The Athletic.

Hello, I'm Mark Chairman, welcome to the Business of Sport podcast on The Athletic.

Matt Slater with us as usual, and our guest today is Isisha Johansson, who is a member of the FIFA Council,

the main decision-making body of world football. Previously, she was president of the Sierra Leone

Football Association, one of only a few women in the world to have headed a national football

association. Isha is also owner and CEO of Leone National Premier League Club F.C.

Johansson, the club she started to provide guidance and opportunities to children whose lives

have been disrupted by civil war. She's also been involved in campaigns to help and encourage

women and girls to play football. Isha, thank you very much for doing this.

We normally begin these podcasts by asking people to tell us how they've got to the position

they're in now and a little bit of background before we then go wherever we go.

I sense if I asked you to tell me how you've got to where you are now and a bit

of your background, that your answer could take the whole 45 minutes of the podcast, maybe.

You're probably right, yes. It's a long story. It's quite a journey. It has been quite a journey,

and it continues to be actually. Take us through where you are now and then we'll unravel some of how you've got to where you are.

So your current roles are what?

So currently I am a CAF executive committee member, i.e. the director of the CAFE executive and I'm also a FIFA council member the only African female

at the council representing Africa so that's where I'm at I'm also the founder of a premier league

club called FC Johans said but my son is now the CEO so he's running that thank God I mean and this is a

club that you, I started in

2004 just after our Civil War. Some of these guys are actually playing now, the African nations,

and it's an extremely emotional and very proud moment for me. Is there one of those roles that's

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