it is a very brave selection from the coach.
Augustus Kargbo dropped?
Tyrese dropped?
I pray this team does well...i swear I am praying.
On paper it is not our best team but the coach knows best.
He has opted for a new combination against our most difficult opponents. If this works he has earned my ultimate respect.
Common Leone Stars!
I have followed and contributed to the debate relating to @ishajohansen2 intent to contest for @FIFAcom presidency and @SLFA_sl and Babadi Kamara refusal to nominate her. Isha and I may not be best of friends but I respect her confidence to declare against her former friend and mentor Infantino. It takes a strong character to do so.
But I am with Babadi on this. If you endorse someone you are expected to stand by them and he has along with all of @Cafonline1 declared for Infantino. He is expected to vote for him and discourage any opposition.
The idea he can nominate Isha and vote Infantino is unethical.
The ethcial thing to do is vote for the candidate you nominate or endorse. Only hypoctites can endorse 1 candidate and vote another canddiate. That will be dishonesty.
And asking Babadi to do so is grossly unfair.
Respect, integrity, honesty, ethics, and all the virtues demand you stay loyal once you have committed.
Babadi has done that and I am sure Gianni Infantino, @FIFAcom and @Cafonline1 will respect Babadi more now than ever.
In fact even those opposed to Infantino will appreciate Babadi's honesty and ethics and respect him more now than ever.
We may have differences here and there but in this instance I respect his decision as right for him and @SLFA_sl. Emotions aside, it is best for Sierra Leone not to nominate Isha at this time. If things change and another election comes up, and Infnatino is out, I will personally advocate for Sierra Leone to nominate or support any Sierra Leonean or African candidate, maybe Isha then. But not just this time or with Infantino, a friend of Africa in the race.
Th4 death of Jesus De Miguel caused by a terruble foul by goalkeeper Owono is sad. My sincerest sympathy with the family of DE MIGUEL. However @FIFAcom have asked for an investigation to prevent such incidents in the future. That is all that should be done. The Spanish Polish investigating Owono for involuntary manslaughter is a dangerous precedent in a contact sport. Every sport has risks and whilst this was an avoidable death, there is no way Owono would intend to harm the deceased. A few years ago, a cricket played killer another in Australia with a bouncer. The entire Australia and cricket world supported that player and he continued to play. What we need to do now is emulate the Australians. Give support to Owono who has not been able to live with himself since the terrible incident, and support the family to cope with their loss and help them accept to forgive. Owono has suggested he will never play again. He has even suggested he wants to meet the family to beg for forgiveness. He has shown absolute remorse and regrets. Something he has to live with forever. May God grant Jesus eternal rest, help his family cope and forgive Owono. The world united when the bolton player collapsed and "died" for 15 seconds, Fabrice Mbuema, we chanted "one game one family".
We have lost a family member, let us not disown another for a mistake.
Sierra Leonean Jessica Michael and colleagues from Alabama, USA, meet Ambassador Amara Sowah in Washington as they prepare for their model UN meeting.
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The panel decided in point 1 that the serial numbers matching the clubs voting did not guarantee the secret ballot process.
As @mightyblackpool delegate at the elective congress, i raised this objectiom as a procedural flaw. It was amended at my firm objection. The @FIFAcom reps agreed with me and rexommended ir was amended. Effort was made but not sufficient. The numbering continued and delegates rememebred their alloted numbers which would confirm who they voted for. Inwas number 4 and qfter the process they went to verify who i voted for.
I was not parr of the CAS CASE and neither did I appear as a witness or witness the hearing.
But it gives me great joy that ny objection and concern was supported by the CAS PANEL.
In future elections the @SLFA_sl electoral committee must use blank ballot papers and allocated without any form of identification of voters to ensure it is absolutely and exclusively a secret ballor.
CAS Upholds 2025 SLFA Election Results, Dismisses Challenge by Aminata Bangura and Others
The Court of Arbitration for Sport @CAS has dismissed an appeal challenging the outcome of the Sierra Leone Football Association @SLFA_sl presidential election held on 2 August 2025, confirming the victory of Babadi Kamara and the decision of the SLFA Electoral Appeals Committee.
In an arbitral award dated 2 November 2026 in the case CAS 2025/A/11738 Aminata Bangura, Slifa FC & Musa Mahmood v. Sierra Leone Football Association, the three-member Panel ruled that the appeal filed by Ms Bangura, Slifa FC and Mr Musa Mahmood on 8 September 2025 is dismissed. The decision of the SLFA Electoral Appeals Committee of 18 August 2025 is confirmed in full.
Babadi Kamara won the elective congress with 43 votes to Bangura’s 11, after the third candidate, Umaru Bah, withdrew. The clear margin proved decisive in the CAS ruling.
