Sierra Leone’s U-20 national football team, the Shooting Stars, is under scrutiny at the 2025 CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt following allegations of age fraud.
Coaches from Tanzania and Zambia have raised concerns about the age eligibility of Sierra Leone’s players after early group-stage matches.
Tanzania’s head coach, Boniface Mkwasa, questioned the physical maturity of Sierra Leone’s players after his team suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat.
“If you see them, they are a bit bigger, and age-wise, it’s not under 20 if you see,” Mkwasa remarked, implying that some players might be over the age limit.
Similarly, Zambia’s U-20 coach, Boyd Mulandwa, expressed concerns after his team’s goalless draws against Egypt and Sierra Leone.
He stated, “This is a youth tournament, and we expect youths to play against youths. But if you bring people who are not in that category, it becomes difficult for others.”
These allegations come amid a history of age-related controversies involving Sierra Leone’s youth teams. In 2024, the U-17 team was disqualified from the Africa Cup of Nations after failing mandatory MRI age tests, which revealed discrepancies in players’ ages. Additionally, during the 2024 WAFU Zone A U-20 tournament, goalkeeper Abu Bakar Kamara was found to have conflicting birthdates on different passports, raising suspicions of age manipulation.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has yet to respond to the current allegations. However, the issue of age fraud has been a longstanding challenge in African football, prompting calls for stricter enforcement of age verification measures to preserve the integrity of youth competitions.
As the tournament progresses, the spotlight remains on Sierra Leone’s U-20 team, with stakeholders awaiting CAF’s stance on the matter.
