By Sulaiman Jalloh

In a thrilling showdown at the Fourteenth Edition of the Ernest Bai Koroma Trophy 2023 grand Final, Ocean Boys and Golden Dragon battled it out at the Wusum Mini stadium in the northern Makeni, Sierra Leone the home town of the country’s erstwhile president Earnest Bai Koroma of the All People’s Congress Party (APC). A highly anticipated match that kept fans on the edge of their seats. Both teams displayed exceptional skill and determination, but the scoreboard changed in favour of the Golden Dragon of Tonkollili District against their opponent Ocean Boys of Bombali District during the second half of the match.

Ocean Boys, known for their defensive prowess, put up a solid performance against the relentless attacks of Golden Dragon, who showcased their offensive prowess with precision passes and strategic plays.

Hon. Chernor Ramadan Maju Bah commonly called (Chericoco) who is the lead sponsor of the trophy since it began in 2008 told Expo that one of the main things, he has achieved is consistency.

According to him, the finals would have been held last December, but said that due to insecurity, they did not organize the final as planned. He said that the final is part of the legacies of the former President Koroma. He said that the trophy was established not because Koroma was the president, but because they have trust in him. The tournament will continue even after his lifetime because we want to celebrate his legacy” the former law marker asserted.

According to Hon. Bah, the trophy has scouted talented players in the country that are now playing for international teams including some of the national team players. He however called on the young people especially those gifted in football to take anything they do seriously. He added that Kush is taking over the country and that drug is not their answer to their problems and to give up in life is not good for young people.

In an exclusive interview with Expo times newspaper, Brima Jalloh the national coordinator of the Earnest Bai Koroma trophy said that the tournament is to bring football to the most remote communities across the Sierra Leone, noting the trophy started with two of the sixteen districts in the country which is Bombali and Tonkolili and now it has spread the northern region, to the southeast, and western area, adding it is a national tournament because it has nothing to do with politics. He said the trophy is named after the retired politician due to the love he showed to football while he was in power.

Mr. Jalloh said the trophy has produced and helped a lot of young talented players who are now playing out of the country. He called on the young folks to avoid the intake of drugs mainly Kush, saying Kush is not good as it spoiled talented footballers. “This EBK trophy is here to stay” he ended.

Hon. Mohamed Papa Bangura the lead organiser for this year’s grand final expressed gratitude to all the attendees for something he said that made the event a successful one. “We always tell people that the EBK trophy is here to stay, this is the fourteenth edition and it was successful” he lamented, noting by September this year, the fifteenth edition will commence. He said the trophy is not a political one but to promote the young generation in the country especially those that choose football as a carrier. Twenty teams participated in the 2023 trophy.

Philp Sanko alias the captain Golden Dragon shares his joy with Expo Times newspaper, “I feel actually joyous because when you struggle for something and you achieve it, it’s a big blessing” he pointed to, noting his team has participated in the EBK’s trophy three times, the time of their appearance, he said they were eliminated in the group stage, the second appearance they were eliminated at semi-final stage and if they win this year’s edition, it’s something worth celebrating. He noted that, they won the tournament due to their performances since the start of the tournament while encouraging the people of Tonkolilli District to support football, saying football is a game of chance.

Copyright –Published in print in Expo Times Newspaper on Friday, May 6TH, 2024 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)