Sierra Leone women's national football team

Last updated

Sierra Leone
Association Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA)
Confederation CAF (Africa)
Sub-confederation WAFU (West Africa)
Head coach Ernest Hallowell
FIFA code SLE
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First colours
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Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 141 Steady2.svg (15 March 2024) [1]
Highest135 (December 2021)
Lowest141 (August – December 2023)
First international
Flag of Sierra Leone.svg  Sierra Leone 0–9 Nigeria Flag of Nigeria.svg
(6 November 1994)
Biggest defeat
Flag of Sierra Leone.svg  Sierra Leone 0–9 Nigeria Flag of Nigeria.svg
(6 November 1994)
Women's Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances1 (first in 1995 )
Best resultQuarters Final (1995)

The Sierra Leone women's national football team is governed by the Sierra Leone Football Association.

Contents

History

In 1985, almost no country in the world had a women's national football team, [2] including Sierra Leone women's national football team who did not play its first matches until around 1994 when it participated in the qualification phase of the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup. [3] In a game in Nigeria on 6 November 1994, Sierra Leone women's national football team lost 0–9 to Nigeria after being down 0–6 at the half. [4] In a game in Freetown on 20 November 1994, it lost 0–2 to Nigeria after being down 0–2 at the half. [4] These 2 games represent half of all games it has played in its history. [4] The team's other 2 games took place during the preliminary rounds of the 2010 Women's Championship tournament in Africa, which was part of the Olympic qualification process, where Sierra Leone lost during the preliminary round once 2–3 to Guinea in Conakry on 7 March 2010 and tied Guinea 1–1 in Freetown on 20 March 2010. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] Following this match, the team did not play an international match on any level for at least a year [9] and did not participate 2011 All Africa Games. [10] In March 2012, Sierra Leone was ranked the 135th best in the world and the 26th best in Africa. [11] It improved its ranking to 130th best in the world in June 2012 and at still at the bottom of the world rankings alongside 46 other women's national teams. [11] [12] Its best ever rank was 128th, which was in 2010, and its worst ever ranking was 136, which it was ranked in 2011. [13]

Background and development

Early development of the women's game at the time colonial powers brought football to Sierra Leone and the continent was limited, as colonial powers in the region tended to take concepts of patriarchy and women's participation in sport with them to local cultures that already had similar concepts already embedded in them. [14] Other factors on the continent impact the development of the game, including limited access to education, poverty among women in the wider society, and fundamental inequality present in the society that occasionally allows for female specific human rights abuses. [15] When quality players are developed in Africa, they often leave for greater opportunities elsewhere Continent wide; most of the funding for women's football in a country and for the women's national team comes from FIFA, not the national football association. [16] Future success for women's football in Africa is dependent on improved facilities and access by women to these facilities. Attempting to commercialise the game is not the solution, as demonstrated by the existence of youth and women's football camps held on the continent that have resulted in improved national team performance as players progressed through the system. [14]

The United Nations ranked Sierra Leone 180 out of 187 on their Human Development Index. One of the factors in this world ranking was gender inequality. [17] Football was seen as 1 way of understanding life by watching what happened on the pitch. [18] In 2007, a football administrator from the country is in charge of the women's football committee in the West African Football Union. [19] In 2011, Brazilian women's football superstar Marta visited the country and met with the national team. Her visit was part of the United Nations Development Programme where Marta is a Goodwill Ambassador. [20] [21] [22] [23] In 2011, there was no national women's league in the country. [9] In 2012, Girls Football League was launched by the Craig Bellamy Foundation after a pilot programme in 2010/2012 in Makeni that included 4 teams. Girls participating in the programme are given scholarships to attend, with 93% attending school regularly while involved with the programme, a higher percentage than the national average for female school attendance. [17]

Women are football spectators, watching live games in rural and remote areas of the country. [18] Rights to broadcast the 2011 Women's World Cup in the country were bought by the African Union of Broadcasting and Supersport International. [24] The popularity of the sport is declining in the country for women. [25]

Sierra Leone women's national football team is nicknamed the Sierra Queens. [9]

