2008 elective congress

Dream Team Manifesto: take football to another level

By Jeremiah Sawyer

Christian Dauda

The National Stadium Presidential Lounge Monday became the center of attention, where the Dream Team contesting the elective congress of SLFA unveiled its manifesto to the public and members of the press. Welcoming the audience, the presidential hopeful of the Dream Team, Dr Foday Bangura admonished the packed lounge that everything on earth has time, noting that four years ago some stakeholders deprived his presidential ambition to promote football in the country.

Unveiling his manifesto, the former Leone Stars Team Manager said the Dream Team has a mission to rescue football in the country. He said in conjunction to achieving it, a detailed proposal under the following heading will be pursued: Football Development, Commercialization, Finances, Administration and the National Teams.

He further disclosed that the Dream Team would be accountable for what ever they do, in as much as they would be responsive to the aspirations of the stakeholders that elected them into office. He said his coordination with the entire football family would enhance their success.

“If I have people like Mohamed Nabie and Rodney Michael as Vice Presidents One and Two, respectively, we will not fail,” said Foday Bangsu.

He said transparency would be their benchmark to success, adding that the team will build the game nationally and internationally.

He said to tap young talents, the Dream Team would introduce the combined secondary team which consists of school going pupils from the regions. By so doing, he said potential national players could be identified.

After launching the Dream Team manifesto, Dr Foday Bangura said four years back he told stakeholders that there was a need to build a solid administrative structure, train team technical outfit and the decentralization of football but his pleas were ignored because of tentative financial rewards.

Presently Dr Bangsu said stakeholders have seen where the current Nahim Khadi executive has taken football. The presidential hopeful revealed that his then campaign manager during the last 2004 elective congress abandoned the camp. “He accused me of being stingy in monetary affairs,” said Bangso.

The former Old Edwardians Team Manager said after the Makeni congress, he decided to quit football but was compelled because of his passion for the game and that was why he was contesting the elective congress again.

“Saturday will be the decisive day for stakeholders to decide the path of football in the country. The game would forever be destroyed or it would mark the beginning of the end of a regime that has no intention to develop the country’s football,” said Dr Bangura.

Bangsu, however, reiterated that he could not buy votes from any stakeholder as each has a moral and constitutional duty to ensure that the game is developed by electing people of repute, credibility and passion to run football.