October 26, 2020 (232News)
FREETOWN – One of the foremost aspirants for the SLFA Presidency Rodney Michael has debunked the ban allegation on him. According to the football philanthropist who also one of the oldest football administrators, he only hears the word ban from the SLFA executive with no authentic document from them neither from FIFA which they claimed had banned him.
Few years back, Rodney Michael was disqualified from contesting for the SLFA Presidency against Isha Johansen. Rodney was banned together with Mohamed Kallon and the Late Foday Turay. On the side of Rodney the electoral commission at that time claimed that he has a connection with a betting company based in Sierra Leone. According to Rodney he has stopped working with the above mention betting company long before he was disqualified. He went on that all this was done to pave the way for Isha to be the sole candidate for the SLFA Presidency. Rodney debunked the saying that it was FIFA who banned him as he said FIFA has never served him any letter on the issue. Besides, he said FIFA has never investigated him about the above allegation. He mentioned that few years back it was the former Sports Minister Paul Kamara who released a joint press release with the FA that they have banned him with other people for match fixing. Later he said the Minister released another press release that they have lifted the ban as they have no evident on the allegation. Apart from the press release, Rodney said the FA president herself accepted before the parliamentarians in the Sierra Leone House of parliament that she has no evidence on the above match fixing allegation. Rodney claimed that he still has the recording of what the FA President Isha and the Secretary General said about the allegation. He went on that presently what they, the SLFA members are asking for is to let the electoral commission start the process of taking them to elective congress. Rodney said by God’s grace he will be the next SLFA President if the delegates vote him. He though said they wanted the Ministry of Sports to allow them to hold congress while putting in place COVID19 procedure of washing hands, wearing of face masks and observing social distance during the congress.