Under-17 team

Sierra Leone has a Sierra Leone women's national under-17 football team. They were supposed to compete in the African Women U-17 Championship Qualifying Tournament 2010. Togo won the first round because Sierra Leone withdrew from the competition. [26] They competed in CAF qualifiers for the FIFA U-17 World Cup that will be held in Azerbaijan in September 2012. They did not advance out of their region. [27] The team was supposed to play the Gambia women's national under-17 football team in a qualifying match for the 2012 U-17 Qualifying Tournament. [28] Sierra Leone lost the first leg in Banjul, Gambia 0–3. The return match was delayed for 24 hours. [29] [30] [31] The team's head coach attributed the loss to poor refereeing. [31] The game against Gambia was the country's first junior national international match. [32] The second match was one by Sierra Leone 3–1. [33] Gambia won the first match in 3–0 in a game played in Banjul. [34] The return match was delayed in for 24 hours and played in Makeni. [34] Gambia beat Sierra Leone to qualify for the final round with an aggregate score of 4–3. [35]

The team is coached by Hannah Williams, while Tamba Moses was the assistant coach. Squad members included Cecilia Bangura, Jarriatu Kamara, Hannah Conteh, Haja Kamara, Magret Sesay, Sarah Bangura, Fatmata Turay, Fatmata Mansaray, Kaju Max-Macauley, Aminata Lebbe, Zainab Sesay, Alice Bundor, Adama Sesay, Rashidatu Kamara, Isata Kamara, Wuyiah Muwaid, Nasu Bundor, and Assanatu Jalloh. [32] The cost of travel for the team was paid for by LEOCEM, the country's only cement company. The company's managing director rationalised the decision to pay saying, "We received the request from the SLFA at a very short notice but we decided to help because we want to see female football grow from the grass-roots level and also to meet our corporate social responsibility. We are happy about helping out the female team and we hope they'll eliminate their Gambian counterpart." [36] Members of the under-17 team are drawn from the Airtel Rising Stars tournament. [9]

Under-20 team

Sierra Leone has a Sierra Leone women's national under-20 football team. They competed in the 2010/2011 FIFA U-20 CAF Women's World Cup qualifying competition. They did not advance to the U20 Women's World Cup. [37] They competed in the preliminary rounds of the 2010 CAF FIFA U20 World Cup. In the preliminary round, they did not have to play as Guiena withdrew from the tournament. In the first round, they were supposed to play Nigeria and withdrew from the tournament. [38] They were to compete in the 2010 African Women U-20 Championship Qualifying tournament against Togo, and Togo earned a walkover win against Sierra Leone. [39] Sierra Leone eventually withdrew from the competition. The announcement was made a week after the under-17 lost 0–3 to Gambia. [30]

Fixtures

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

Legend

  Win  Draw  Lose  Fixture

2023

21 January 2023 (2023-01-21) 2023 WAFU Zone A Women's Cup GS Sierra Leone  Flag of Sierra Leone.svg1–4Flag of The Gambia.svg  Gambia Sal, Cape Verde
18:00 Kabba Soccerball shade.svg62' Report Jatta Soccerball shade.svg2', 20', 56', 72'Stadium: Estádio Marcelo Leitão
Referee: Sylvina Garnett (Liberia)
23 January 2023 (2023-01-23) 2023 WAFU Zone A Women's Cup GS Guinea  Flag of Guinea.svg1–0Flag of Sierra Leone.svg  Sierra Leone Sal, Cape Verde
15:00 Diallo Soccerball shade.svg86' Report Stadium: Estádio Marcelo Leitão
Referee: Yacine Samassa (Mauritania)
25 January 2023 (2023-01-25) 2023 WAFU Zone A Women's Cup GS Sierra Leone  Flag of Sierra Leone.svg0–4Flag of Senegal.svg  Senegal Sal, Cape Verde
18:00
Stadium: Estádio Marcelo Leitão
Referee: Yacine Samassa (Mauritania)
10-18 July 2023 (2023-07) 2024 Olympic qualifying Ivory Coast  Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svgCancelledFlag of Sierra Leone.svg  Sierra Leone
10-18 July 2023 (2023-07) 2024 Olympic qualifying Sierra Leone  Flag of Sierra Leone.svgCancelledFlag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg  Ivory Coast