Background to the Dispute
The election took place amid a series of controversies. The SLFA Ethics Board had earlier barred both Bangura and then-President Thomas Daddy Brima from contesting, imposing one-year bans from football-related activities. CAS granted Bangura provisional measures on 31 July 2025, allowing her to stand. Brima remained barred, leaving the association without a sitting president at the congress. The First Vice-President was also absent, and the Second Vice-President, Mr Tarawally, chaired the proceedings after a majority of delegates endorsed the arrangement.
The Appellants raised multiple grounds, including the improper convening of the congress, late release and alleged manipulation of the delegate list, the forcible removal and arrest of Slifa FC’s delegate Benjamin Gordon, the use of serial-numbered ballots (raising secrecy concerns), and questions over the appointment and integrity checks of the Electoral Committee, Ethics Board and Electoral Appeals Committee.
Panel’s Findings
The CAS Panel, chaired by Mr Lars Hilliger with arbitrators Mr David Casserly SC and Mr Kwadjo Adjepong OBE, examined the evidence, including witness testimony and video footage. It acknowledged several procedural shortcomings:
1. The first three ballots were issued with serial numbers matching the voter list, meaning those votes could not properly be considered secret under Article 25 of the SLFA Constitution. Subsequent ballots were mixed after an objection was raised.
2. The treatment of Mr Gordon by police and security personnel was described as excessive, heavy-handed and violent. The Panel noted that the SLFA owed a duty of care to delegates and condemned the manner of his removal and arrest, which prevented him from voting. It stopped short of finding systematic intimidation.
However, the Panel concluded that these and other issues, individually or taken together, did not materially affect the integrity or the outcome of the presidential election, given the decisive 43-11 margin and the failure of the appellants to discharge their burden of proof on several points. It agreed with the lower body that safeguards should be strengthened for future elections (including earlier publication of delegate lists, clearer rules on chairing in the absence of the president, and better protocols with police).
The Panel also confirmed that the Executive Committee properly convened the congress and that the Standing Orders of Congress allowed the longest-serving available vice-president to chair in the circumstances.
Costs
The appellants were ordered to bear the costs of the arbitration jointly and severally. They must also pay CHF 6,000 towards the SLFA’s legal fees and expenses.
The ruling closes the main legal challenge to the August 2025 elective congress at the international level. A separate CAS case concerning Bangura’s earlier Ethics Board disqualification (CAS 2025/A/11613) was previously dismissed in early October 2026.
The decision provides legal finality to Kamara’s presidency more than a year after the congress, while highlighting areas where the SLFA’s electoral processes can be improved.
Report from @AYVnews on face book.
The @SLFA_sl has won the CAS case relating to the 2025 elections which saw Babadi Kamara emerge victorious.
However, significant in the ruling are the following
1. Irregularities in the electoral process (an issue I raised during the elections)
2. Recommendation to improve the process
3. The manhandling of Benjamin Gordon as inhumane. (An issue i was very vocal about.)
4. The conclusion that in spite of 1 to 3...they were not material enough to affect the results. (A concern I raised because of margin of victory).
I hope this ruling teaches us a lesson...our electoral process seems to always have irregularities. We must prevent this in the future.
Secondly, had the margin been less than 20% could the ruling have differed? Possibly.
Therefore we must ensure in the future the elections are free and fair and devoid of irregularities.
We cannot and should not need to go to CAS every time there is an election.
Now the result stands, we ask Babadi to reach out and unite the family once and for all. And those aggrieved accept any olive branch.
Some of us are now semi retired. We only observe and wish well.
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Thank You @keikamara this is a wonderful reminder for all of us.
facebook.com/share/v/16P2qKJ…
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End of month and bank charges are debited. You have an account in UK, no Commission on turnover or any other charges. In sierra leone i just received 41 messages from 6 accounts, business and private, all debits for bank charges, c.o.t., gst, interest, internet banking, and God alone knows what. How do they expect poor people to deposit their little pennies when the bank will find any chance to deduct from the credits? This is why the informal non-banking sector is growing whilst the banking sector is struggling.
Stranded for 2 hours now at Lumley in front of the bus depot. Appealing to traffic division to find ways of preventing this kind of traffic. Have not used this road for a long time and I doubt I will use it in the forseeable future.
Fear is the traffic is stationary...and we could be here for another 3 hours.
We cannot turn around as there is no space.
What a friday evening.
Thank you @Cafonline1 for doing the sensible thing. I have only met Mr Adamu once during a @ACAFootball_ board meeting and do not know him personally. But he has served @Cafonline1 for over a decade and has earned the respect of all of African MAs as head of competitions etc. He deserves this oppprtunity. Our prayers with @Cafonline1 AND MR ADAMU.
