By Hassan Osman Kargbo
The Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) has approved the Southern Arena stadium in Bo ahead of TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup Preliminaries.
CAF issued a temporary approval to the Southern Arena in the Southern part of Sierra Leone to host the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and Confederations Cup preliminary qualifiers involving champions of Sierra Leone, Bo Rangers in the Champions League and East End Lions in the Confederations Cup.
This follows a CAF-mandated pre-inspection and assessment of the 6000 seater Southern Arena stadium in Bo City conducted this past weekend by the Competitions Director at the Sierra Leone Football Association, Sorie Ibrahim Sesay.
This approval of the facility by the continent’s football governing body CAF will see Bo Rangers (The Elephants) play host to their Ivorian counterpart San Pedro in the Champions League and while East End Lions (The Killers) also play host to their Senegalese counterpart AS Jaraaf in the Confederation Cup with both matches scheduled to play between Saturday 17th August and Sunday 18th August, 2024 for the first round of the double legged ties in this year’s CAF first and second tier Interclubs preliminary qualifiers.
The Southern Arena is currently the country’s only top tier sporting venue with the country’s Siaka Stevens stadium still under renovation.
In response to the approval, the CEO and owner of the 6,000-seater stadium Babadi Kamara said,
“Seeing both the Men’s and Women’s Champions League, and as well as the Confederation Cup qualifiers being played at the Southern Arena is a big plus for the development of the game in the country among others, I built this facility as my token of support towards the development of football in Sierra Leone, and my biggest joy behind constructing this facility will always be, watching the Sierra Leone national teams including Leone Stars play competitive CAF and FIFA matches on turf of the Southern Arena”.
All thanks to Babadi Kamara for taking the investment risk of building that stadium.
The boys are determined to make the name of Sierra Leone to be on continental map of football.
This is not going to be about Bo Rangers or EE Lions. It is going to be about giving Sierra Leone a reason to be proud.
Set that date aside to be in Bo and enjoy the ambience of good football in sweet Bo.