Coaching staff

PositionName
Head coachFlag of Sierra Leone.svg Ernest Hallowell
Assistant coachFlag of Sierra Leone.svg Martha Conteh
CoordinatorFlag of Sierra Leone.svg Musu "Pele" Bangura
Medical officerFlag of Sierra Leone.svg Mamie Sheriff
AdminFlag of Sierra Leone.svg Milton Koroma
Media officerFlag of Sierra Leone.svg Esther Marie Samura

Players

No.Pos.PlayerDate of birth (age)Club
1 GK Cecilia Bangura Flag of Sierra Leone.svg Mena Queens
1 GK Isha Kamara Flag of Sierra Leone.svg FC Kallon
1 GK Hannah Juana Flag of Sierra Leone.svg Mogbewmo Queens

2 DF Alice Koroma (2003-03-03) 3 March 2003 (age 21) Flag of Sierra Leone.svg FC Kallon
2 DF Marie Kamara Flag of Sierra Leone.svg Ram Kamara FC
2 DF Mabel Bongay (2003-11-28) 28 November 2003 (age 20) Flag of Sierra Leone.svg Mogbewmo Queens
2 DF Aminata Bellon (2004-11-28) 28 November 2004 (age 19) Flag of Sierra Leone.svg Mena Queens
2 DF Isha Sesay Flag of Sierra Leone.svg Ram Kamara FC
2 DF Mamusu Tamu Flag of Sierra Leone.svg FC Kallon

3 MF Kadiatu A. Kamara Flag of Sierra Leone.svg Kahunla Queens
3 MF Jeneba Koroma Flag of Sierra Leone.svg Mogbewmo Queens
3 MF Sarah Sesay (2002-11-28) 28 November 2002 (age 21) Flag of Sierra Leone.svg Kahunla Queens
3 MF Memunatu Kamara Flag of Sierra Leone.svg Correctional Center FC
3 MF Sarah Bangura (captain) Flag of Sierra Leone.svg FC Kallon
3 MF Kadiatu M. Jalloh Flag of Sierra Leone.svg Mogbewmo Queens
3 MF Kadiatu Kanu Flag of Sierra Leone.svg Ram Kamara FC
3 MF Matilda Kabba Flag of Sierra Leone.svg Kahunla Queens
3 MF Adama Kargbo (2003-11-28) 28 November 2003 (age 20) Flag of Sierra Leone.svg FC Kallon

4 FW Kumba Z. Brima Flag of Sierra Leone.svg Kahunla Queens
4 FW Wuyah S. Mohai Flag of Sierra Leone.svg Mogbewmo Queens

Previous squads

WAFU Zone A Women's Cup

Competitive record

FIFA Women's World Cup

YearRoundGPWD*LGFGAGD
Flag of France.svg 2019 did not enter
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Flag of New Zealand.svg 2023

Olympic Games

YearRoundPldWD*LGSGAGD
Flag of the United States.svg 1996 did not qualify
Flag of Australia (converted).svg 2000
Flag of Greece.svg 2004
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg 2008
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg 2012
Flag of Brazil.svg 2016
Flag of Japan.svg 2020
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

African Games

YearRoundMatchesWinsDrawsLossesGFGA
Flag of Nigeria.svg 2003 did not enter
Flag of Algeria.svg 2007
Flag of Mozambique.svg 2011 did not qualify
Flag of the Republic of the Congo.svg 2015
Flag of Morocco.svg 2019

Africa Women Cup of Nations

YearRoundGPWD*LGSGAGD
Flag of Equatorial Guinea.svg 2008 to Flag of Equatorial Guinea.svg 2012 did not enter
Flag of Namibia.svg 2014 Withdrew
Flag of Cameroon.svg 2016 to Flag of Ghana.svg 2018 did not enter
Flag of Morocco.svg 2022 did not qualify
Flag of Morocco.svg 2024 Did not enter
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

WAFU Women's Cup

YearRoundPositionPldWDLGFGA
Flag of Sierra Leone.svg 2020 Groupe stage6303011
Flag of Cape Verde.svg 2023 Groupe stage7300319

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