Congratulations to Mr. Samson Adamu on his appointment as General Secretary of the Confederation of African Football (CAF)
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I respect @KMbappe after this interview. Absolute honesty. I pray he wins it next year.
🚨Kylian Mbappé on Harry Kane winning the Ballon d’Or ahead of him and Lamine Yamal:
🗣️ Kylian Mbappé: “To be honest, I sat there throughout the ceremony and listened to everything. I barely moved from my seat because, at some point, I genuinely wanted to see whether they were going to invite us onto the stage or simply hand every award to the Spanish players!
“Every time they announced a winner, it felt like another Spanish player was going to collect a trophy. And I’m sitting there thinking, ‘Okay, let’s see how this ends.’
“At one point, Michael Olise turned to me and said, ‘Kylian, when did the Ballon d’Or become a country achievement?’
“I laughed and told him, ‘Just sit down and watch. We haven’t seen the final award yet.’
“Then Lamine won the Young Player of the Year award. Congratulations to him, because he is an incredible talent. But we were still waiting for the biggest prize of the night.
“Finally, they announced the men’s Ballon d’Or winner, and it was Harry Kane.
“Honestly, if I had to choose between Harry Kane and Lamine Yamal winning it ahead of me, I would rather see Harry win it.
“Not because I have anything against Lamine. He is a fantastic player, and I respect what he has achieved. But Harry represents something I deeply respect about football. He has worked for years, carried enormous expectations and continued to deliver at the highest level.
“Seeing him lift that trophy made me happy. I was proud of him, genuinely. But let me be clear: I didn’t travel to that ceremony to support Harry Kane. I went there because I wanted to win the Ballon d’Or myself.
“And I think people sometimes forget that. You can respect another player, congratulate him and appreciate his achievement while still being disappointed that you didn’t win.
“I sat there watching him celebrate, and part of me was happy for him. Another part of me was asking what I needed to do differently to make sure I would be the one standing on that stage next time.
“People might look at my reaction and say, ‘Mbappé should be grateful to be nominated.’ Of course I’m grateful. But I didn’t reach this level by being satisfied with nominations.
“I want to win. I want to be the best. And when I lose, I don’t suddenly pretend that winning was never important to me.
“I would rather lose the Ballon d’Or to a player I respect than win the sympathy of people who tell me I deserved it after the ceremony.”
“Harry had his night, and I respect that. But my story isn’t finished. If working harder, scoring more goals, improving my game and taking greater responsibility are what it takes, then that is exactly what I will do.
“I won’t ask anyone to feel sorry for me. I won’t complain about the result. I will go back to work.
“Because the next time I walk into that ceremony, I don’t want to sit there wondering whose name they are going to announce.
“I want to hear my own name and I want nobody to have an argument about whether I deserve it.”
Readers added context they thought people might want to know
The detailed quote attributed to Kylian Mbappé here is fabricated; he made no such statements. Harry Kane won the 2026 Ballon d'Or ahead of Mbappé (2nd) and Lamine Yamal (3rd), with reports noting only Mbappé's visible disappointment at the event.
bbc.com/sport/football…
infobae.com/deportes/2026/…
uefa.com/uefachampionsl…
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The @ballondor will be awarded soon...and if it is not @HKane then it is unfair. His Stats is way better than the rest. No one else deserves it more.
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Rodney Michael retweeted
Only a Matter of Time? Why Sierra Leone Must Intensify Ebola Preparedness Now
We do not wish for it. No one who lived through 2014–2016 wants to see #Ebola return to our shores. Yet the confirmation of an imported case in Nigeria’s capital this week, coming after cases in Kenya and the ongoing large Bundibugyo outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the #Congo and #Uganda, makes one reality plain; in a region connected by air routes, (at least three KQ flights a week) trade, and porous borders, the risk of importation is no longer theoretical. It is a question of when, not if, unless our defences hold.
#SierraLeone’s National Public Health Agency @slnpha and the Ministry of Health @mohs_sl deserve clear commendation for the measures already in place. Following #Kenya’s imported cases, they strengthened screening and surveillance at #Freetown International Airport and official land border crossings. Travellers are being asked for accurate health and travel information, advised to monitor themselves for 21 days, and directed to call 117 if symptoms appear. Earlier this year the authorities conducted simulation exercises, assessed isolation capacity, including at the Port Loko Field Hospital, and continued building on the post-2014 investments in surveillance, laboratory networks, rapid response teams, and community-based early warning systems. These steps show that the institutional memory of the last outbreak has not been lost.
