The Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) on Wednesday, May 29, convened a crucial meeting with Premier League club chairmen and secretaries to discuss the implementation of the CAF Club Licensing Online Platform (CLOP).
The meeting, held at the SLFA Secretariat Conference Room, among other things, marks a significant step towards modernizing the registration and transfer processes for players in Sierra Leone.
The CLOP system will transition Premier League clubs from manual to electronic registrations and transfers, streamlining operations and enhancing efficiency.
The session was facilitated by SLFA Acting General Secretary *Mohamed Benson Bawoh, Club License Manager Sorie Ibrahim Sesay, and First Instance Board Chairman, Siman Alie Mans Conteh Esq who were among four Sierra Leonean officials who recently represented the country in a two-day CAF Club License training in Ghana. The other fourth representative was the Chairman of the Appeals Body Emmanuel Tamba Bundor Esq.
Highlighting the importance of the said meeting, the SLFA Acting General Secretary Mohamed Benson Bawoh said, “The new license mechanisms introduced by CAF will invariably enable clubs to maintain up-to-date structures and player records”. He further announced that the FA, through the Executive Committee, will provide Five Thousand USD ($5,000) to each Premier League club to support the implementation of these structures over the next five months.
Bawoh emphasized that compliance with the criteria set by the CLOP is mandatory. “Clubs failing to meet these standards will not be certified to participate in the Premier League and will be relegated to the first division”. He noted.
First Instance Board Chairman, Siman Alie Mans Conteh Esq, outlined the requirements for club certification by the SLFA. These include having an approved youth development program, two youth football teams (U10 and U15), a women’s team, and ensuring medical and welfare provisions for players and children.
During his presentation, the Club License Manager who doubles as the Director of Competitions, Sorie Ibrahim Sesay, reaffirmed the SLFA’s commitment to empowering clubs to meet the domestic requirements of Premier League standards. He announced that the SLFA will organize workshops to train all Premier League clubs on how to effectively operate the online platform.
