By Juliana E. P. Kabba
The Sierra Leone Under-17 national football team, known as the Sierra Stars, embarked on their journey to Senegal with aspirations of making a significant impact in the WAFU-A U-17 AFCON Qualifiers. Under the guidance of Coach John Dominic Konneh, the young squad was filled with confidence and determination, eager to secure a spot in the prestigious U-17 Africa Cup of Nations. Their journey through Guinea to Senegal symbolized their passion and resilience, especially as they prepared for tough competition scheduled from October 30 to November 3, 2024.
However, in a shocking twist, the Sierra Stars have been disqualified from the tournament. The disheartening news was confirmed by the organizing committee after several players failed mandatory MRI tests designed to verify age eligibility.
The disqualification followed a warm-up match against The Gambia, which ended in a goalless draw. Subsequent testing revealed that four or more Sierra Stars players did not meet the age requirements stipulated by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). According to CAF regulations, any team with four or more players failing the MRI test faces disqualification.
This marks yet another instance of eligibility issues for Sierra Leone’s U-17 squad. A similar situation occurred in 2021, and back in 2014, when the team, then coached by Mohamed Kallon, faced disqualification for the same reasons. These recurring problems have raised serious concerns about the integrity of the player selection system for international youth competitions.
The WAFU-A U-17 tournament was set to feature teams from across the region, with the top three advancing to the U-17 Total Energies Africa Cup of Nations. Alongside Sierra Leone, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau were also disqualified for similar violations, dashing their footballing hopes.
The disqualification has shattered the expectations of young players eager to represent their nation. Coach Konneh and his technical staff worked tirelessly to prepare the team, only to see their dreams dashed before the tournament commenced.
CAF reiterated its policy: “After carrying out the eligibility test, if any team has four (4) or more of its players deemed ineligible, the participating team will be disqualified from the tournament.”
Now, the Sierra Stars face the challenging journey home, with many lamenting another missed opportunity to showcase the country’s young talent on an international stage. The repeated failure to adhere to CAF’s age eligibility rules raises troubling questions about the future of Sierra Leone’s youth football development programs.
As the tournament progresses without them, the Sierra Stars reflect on what could have been—a journey filled with promise, now overshadowed by disqualification due to eligibility issues.
