Sierra Leone

=== Sports ===

{{Main|Sport in Sierra Leone}}

[[File:Sierra Leone National Stadium.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|[[National Stadium (Sierra Leone)|National Stadium]] in [[Freetown]]]]
[[Association football]] is by far the most popular sport in Sierra Leone. Children, youth and adult are frequently seen playing [[street football]] across Sierra Leone. There are organised youth and adult football tournaments across the country, and there are various primary and secondary schools with football teams across Sierra Leone.

The Sierra Leone national football team, popularly known as the [[Leone Stars]], represents the country in international competitions. It has never qualified for the [[FIFA World Cup]] but participated in the [[1994 African Cup of Nations|1994]] and [[1996 African Cup of Nations]]. When the national football team, the Leone Stars, have a match, Sierra Leoneans across the country come together united in support of the national team and people rush to their local radio and television stations to follow the live match. The country's national television network, The Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) broadcasts the national football team live match, along with many local radio stations across the country.

When the Leone Stars win an important match, many youth across the county rush to the street to celebrate. Many of the Sierra Leone national team footballers play for teams based in Europe although virtually all of them started professional football in the [[Sierra Leone National Premier League]]. Many of the national team footballers are celebrities across Sierra Leone and they are often well known by the general population. Some of Sierra Leonean international footballers include [[Mohamed Kallon]], [[Mohamed Bangura (footballer)|Mohamed Bangura]], [[Rodney Strasser]], [[Kei Kamara]], [[Ibrahim Teteh Bangura]], [[Mustapha Dumbuya]], [[Christian Caulker]], [[Al Bangura|Alhassan Bangura]], [[Sheriff Suma]], [[Osman Kakay]], [[Mohamed Kamara]], [[Umaru Bangura]] and [[Julius Wobay|Julius Gibrilla Woobay]].

The [[Sierra Leone National Premier League]] is the top professional football league in Sierra Leone and is controlled by the [[Sierra Leone Football Association]]. Fourteen clubs from across the country compete in the Sierra Leone Premier League. The two biggest and most successful football clubs are [[East End Lions]] and [[Mighty Blackpool]]. East End Lions and Mighty Blackpool have an intense rivalry and when they play each other the national stadium in Freetown is often sold out and supporters of both clubs often clash with each other before and after the game. There is a huge police presence inside and outside the national stadium during a match between the two great rivals to prevent a clash. Many Sierra Leonean youth follow the local football league.

Many Sierra Leonean youth, children and adults follow the major football leagues in Europe, particularly the English [[Premier League]], Italian [[Serie A]], Spanish [[La Liga]], German [[Bundesliga]] and French [[Ligue 1]].

The [[Sierra Leone cricket team]] represents Sierra Leone in international cricket competitions and is among the best in West Africa. It became an affiliate member of the [[International Cricket Council]] in 2002. It made its international debut at the 2004 African Affiliates Championship, where it finished last of eight teams. But at the equivalent tournament in 2006, Division Three of the African region of the World Cricket League, it finished as runner-up to [[Mozambique]], and just missed promotion to Division Two.

In 2009, the Sierra Leone Under-19 team finished second in the African Under-19 Championship in Zambia, thus qualifying for the Under-19 World Cup qualifying tournament with nine other teams.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cricinfo.com/other/content/story/403002.html |title=Cricinfo article Uganda and Sierra Leone Win Through |publisher=Cricinfo.com |date=5 May 2009 |access-date=20 May 2012}}</ref> However, the team was unable to obtain Canadian visas to play in the tournament, which was held in Toronto.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cricinfo.com/other/content/story/423890.html |title=Visa Issues End Sierra Leone's World Cup Dream |publisher=Cricinfo article |date=7 September 2009 |access-date=20 May 2012}}</ref>

Sierra Leone is the first African country to join the [[International Floorball Federation]].