The Canberra Leone Stars have been crowned champions of the 2026 Interstate Independence Celebrations Soccer Tournament, delivering a memorable victory for local supporters and the broader Sierra Leonean community.
In a thrilling grand final played on Sunday 26 April, the host team secured a convincing 3-1 win over Sydney (NSW) at the Giralang Soccer Fields, sealing the title in emphatic fashion.
Members of the triumphant Canberra Leone Stars team at the Giralang soccer fields, flags of Sierra Leone and Australia fly side-by-side.
Canberra’s road to the championship was marked by dominance and determination, including a commanding victory over Melbourne (VIC) that cleared the path to the final and ultimately the trophy. The triumph carried special significance for the home crowd.
The last time Canberra hosted the tournament in 2017, the Leone Stars endured a painful defeat to Adelaide (SA). This year’s success firmly laid those memories to rest, returning the trophy to the nation’s capital after Queensland’s victory in Melbourne last year.
The soccer tournament formed the centrepiece of Canberra’s vibrant Interstate 65th Independence Celebrations, which transformed the city into a hub of cultural pride over three days of festivities. The celebrations featured high-intensity interstate soccer clashes showcasing the best Sierra Leonean talent from across Australia, alongside captivating traditional performances that highlighted the community’s rich cultural heritage.
The long weekend culminated in a spectacular pageant show that drew strong participation and enthusiasm.
Canberra’s success extended well beyond the soccer field. The host city also claimed top honours by defeating Sydney once again in the beauty pageant category and displaying a strong performance in the cultural performance category. These events were held at the Weston Neighbourhood Community Hall, further underscoring Canberra’s dominance across sport, culture and pageantry.
Beauty pageant winner, Alicia Ali and competition organiser, Rosaline Koroma and her husband, Daniel Koroma.
Chairman of the Sierra Leonean Community in Canberra, Mr Sylvanus Conteh, expressed immense pride in the success of the interstate celebrations. “To me, this is deeply symbolic. This year marks the first time in the 13-year history of the Interstate Independence Celebrations that Canberra has won the soccer tournament, the beauty pageant, and delivered the most outstanding cultural performance, all in one event.
I call it the hat-trick.” When asked what contributed to the hat-trick, Chairman Conteh had this to say, “The key factors behind this landmark success were unity, preparation, and community spirit, and I am both humbled and elated to see this happen within the first 90 days of my tenure as Chairperson”.
For her part, the Chairlady of the Sierra Leonean Community Women’s Wing, Ms Christiana Ormoh, who led the cultural performance and pageant showcase, described the 2026 celebrations as one of the most successful events the community has delivered. She praised the women’s strong turnout in their traditional ashobe, describing it as a powerful symbol of unity and shared purpose, and congratulated Alicia on her outstanding pageant victory for Canberra.
She also thanked her Youth team who were there to not only help serve food to the elders but to also teach them our rich culture of responsibility and leadership at an early age. She said, “We created an environment that was family-friendly and welcoming for our young ones who went over and beyond to contribute to the success of our event. We thank them for their hard work which paid of well not only for our community but our city and most importantly our vibrant Sierra Leonean culture”.
Women’s Wing leader, Ms Christiana Ormoh and her team showcasing their ashobie during the cultural performance, Lamin Bah, former secretary and Sylvanus Conteh, Chairman of the Sierra Leonean Community in Canberra and Regions (SLCCR) with delegates from Queensland; James Dominic, Membership Secretary, Fatmata Sesay and Sallymatu Kuyateh, President of the Sierra Leoneans in Queensland (SLIQ).
Mrs. Rosaline Koroma, organiser of the pageantry event, described the evening as incredibly beautiful, noting that the contestants provided a perfect conclusion to Canberra’s 65th Independence Anniversary. She celebrated the win as a landmark moment for the community, concluded by paying tribute to the organisers and contestants, and offered special thanks to the winner, Ms. Alicia Ali”.
Interstate Soccer Tournament organiser and Team Manager (TM) of Canberra Leone Stars Justice Kuyateh, former SLCCR Executive Committee member Aminata Kamara and former SLCC Chairman, Amadu Barrie and Secretary of SLIQ, Kai Thomas at the Giralang soccer fields
Ms Mariama Tonkombah describes the cultural performance as excellent in terms of organisation and delivery. She describes the atmosphere as peaceful and family friendly and commended the organisers and visiting interstate participants, noting that Canberra had demonstrated it is not only the nation’s capital, but also a city to beat when it comes to soccer, culture and beauty.
Soccer Team Manager Mr Hassan Justice Kuyateh also expressed gratitude to the leadership of the Sierra Leonean Community in Canberra, particularly Mr Conteh and Ms Ormoh, for their unwavering support. He said the inspiring performances by the Women’s Committee at the cultural events played a key role in motivating the players, and dedicated the championship trophy to them.
Former Executive Committee member Aminata Kamara reflected on the broader impact of the celebrations, stating that the event brought Sierra Leoneans together “as one family” and strengthened unity among community members in Canberra and across interstate delegations.
Youth Leader Alhaji Gamanga echoed these sentiments, offering his “big appreciation to the entire community for putting together such a successful and memorable celebration.”
President of the Sierra Leonean Community of Queensland, Madam Sallymatu Kuyateh, who went home with her team without the trophy this year was full of praise for Canberra. She promised to introduce to her community the positive lessons drawn from the Nation’s capital especially the tribal performances displayed but the Women’s Wing of the host community. Last year, Madam Kuyateh travelled with her team to the host city of Melbourne to bring home the prized soccer trophy.
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