The Ghana Football Association has confirmed that Sierra Leone’s East End Lions FC has pulled out from this year’s CAF Champions League thereby giving the Ghanaian premier league club, Asante Kotoko an easy walkover to the tournaments preliminary round.
The Ghana FA communicated to the Ghanaian champions that the EE Lions has withdraw after it was confirmed by their counterparts, the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA).
Asante Kotoko were drawn to face their Sierra Leonean counterparts in the first leg encounter in Freetown on the second weekend of February but the Killers from Sierra Leone decided to pull out from the tournament due to the Ebola pandemic which has affected football in the country.
The Ghana FA communicated to the Ghanaian champions that the EE Lions has withdraw after it was confirmed by their counterparts, the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA).
Asante Kotoko were drawn to face their Sierra Leonean counterparts in the first leg encounter in Freetown on the second weekend of February but the Killers from Sierra Leone decided to pull out from the tournament due to the Ebola pandemic which has affected football in the country.
Earlier the club's Secretary General, Abdul Rahman Davies, confirmed to Songhai Sports Network parent company of sites African Sports TV and African Sports Monthly that they will not be competing in the continental showpiece and refused to comment further on the reason for their decision.
But sources close to the club's top officials stated that the decision was related to the football wrangling between the football association and its membership, of which East End Lions is one of the clubs that are against the Madam Isha Johansen-led executive.
Meanwhile, the Africa body, CAF is yet to make an official statement over Lions withdrawal and they (CAF) had last week, appointed Gambian referees – Maudo Jallow, Dickory Jawo (Assistant 1), Karamo Forbes (Assistant 2), Bakary Camara (Reserve Referee) and Gabon’s Ndoumbou Likouni Dieudonne as Match Commissioners for the encounter.
But sources close to the club's top officials stated that the decision was related to the football wrangling between the football association and its membership, of which East End Lions is one of the clubs that are against the Madam Isha Johansen-led executive.
Meanwhile, the Africa body, CAF is yet to make an official statement over Lions withdrawal and they (CAF) had last week, appointed Gambian referees – Maudo Jallow, Dickory Jawo (Assistant 1), Karamo Forbes (Assistant 2), Bakary Camara (Reserve Referee) and Gabon’s Ndoumbou Likouni Dieudonne as Match Commissioners for the encounter.
By: Sahr Morris Jr.
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