Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) President Babadi Kamara has called on the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to reconsider its 200-kilometre airport-to-venue rule, arguing that the regulation is preventing the Southern Arena in Bo from being fully utilised for Leone Stars’ international matches.
Kamara appealed to the CAF Strategy Conference in Santa Maria, Sal Island, Cabo Verde, from Wednesday to Friday, urging football authorities to adopt regulations that reflect the different economic, infrastructural and security realities of African countries.
He argued that applying the same rules across countries with different circumstances could create unnecessary limitations, stressing that regulations should take national differences into account.
“Laws are not always universal because no two nations are the same, neither in size, economy nor people. So, when we make laws, we should take those issues into cognisance,” Kamara said.
Using Sierra Leone as an example, the SLFA President said the 6,000-capacity Southern Arena has the facilities required to host CAF-sanctioned international matches but remains restricted by the distance regulation, which limits the use of venues located more than 200 kilometres from an international airport.
According to Kamara, the stadium has already demonstrated its ability to host international football, having staged four CAF Champions League matches involving teams from Algeria, Ivory Coast and Senegal, as well as three CAF Confederation Cup matches.
The venue has also hosted WAFU competitions for two consecutive seasons and an international friendly between Sierra Leone and Liberia.
He noted that these fixtures were conducted without any security incidents, arguing that the stadium’s record should be considered when CAF assesses its suitability for international competitions.
“I must state that a single incident didn’t occur during these matches,” he stressed.
Kamara further warned that strict enforcement of the 200-kilometre rule could limit local supporters’ access to their national teams by preventing matches from being played at suitable venues closer to their communities.
“If there is a regulation that a team should not travel more than 200 kilometres from the airport to the playing venue, it means we are taking the game away from the people,” he said, adding that football should remain accessible to supporters who want to watch and enjoy the game.
He called on CAF to place greater emphasis on security arrangements rather than distance alone when evaluating stadiums, maintaining that venues with adequate security guarantees should be considered for greater flexibility under the rules.
The SLFA President appealed to CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe and other football authorities to review the regulation and allow exceptions for venues located beyond the 200-kilometre limit, provided the safety of visiting teams is guaranteed.
His appeal centres on giving the Southern Arena a greater opportunity to host Leone Stars’ international fixtures while ensuring that the security requirements of visiting teams remain a priority.