Football in Sierra Leone
Encyclopedia
Football
is by far the most popular sport in Sierra Leone
. The Sierra Leone national football team
, governed by the Sierra Leone Football Association
, is popularly known as the Leone Stars and represents the country in international football competitions. Though the team has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup
, they did participate in the 1994
and 1996 African Cup of Nations
.
The Sierra Leone National Premier League
is the top football league in Sierra Leone. East End Lions
and Mighty Blackpool
are the two biggest and most successful football clubs in the country, but Kallon F.C.
is also improving. Kallon F.C. won the Premier League in 2006, and eliminated 2006 Nigerian Premier League
Champions Ocean Boys FC in the 2007 CAF Champions League
first qualifying round, but later lost to ASEC Mimosas
of Ivory Coast in the second qualifying round for the group stage.
The Sierra Leone U-17 football team, nicknamed the Sierra Stars, finished as runner-up at the 2003 African U-17 Championship in Swaziland
, but came in last place in their group at the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship
in Finland
.
Sierra Leone is home to the largest Manchester City supporters club outside of the UK, in 2009 and 2010 the fans and supporters of Manchester City raised funds to send a second hand bus to Sierra Leone to provide transport for away games.
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
is by far the most popular sport in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
. The Sierra Leone national football team
Sierra Leone national football team
The Sierra Leone national football team, nicknamed the Leone Stars, is the national team of Sierra Leone and is controlled by the Sierra Leone Football Association...
, governed by the Sierra Leone Football Association
Sierra Leone Football Association
The Sierra Leone Football Association is the governing body of football in Sierra Leone. It was founded in 1967, and affiliated to FIFA the same year. It is also a member of the Confederation of African Football from 1987. It organizes the national football league and the national team...
, is popularly known as the Leone Stars and represents the country in international football competitions. Though the team has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
, they did participate in the 1994
1994 African Cup of Nations
-Group B:---------Group C:---------Group D:---------Knockout Stages:-Quarterfinals:-------------Semifinals:-----Third place playoff:-Final:-Scorers:5 goals Rashidi Yekini4 goals Joël Tiéhi...
and 1996 African Cup of Nations
1996 African Cup of Nations
-Group B:---------------------Group C:------------ withdrew, so their three matches were canceled.*vs. , January 16, 1996*vs. , January 19, 1996*vs...
.
The Sierra Leone National Premier League
Sierra Leone National Premier League
Sierra Leone National Premier League is the top football league in Sierra Leone. It was founded in 1967. The league is sponsored by the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank, one of the major Sierra Leonean banks. East End Lions and Mighty Blackpool are the two biggest and most successful clubs. The...
is the top football league in Sierra Leone. East End Lions
East End Lions
East End Lions is a Sierra Leonean professional football club based in the capital Freetown. They play in the Sierra Leone National Premier League, the top football league in Sierra Leone. they are one of the two biggest and most successful football clubs in Sierra Leonean football history;East...
and Mighty Blackpool
Mighty Blackpool
Mighty Blackpool is a Sierra Leonean football club based in the capital Freetown. They play in the Sierra Leone National Premier League, the top football league in the country. Blackpool represent the West End of Freetown and their home games are played at the National Stadium in Freetown...
are the two biggest and most successful football clubs in the country, but Kallon F.C.
Kallon F.C.
Kallon Football Club commonly known as F.C. Kallon, formerly Sierra Fisheries, is a Sierra Leonean football club based in Freetown. The club is one of the top clubs in the Sierra Leone National Premier League and play their home games at the National Stadium in Freetown.-History:The club is named...
is also improving. Kallon F.C. won the Premier League in 2006, and eliminated 2006 Nigerian Premier League
Nigerian Premier League
The Nigeria Premier League is the highest level of domestic Nigerian football. It is fed into by the two First Division groups: the Nigerian Division 1-A and Nigerian Division 1-B. It is organized by the Nigeria Football Association. The NPL Chairman is Davidson Owunmi.- History :The league was...
Champions Ocean Boys FC in the 2007 CAF Champions League
CAF Champions League
The CAF Champions League is an annual international club football competition run by the Confederation of African Football . The top club sides from Africa's football leagues are invited to participate in this competition, which is the premier club football competition on the continent and the...
first qualifying round, but later lost to ASEC Mimosas
ASEC Mimosas
The Académie Sportive des Employés de Commerce Mimosas is an Ivorian football club based in Abidjan. The club is also known as ASEC Mimosas Abidjan and ASEC Abidjan, especially in international club competitions. Founded in 1948, they are the most successful side in Ivorian football, having won...
of Ivory Coast in the second qualifying round for the group stage.
The Sierra Leone U-17 football team, nicknamed the Sierra Stars, finished as runner-up at the 2003 African U-17 Championship in Swaziland
Swaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
, but came in last place in their group at the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship
2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship
The FIFA U-17 World Championship 2003 was held in the cities of Helsinki, Tampere, Lahti, and Turku in Finland between 13 August and 30 August 2003...
in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
.
Sierra Leone is home to the largest Manchester City supporters club outside of the UK, in 2009 and 2010 the fans and supporters of Manchester City raised funds to send a second hand bus to Sierra Leone to provide transport for away games.