By Alpha Abu
Disturbing revelations and disagreements are beginning to emerge following Leone Stars campaign at AfCON in Cameroon. After the national football team crashed out in the group stage of the continent’s most prestigious tournament, there were assertions in many quarters of disagreements and lack of discipline in the camp and now things are beginning to come out in the open with much embarrassing rapidity.
The live radio interview of the Secretary General of the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) Chris Kamara and the swift reaction of the Team Manager Babadi Kamara on the same radio news programme manifested so much; the football administrators at the Secretariat and the team’s Management are not in sync in some areas, and this has revealed the dark side of Leone Stars that was being suppressed, until now.
Chris Kamara, sounding quite livid on the radio spoke of how the players refused to return suitcases and jerseys, contrary to expectation, with the exception of Steven Caulker. He said SLFA President Thomas Daddy Braima had instructed that only when they returned the items would they be given a thousand dollars each - money that was reportedly offered by a local philanthropist. Chris spoke about the indiscipline shown by some players.
He spoke of an incident in which President Julius Maada Bio whom he commended for his unprecedented generosity, after the send-off engagement with the team gave each player $3,000, only for them to refuse boarding the flight, demanding $5,000 each, far in excess of the approved match bonus earlier agreed on. The SLFA scribe made reference to the Gambian national side whose players has said got only a one-off payment which is less than what Leone Stars received, yet they went as far as the quarter finals, putting country above all else.
He said high profile players from other countries comported themselves in Cameroon unlike some Leone Stars team members.
Team Manager Babadi Kamara in his reaction said he was unaware of any decision to have players return kits. He said such a thing was unheard of in football circles, saying the desire of every player was to keep kits from games as memorabilia. He claimed that Caulker immediately after the elimination of Leone Stars gave the suitcase and kits to other younger players, out of anger.
He said Caulker was incensed at the level of indiscipline that engulfed the camp and because of that, wanted not to have any of the items.
The divergence of views by the two figures on the issue of the jerseys has left people wondering at the emerging rift amongst officials. Both men were however in agreement over the unruly behaviour of certain players at the tournament. What’s unclear though is why punitive measures were not meted on players that were out of control. People are also now asking why the players were not asked to sign a code of conduct with clearly defined penalties in case of breach.
There are now accounts in the public domain about some aging players from less competitive foreign leagues who put up dismal performances in the tournament, becoming the most uncontrollable, igniting dissension in the Leone Stars camp. People are waiting to see if those divisive figures can be weeded out or retained ahead of the forthcoming preparation for Ivory Coast 2023.
Copyright © 2022 Politico (09/02/22)
