By Osasu Obayiuwana BBC Sport

Thompson says that he is still in charge of Sierra Leone's FA

Football's world governing body Fifa has directed that the legal statutes governing Sierra Leonean football be "modernised" to conform to international regulations.

Fifa deputy general secretary Jerome Champagne told BBC Sport in an exclusive interview that the crisis in the West African nation has become a matter of priority.

Champagne said: "According to what we know, there is a dispute as to the proper constitution in force.

We have worked on a set of standard statutes Fifa deputy general secretary Jerome Champagne

"Fifa has proposed to the Sierra Leone FA that we take this opportunity to modernise the SLFA constitution, in order to put it in line with Fifa statutes," Champagne said on Monday.

"We have worked on a set of standard statutes which will be a way to resolve local crisis."

There were allegations that the SLFA had three conflicting constitutions, which forced interested parties to recently seek redress in the high court.

Although the SLFA was reportedly dissolved by Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, the country's president, Champagne says that SLFA chairman Justice Tolla Thompson insisted that no such decision was taken by Kabbah.

"The chairman has told us that contrary to international reports, the SLFA has not been dissolved.

"But we have asked for more information and are monitoring the case in collaboration with Caf."