Isha Johansen - A Day In The Life
In 2015, I interviewed Isha Johansen, president of the Sierra Leone Football Association for Eleven Magazine's A Day In The Life regular feature.
In the past year, Isha Johansen – president of Sierra Leone’s Football Association and the only female Football Association president in the world – has had to deal with a host of challenges. These include rooting out corruption in Sierra Leone, dealing with the devastating effects of Ebola on her home nation and continuing her humanitarian work. Johansen has also recently been talked of as a possible successor to Sepp Blatter. Here Johansen talks Eleven through a day in the life of the most powerful woman in world soccer
A typical day is letting my dogs Prince (German Shepherd), Duke (half Rottweiler, half Boxer) and Baron (Boxer) out at 6.30am. Prince has established himself as the security guard in our home so there is no love lost between him and the security guards. Early morning is when my husband and I get to chat and plan as we have extremely long working hours. By 8.30am I am in my study, setting up Skype interviews, responding to correspondences, and in many cases head off for meetings with staff and others.
The challenges in my role are many. The huge task of weeding out the old guard with their unethical and corrupt way of administrating football is an uphill struggle. The insurgence of a gambling syndicate that has spun an unhealthy web around Sierra Leone football and its administrators is a frustrating task. Quite frankly their aim is to destroy football in Sierra Leone if they cannot get to control football [in the country].
“The huge task of weeding out the old guard with their unethical and corrupt way of administrating football is an uphill struggle”
For a country so devout to football, Ebola has crippled the nation’s favourite sport. All Premier League and community league matches were suspended indefinitely and still remain so. Watching matches in gatherings (like cinemas) was prohibited.
“For a country so devout to football, Ebola has crippled the nation’s favourite sport. All Premier League and community league matches were suspended indefinitely and still remain so. Watching matches in gatherings (like cinemas) was prohibited.”
The most humiliating aspect was having to plead countries to allow our teams entry and permission to play our home matches away from home.
Female football development [in Sierra Leone] is a long way away. The civil war displaced the young talented girls. Ebola added considerably to this. Football for women should start from schools as part of their physical education syllabus. The girls need to be housed in one place where education, skills are combined. This is the basis for Power Play [an annual forum launched by Johansen giving African women and girls a voice through football].
I am also the founder of FC Johansen (FCJ). FCJ is a success story. One of chasing and living your dreams. The boys are my kids, my brothers. It’s undoubtedly one of the most, if not the most, inspirational story in youth football development in Sierra Leone.
I would like to see a healthy Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) – an association that can impact the next generation of football talents. The SLFA is now trying to initiate change and reform. I always say, “you cannot look into the future if you are unable to address the present.” The Isha Johansen-led SLFA executive is all about addressing and reforming the present.
“I always say, “you cannot look into the future if you are unable to address the present.” The Isha Johansen-led SLFA executive is all about addressing and reforming the present.”
I want to grow and learn in this game. I want to learn the inner workings and how to interact more with the people. I have been in this business as an official of my FA and with Fifa for two years. Not a long time but I feel I have learned a lot which will stand me in good stead. The presidency of Fifa is not a small task and not to be spoken about loosely. The responsibilities and experience that comes with it are huge. I am a quick learner and I bond with people easily. I would like to be more ingrained in how Fifa works and in the future, yes, the prospect of going for the top job would interest me.
At home, I am a very private person. Me, my dogs, Champagne, and my Vanity Fair and Tatler magazines. At weekends it’s Premier League and La Liga if it’s on.
My motto is, “There are two types of people in this world; Those who make history and those who are part of making history…”