BY BOCKARIE ALIEU
232NEWS, FREETOWN
The Siaka Stevens Stadium in Freetown was few months back banned from hosting all CAF and FIFA related matches. This came about when CAF stadium inspectors found out that the stadium was below standard and lacks a huge component of the required facilities of CAF and FIFA. Due to the ban, Sierra Leone national teams and clubs have been playing all their home matches in other countries. Because of this the President Bio lead government awarded a Chinese construction company contract worth over $40M to rehabilitate the stadium to meet the required facilities of the international football bodies. In a tour at the stadium, the SLFA Tournament Director Sorie Ibrahim Sesay and few other Sports Ministry officials were assured by the Boss of the Chinese company that they should have nothing to fear as they are working hard to get all the required facilities at the stadium. During the tour the tournament Director inspected the dressing rooms, the pitch, media center, Anti-Doping center, the goal posts, scoreboard, dressing room tunnel, sitting accommodation at the stands with plastic seats at presidential and cover stands. The Chinese company Boss assured them that all mentioned CAF &FIFA facilities will be available at the stadium. This time round he said the stadium will be with two sets of dressing rooms. He went on that one set will be purely for international matches and the other for local matches. The stadium now has two stands for disabled fans. He reassured them that the stadium will be ready for use next year possibly March. Also in the inspection team were the newly appointed parliamentary oversight committee chairman, the Director of Sports Haroun Korgie, the stadium manager Paul Dambulay and his deputy Alfred Tucker.
