Sierra Leone National Premier League
| Country | Sierra Leone |
|---|---|
| Confederation | CAF |
| Founded | 1967 |
| Number of teams | 14 |
| Levels on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | Sierra Leone National First Division |
| Domestic cup(s) | Sierra Leonean FA Cup |
| International cup(s) | Champions League Confederation Cup |
| Current champions | Diamond Stars[1] (2012) |
| TV partners | Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC TV) |
Sierra Leone National Premier League is the top professional football league in Sierra Leone. It was founded in 1967. The league is sponsored by the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank, one of the major Sierra Leonean banks. East End Lions and Mighty Blackpool are the two biggest and most successful clubs. The National Premier League is controlled by the Sierra Leone Football Association. The season runs from March to July.[2]
The current champions of the premier league are the Diamond Stars of Kono, who became the first club outside Freetown to ever win the Premier League, after winning the 2012 Premier League season.[1][3][4]
Contents |
Structure [edit]
Fourteen clubs compete in the league, playing each other twice, once at home and once away. At the end of the season the bottom two clubs are relegated to the Sierra Leone National First Division, the second highest football league in Sierra Leone. The top two teams qualify for the CAF Champions League, while the third place team or the winner of the Sierra Leonean FA Cup will qualify for the CAF Confederation Cup. If the winner of the Sierra Leonean FA Cup has already qualify for the CAF Champions League, the Confederations Cup spot will go to the third place team in the table. Whilst still popular, the Sierra Leone league is often found in the shadow of Africa's greatest league - Chad premier league. As a result it is commonly accepted that the quality of Sierra Leone's players and management staff is at a lower level than their Chadanian counterparts.
2011/12 Clubs final standings [edit]
| Club | City | MP | W | D | L | F | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Diamond Stars | Koidu Town | 26 | 16 | 2 | 8 | 33 | 18 | 50 |
| 2 Kallon F.C. | Freetown | 26 | 13 | 8 | 5 | 27 | 16 | 47 |
| 3 East End Lions | Freetown | 26 | 10 | 11 | 5 | 28 | 17 | 41 |
| 4 Johansen | Freetown | 26 | 10 | 11 | 5 | 22 | 17 | 41 |
| 5 Kamboi Eagles | Kenema | 26 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 22 | 15 | 40 |
| 6 Mighty Blackpool | Freetown | 26 | 8 | 12 | 6 | 21 | 18 | 36 |
| 7 Old Edwardians | Freetown | 26 | 11 | 3 | 12 | 21 | 25 | 36 |
| 8 Ports Authority | Freetown | 26 | 8 | 11 | 7 | 20 | 22 | 35 |
| 9 Bo Rangers | Bo | 26 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 18 | 22 | 34 |
| 10 Central Parade | Freetown | 26 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 20 | 22 | 32 |
| 11 Gem Stars | Tongoma | 26 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 21 | 29 |
| 12 Freetown City | Freetown | 26 | 7 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 26 | 26 |
| 13 Wusum Stars (R) | Makeni | 26 | 6 | 4 | 16 | 17 | 35 | 22 |
| 14 Kissy All Stars F.C. (R) | Freetown | 26 | 2 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 27 | 19 |
- Wusum Stars and Kissy All Stars F.C. are relegated to the Sierra Leone National First Division
sources:[5]
Previous winners [edit]
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|
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Performance by club [edit]
| Club | City | Titles | Last Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mighty Blackpool | Freetown | 11 | 2001 |
| East End Lions | Freetown | 11 | 2010 |
| Kallon FC (includes Sierra Fisheries) | Freetown | 4 | 2006 |
| Real Republicans | Freetown | 3 | 1984 |
| Ports Authority | Freetown | 3 | 2011 |
| Diamond Stars F.C. | Koidu | 1 | 2012 |
| Freetown City (includes Freetown United) | Freetown | 1 | 1989 |
| Old Edwardians | Freetown | 1 | 1990 |
Topscorers [edit]
| Season | Player | Club | Goals |
| 2000/01 | Keifala Marrah Abdulai K. Conteh |
Mighty Blackpool Old Edwardians |
5 |
| 2007/08 |  Lahai Chandos Freeman |
10 | |
| 2011/12 | James Bangura |
Central Parade | 8 |
References [edit]
- ^ a b http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18954997
- ^ Aboutaball website
- ^ http://www.thisissierraleone.com/diamond-stars-fc-of-kono-are-the-new-champions-of-sierra-leone/
- ^ http://allafrica.com/stories/201207250574.html
- ^ http://sierraleonefootball.com/index.php/features/tables#
- ^ "Africell honours league champions tomorrow". sierraexpressmedia.com. 15 July 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
External links [edit]
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