The Sierra Leone Football Association

What The Sierra Leone Football Association does

The Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) is the sole national football governing body in Sierra Leone, established in 1960 and affiliated to FIFA the same year. Headquartered at 21 Battery Street, Kingtom, Freetown, SLFA administers football across Sierra Leone and is a member of the West African Football Union (WAFU), the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and FIFA. It organizes the country's domestic competitions — the Premier League, FA Cup, National First Division, National Second Division, and the Women's Premier League — and manages all national teams, including the Leone Stars (senior men), Sierra Queens (senior women), and U-23, U-20, and U-17 squads for both genders. Its mandate extends to club licensing, referee and coaching education (CAF/FIFA certified licenses), football academy training, and grassroots initiatives such as the FIFA Football for Schools program.

SLFA's core technology asset is the FIFA Connect Program — a digital player, club, coach, and referee registration and identification platform implemented under FIFA's global football administration framework. It is not a proprietary AI or analytics product but rather an interoperability layer that standardizes registration data across member associations. Beyond competition management, SLFA runs development programs in coaching education, referee certification, club licensing, and youth championships, and has begun construction of four artificial turf pitches (Port Loko, Freetown, Bo) to expand female-football infrastructure.

As a nonprofit national federation, SLFA does not sell commercial products. Revenue is raised through four streams: FIFA and CAF development grants and infrastructure funding, sponsorship and commercial partnerships (kit sponsor Umbro, Leone Stars partner Sierra Leone Commercial Bank, Africell sponsorship exploration), government of Sierra Leone support for national team operations (travel, bonuses), and membership fees from regional associations and clubs. Go-to-market is event-driven: organized tournaments, international match campaigns (AFCON, World Cup, WAFU qualifiers), and grassroots school-based programs. Recent leadership transitioned to President Babadi Kamara in 2025, with Mohamed Kallon appointed as Leone Stars head coach in the same year.

Name

The Sierra Leone Football Association

Legal name

Sierra Leone Football Association

Website

https://slfa.sl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) is the sole FIFA-affiliated national football governing body in Sierra Leone, founded in 1960, administering domestic leagues, national teams (Leone Stars, Sierra Queens), coaching/referee education, and grassroots development, funded mainly through FIFA/CAF grants, government support, and sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Federation and Football Governance

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121), Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)

akta.pro primary industry

National Governing Bodies (NGBs) (MPAKAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Professional Sport Governing Bodies & League Sanctioning Authorities (MPAKAFAE)

Keywords

• National football governance
• Domestic football leagues
• Football federation administration
• Player development programs
• Coaching education

Headquarters

HQ city

Freetown

HQ country

Sierra Leone

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. FIFA/CAF Grants and Development Funds: Receives funding and grants from FIFA and CAF for football development programs, infrastructure projects, and administrative support.
2. Sponsorship and Commercial Partnerships: Partnerships with sponsors and commercial partners for national teams, leagues, and competitions.
3. Membership Fees: Fees collected from member clubs and regional football associations.
4. Government Support: Financial support from the Government of Sierra Leone for national team operations and participation in international competitions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) is the sole national football governing body of Sierra Leone, responsible for organizing and regulating domestic football competitions (Premier League, FA Cup, National First and Second Divisions, and the Women's Premier League) and managing national football teams across senior and youth categories for men and women. It delivers football development programs including the FIFA Football for Schools initiative, Football Academy, coaching education, and referee certification, supported by the FIFA Connect digital player registration system.

Product overview

The Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) operates as the governing body for football in Sierra Leone, managing a comprehensive portfolio of products and services centered around national team management, domestic competitions, and football development. The core offerings include the Leone Stars (men's senior national team) and Sierra Queens (women's senior national team) along with various youth national teams (U-23, U-20, U-17 for both genders). SLFA organizes domestic competitions including the Premier League, FA Cup, National First Division, and National Second Division. A dedicated Women's Premier League Board oversees women's football including the Women's Premier League. The association also provides football development services through its Academy, coaching education programs, referee development initiatives, and the FIFA Connect player registration system. These products work together to fulfill SLFA's mandate to improve and regulate football throughout Sierra Leone.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Leone Stars: Senior Men's National Football Team of Sierra Leone
• Sierra Queens

Products and services

• National Football Teams Management
• Leone Stars (Men's Senior National Team)
• Sierra Queens (Women's Senior National Team)
• Sierra Leone Premier League
• Sierra Leone FA Cup
• National First Division
• National Second Division
• Sierra Leone Women's Premier League

Quantifiable outcome

• Sierra Queens won first ever WAFU A Women's Title in 2025

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AfricellminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025SLFA President met with Africell CEO to explore sponsorship opportunities for Sierra Leone football.
• FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFIFA is the global governing body of football. SLFA is affiliated to FIFA and receives development support, funding, and guidance for football programs including FIFA Connect, Football for Schools, and coaching education initiatives.
• CAF (Confederation of African Football)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAF is the continental governing body for African football. SLFA participates in CAF competitions including AFCON and receives support for continental football development programs.
• WAFU (West African Football Union)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWAFU is the regional football union for West Africa. SLFA participates in WAFU-organized tournaments including the WAFU A Women's Cup where Sierra Queens won their first title in 2025.
• UmbrominorGTM or Marketing PartnerKit sponsor for Sierra Leone national teams providing official match kits and training apparel.
• SLCB (Sierra Leone Commercial Bank)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLeone Stars partnership agreement with SLCB for commercial support.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Football Association of Zambia (FAZ): Southern African national federation of similar scale, with analogous women's football development pathways and a comparable mix of continental grants and sponsorship revenue.
• Football Kenya Federation (FKF): East African FA of similar market size and governance profile, with active women's football programs and similar grant-driven revenue mix. Relevant peer for women's football and grassroots development trajectory.
• Mali Football Federation (FEMAFOOT): West African national federation of similar institutional scale to SLFA, with parallel dependency on FIFA/CAF funding and a small-to-mid commercial market. Useful benchmark for comparable revenue and competition structure.
• Liberia Football Association: National football federation of neighboring Liberia, with a comparable small West African market, similar FIFA/CAF revenue mix, and parallel institutional structure. Most directly comparable peer due to geographic proximity and economic scale.
• Guinea Football Federation (FEGUIFOOT): National football federation of neighboring Guinea, sharing WAFU/CAF/FIFA affiliation and a similar small-market profile. Comparable in governance model, league structure, and reliance on continental grants.
• Uganda Football Association (FUFA): East African FA comparable in population scale and federation maturity, with parallel league pyramid and women's league structures. Comparable in institutional challenges and FIFA Forward funding reliance.

Broad incumbents

• Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT): Established Central/West African federation with multiple AFCON titles and significant commercial development. Comparable governance mandate but at a meaningfully larger operational and commercial scale than SLFA.
• Senegal Football Federation (FSF): West African FA materially larger and more commercially advanced than SLFA; reigning WAFU A women's champion prior to Sierra Queens' 2025 upset win. Key reference point for aspirational growth trajectory.
• Ghana Football Association: Larger, more commercially established West African FA with Black Stars as flagship brand. Comparable in governance mandate and league structure but materially larger in commercial revenue and fan reach than SLFA.
• Nigeria Football Federation (NFF): Africa's largest football federation by population and commercial scale. Comparable institutional mandate and FIFA/CAF structure, but vastly larger in broadcast, sponsorship, and competitive footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SLFA_sl
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC8aqIlCWoyoBW4Rd_ofmdbA
• Facebookfacebook.com/sierraleonefootballassociation
• Instagraminstagram.com/slfa_sl?utm_medium=copy_link
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/slfa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Sierra Leone Football Association