SLFA Appeals Disqualification of Sierra Leone U-17 Team from WAFU Tournament

October 20, 2024

The Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) has expressed deep regret after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) disqualified the national U-17 team from the WAFU U-17 tournament. This decision came after five players reportedly failed the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) age screening conducted in Senegal.

The SLFA was surprised by this outcome, as the team had previously undergone MRI screening at EcoMed Advanced Medical Diagnostics in Freetown before the tournament. All players passed this pre-tournament test, which had also been successfully used in previous competitions in Senegal (2020) and Mauritania (2022).

In response, the SLFA has launched an official appeal, requesting the names and scan results of the players who failed the tests. The federation has also called for a possible retest to verify the accuracy of the findings. As part of the appeal, the SLFA submitted the results from the preliminary tests conducted in Sierra Leone prior to the team’s departure.

The SLFA remains committed to seeking a fair resolution and ensuring transparency in the process. The organization is actively engaging with CAF and will continue to pursue all available options to ensure justice for the team. Further updates will be provided as the situation develops.