Outgoing Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) president Isha Johansen has stepped down from national elections presidential race, leaving three candidates.
Johansen, who was elected 2013, announced on Tuesday that she has pulled out of the race in order to concentrate on her new role as FIFA Council member.
“As a recently elected FIFA Council member, I will be required to play a higher level and more active role as a Global Ambassador for football and for FIFA,” reads part of statement released by Johansen.
“Building on several years of experience in using football as a tool for change, development, peace and unification, I will be working closely with FIFA in diverse areas including football as a source of unity to bring peace, women in football leadership and promoting women football. Additionally, I will continue acting an ambassador for Africa and Sierra Leone in FIFA and FIFA in Sierra Leone.
[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“My new role will require extensive global traveling and consequently increased demands on my time. After much deliberation and soul searching, it is with sadness that I have decided to announce the withdrawal of my candidacy as President in the up-coming Sierra Leone Football Association elections.[/perfectpullquote]
“I hereby offer the new SLFA executive an staff all my best wishes for the future and assure my full support from within FIFA.”
The 55-year-old administrator withdrawal leaves three contestants namely Thomas Brima, Sadick Nyarkoh, and Rodney Michael, in the SLFA presidential race set to be held on June 5.
Johansen maneuvered into FIFA Council in March at the expense of long term incumbent Lydia Nsekera from Burundi.
When she stood for SLFA candidacy in 2013, Johansen had her three rivals disqualified from running due to links with betting companies and she was elected unopposed.
She has been president the Sierra Leone federation for eight years, having failed to hold an election since she took charge.
