The Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) has presented an ex gratia payment of Le75,000 to the family of the late Bureh Ganso Koroma, a former Mighty Blackpool FC midfielder, fulfilling a key recommendation from an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
The payment, announced in a press release dated 4 August 2026 and signed by SLFA Head of Media and Marketing Ibrahim Kamara, addresses allegations of neglect involving SLFA officials and the Sierra Leone national men’s team (Leone Stars) under the previous administration.
Mighty Blackpool FC is also expected to contribute Le25,000 in line with established procedures, bringing the total support for the bereaved family to Le100,000 (equivalent to 100 million old Leones).
Koroma sustained severe injuries in an on-pitch collision during a friendly match between Leone Stars and Mighty Blackpool FC in May 2025. He died in November 2025 after months of health complications, sparking widespread public concern and protests over player welfare in Sierra Leonean football.
The SLFA Executive Committee responded by forming a five-member Adhoc Committee on 29 November 2025 under Article 55 of its statutes. Chaired by Victor Idrissa Lansana Esq, the committee included Sadick Deen Nyarkoh (Vice Chairman), Dr. Joseph Edwin Kanu, Alhaji Abubakarr S. A. Rahman, and Victoria Conteh.
The committee submitted its final report to SLFA President Babadi Kamara at the FA Secretariat in Kingtom on 20 February 2026. It found that while the collision was heavy, it did not cause a brain fracture.
Koroma was deemed not medically fit to have participated in the match and died due to a combination of factors, including inadequate follow-up medical care, substance abuse, and non-adherence to medical advice. Both the national team and Mighty Blackpool were found to have failed to ensure sustainable access to quality medical care. The report also highlighted systemic issues in Sierra Leone football, such as the absence of structured medical policies, mandatory fitness tests before friendlies, standby ambulances at venues, and a comprehensive doping policy.
Key recommendations included financial support for the education of Koroma’s two children (initially proposed at Le50,000 from SLFA and Le25,000 from the club), the creation of medical schemes and emergency funds for players, doping education and testing programmes, better coordination between coaches and medical teams, and formal agreements clarifying roles among stakeholders including the National Sports Authority and Ministry of Sports.
SLFA has since engaged the 34 Military Hospital with plans for a Memorandum of Understanding to support Premier League and national team players, and is working to establish a joint emergency medical fund financed by the association and clubs.
President Babadi Kamara has previously stated the association intends to go beyond the report’s proposals in supporting the family and implementing reforms to improve player welfare and accountability.
The payment marks a concrete step in addressing the committee’s findings several months after the report’s submission.
