Investigations has uncovered that Sierra Leone U20 national team might be under scrutiny for potentially violating regulations by fielding an ineligible player during their recent match against Liberia U20 in the 2024 WAFU Zone A U20 tournament. The controversy revolves around goalkeeper Abu Bakar Kamara, who played the entire 90 minutes for Sierra Leone in the game.
Investigations have uncovered discrepancies in Kamara’s age information. While playing for FC Kallon in the 2023 CAF Confederation Cup, Kamara used a passport indicating his birthdate as January 28, 2004 (Passport #: ER361085). However, the passport he presented for the WAFU Zone A U20 tournament states his birthdate as March 24, 2006 (Passport #: SLR116889) leading to suspicions of age fraud.
Kamara participated in both legs of FC Kallon’s CAF Confederation Cup matches against Dreams FC on September 15 and 30 and in where he was registered as being born in 2004. The sudden change in birthdate for the U20 tournament in 2024 has raised concerns about potential double registration and manipulation of official records.
The situation has put Sierra Leone’s involvement in the 2024 WAFU tournament at risk. If found guilty of fielding an ineligible player, the team could face severe consequences, such as point deductions, fines, and even a ban from future competitions.