That said, the measures now in place must be intensified and improved, urgently, if we are to avoid another outbreak on the scale that devastated the Mano River Union countries. Bundibugyo virus is not the Zaire strain we faced a decade ago; there is currently no licensed vaccine and no proven specific treatment. Case fatality in the DRC outbreak has hovered near 50 per cent. #Nigeria’s experience this week, a traveller admitted to a private hospital and treated for days before confirmation, with dozens of contacts already identified, illustrates how quickly an imported case can generate chains of transmission if detection and isolation are delayed.
What intensification should look like is clear. Points of entry need sustained, adequately resourced screening capacity, not episodic heightening. Laboratory readiness for Bundibugyo testing must be confirmed and backed by rapid sample transport. Isolation beds and infection-prevention supplies should be pre-positioned and regularly drilled, especially in private facilities that may see the first patients. Community engagement and risk communication, building on lessons from both Ebola and more recent responses such as #Mpox, must reach people before any case arrives, so that early reporting is trusted rather than feared. Cross-border coordination with #Liberia and #Guinea, already discussed in scientific forums, should move from principle to practical joint surveillance and information-sharing protocols. Stockpiles, financing mechanisms, and healthcare-worker protection cannot remain on paper.
The 2014–2016 epidemic showed how quickly a single introduction can overwhelm fragile systems when surveillance is patchy, trust is low, and response is reactive. Sierra Leone has made real progress since then. The test now is whether that progress can be converted into the speed and discipline required to stop an imported case before it becomes an outbreak. The NPHA and Ministry of Health have started the work; partners, local authorities, health workers, and citizens must help them finish it. Waiting for the first case on our soil to prove the gaps would be a failure we cannot afford.
A joutnalist sent me below picture of the 20.8 MW WATERLOO INNOVENT SOLAR FARM (INVESTMENT COST - 25 M Euros) , after reading my comments on energy. This is the reason I appreciate the @julius_maadabio Govt policy on energy ... searching for lasting solutions, enticing and encouraging IPPs to invest in Sierra Leone Energy.
I have researched the project and understand the phase 1 tariff will be around 11 cents to 13 cents per KWH. This will enable EDSA collect enough to pay off the supply without dependency on the consolidated fund.
I hope the phase 2 of the INNOVENT PROJECT is approved soon.
I also researched and the Chinese 30 MW at NEWTON cost about 45 m dollars and has been completed. It will supply power to EDSA at about the same 11 to 13 cents per KWH.
Whilst other energy options are more reliable and more efficient, but cost far more, I am a big fan of solar and hydro for Africa generally and Sierra Leone particularly because it is affordable.
As a Nation, we are not even middle class, we cannot afford luxury, and must seek services that we can manage and sustain. Ambition has limitations...we all want the best but the best is relative. We must seek the best we can afford and not the best beyond our economic status that will plunge us deep in debt.
Tomorrow I will share my views on how the Provincial Energy project should be advanced. It will not please politicians because it will be purely from a business man's perspective not to seek public support but to ensure it is sustainable.
Humour time: There is this misconception around town that I am an influencer and my commentaries influence the Govt of @julius_maadabio and the public. A friend attached to an NGO calls me "Sierra Leone's influencer". Maybe this is why some people decided to attack and threaten me for my sincerest and patriotic opinion 2 days ago.
But truth be told, my comments are of no significance in Govts policies and governance. At times I doubt Govt leaders even see it yet alone read it. My followers are small and I am not an influencer. Social forums for me is like an Ataya base...a way of venting out frustration and expressing an opinion. It is never borne out of malice neither intended to influence anyone. I do not have that kind of connections or status within the Govt, although the public assumes otherwise. But I enjoy twitter...since I have reduced my whatsapp participation. This for me is a comfortable space to express myself...since I do not have a lot of other space. If eventually it influences anyone, all good, but that is definitely not my intent.
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One of my first business experience was controlling my uncle's Michael Stores in Bo, the official honda agents in the provinces. The Sierra Leone Shipping Company then handled all shipping arrangements for us. It made life so easy.
Seeing on social media @julius_maadabio open the Shipping Company today brought good memories and renewed hope that shipping will once more be made easier. We must live in optimism always because things are not easy globally. We hope this shipping company will make life easier for importers and exporters. Sierra Leone deserves the best options.
The Agriculture secror has really been a huge success in the last 24 to 36 months, particularly due to @julius_maadabio personal investment and participation in promoting farming and actively involved as an investor and advocate.
Increased foreign and local investment on Small, Medium and large faming has increased production considerably, with importation of rice down 8% and importation of onions down 95%. Same goes for vegetables and pepper with absolutely no need for importation.
With the growth in agriculture such as increased investment locally, there will be additional benefits in numerous ways such as "reduced importation and less demand for forex, job creation, more revenue collected from taxation and exportation, etc"
We should really be proud of the achievement in Agriculture.