The SLFA has been widely criticised for being incompetent and corrupt.

Dr. Wurie said he would like to throw all the officials out, but that he understood the association needed to be given time to get its act together.

"If the FA is not promoting the game for the people of the country, then the ministry will have to come down heavily on them," he said

But he cautioned that the government could get into trouble with Fifa if it got too heavy handed with the FA.

Corruption allegations

Dr Wurie recognised that people have been deeply annoyed with the way the association has behaved, not simply because of the allegations of corruption but also, in its failure to promote the game sufficiently.

"It's difficult to blame them....they're a bit rusty in knowing what to do," he continued.

Fifteen years ago Sierra Leone was a regular competitor at Nations Cup finals and winner of the regional Amilcar Cabral Cup.

But after a military coup in 1997 standards began to decline, the national stadium was taken over as a refugee camp and the football league ground to a halt.

The league is slowly starting up again and Sierra Leone is involved in qualifying for the Nations Cup and World Cup, though without much success.

Dr. Wurie refused to be drawn on which football team he supported in Sierra Leone.

"I cannot say as Minister of Sports - that would create a riot. For now, I support sport in general', he joked.