In a significant step towards elevating football standards in Sierra Leone, Bhantal FC’s Team Manager, Ibrahim Conteh, and SLFA’s Club Licensing First Instant Board Chairman, Siman Man’s-Conteh Esquire, are currently participating in the Club Licensing Instructors & Club Licensing Online Platform (CLOP) Experts Workshop in Egypt. The workshop, running from January 31st to February 2nd, 2024, is a vital component of the Confederation of African Football's (CAF) ongoing efforts to support its 54 Member Associations in enhancing and maintaining the competitiveness and self-sustainability of African football.

This initiative stems from CAF's introduction of the Club Licensing Online Platform (CLOP), a groundbreaking electronic tool system designed to streamline the licensing process and stadium inspections for both continental and domestic competitions. The system was presented to Member Associations during the CAF Club Licensing Seminar in Cairo, Egypt.

The workshop aims to train potential instructors, including the two SLFA representatives, who will subsequently impart their knowledge on the club licensing system to officials across the continent. The CAF Club Licensing Online Platform operates as a comprehensive electronic tool facilitating the management of the licensing process for both continental and domestic competitions.

Key features of the CAF Club Licensing Online Platform include:

- Implementation of a fully automated and electronic club licensing process for continental and domestic competitions.

- Smooth gathering and real-time visualization of documents submitted by license applicants (clubs).

- Monitoring of the licensing procedure for both CAF Interclubs competitions and national competitions.

- Data gathering (Benchmarking) about clubs in Africa.

- Conducting stadium inspections for CAF and domestic competitions.

This platform is poised to make the club licensing process more efficient for clubs and all stakeholders involved. The SLFA representatives, after undergoing this training, will play a pivotal role in disseminating knowledge and expertise on the club licensing system, contributing to the overall improvement of football standards across Africa.

As CAF works tirelessly towards its vision of making African football globally competitive and self-sustaining, Sierra Leone's active participation in such workshops becomes crucial in ensuring that the nation aligns with international standards and best practices in football governance and management.