Kamara Rejects Johansen’s FIFA Presidential Endorsement
Former Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) President Isha Johansen revealed during an interview with Liberty Online TV that current SLFA President Babadi Kamara refused to endorse her potential bid for the FIFA presidency.
She recounted traveling to Sierra Leone specifically to seek Kamara's support, but he turned her down, linking his decision to his alignment with the Confederation of African Football's (CAF) stance backing incumbent FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
“In those photos, it was all nice and smiles, but that was the day he told me no,” Johansen said, referring to photographs taken during their meeting. She expressed disappointment over the refusal, arguing that Sierra Leone's interests should have been considered independently of the continental body's position, and maintained that even if Kamara intended to support Infantino, he could have made it clear that his country's interests came first.
Johansen explained that she had not initially planned to contest the election, but reconsidered after discussions with European figures in international football. Concerns regarding developments in FIFA leadership, along with her belief that her experience could contribute to the global game, ultimately influenced her decision to pursue the office and seek the SLFA's endorsement.
Her disclosure comes weeks after visiting Kamara at the SLFA Secretariat in Freetown on October 20, 2026, where she commended his first year in office and offered support for local football development. Meanwhile, CAF announced in April 2026 that all 54 member associations agreed to back Infantino's re-election for the 2027–2031 term ahead of the presidential vote scheduled for March 17, 2027, in Morocco.
As a former SLFA President and member of both the CAF Executive Committee and FIFA Council, Johansen remains one of Sierra Leone's most prominent figures in international sports administration. Kamara has not yet publicly addressed her account of their meeting or his decision to decline the endorsement.
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