With just days remaining before the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) Extraordinary Congress on April 5, 2025, a bribery scandal has sent shockwaves through the country’s football leadership. Allegations have surfaced claiming that the incumbent SLFA president, Thomas Daddy Brima is offering $1,000 bribes to district executives to manipulate the congress attendance list, raising serious concerns about the integrity of the event.
According to insider reports, district executives across Sierra Leone are allegedly being offered cash incentives in exchange for signing what sources describe as fraudulent attendance sheets. This move is reportedly aimed at sidelining legitimate district chairmen and replacing them with handpicked loyalists who would support the incumbent president’s agenda without opposition.
“This is outright corruption,” an anonymous district executive member told Citizen Radio. “They know they don’t have the support of the real football stakeholders, so they are buying loyalty with cash. It’s a betrayal of football governance.” If proven true, these allegations could undermine the legitimacy of the congress and its decisions.
The alleged scheme is said to guarantee that motions favoring the current leadership pass without resistance, further consolidating the president’s control over the SLFA. Critics argue that this manipulation not only compromises the democratic process but also erodes trust in the association’s governance.
The revelations have prompted calls for urgent intervention from FIFA’s regional oversight body. Some stakeholders are demanding a full audit of the congress attendance list to expose any fraudulent participation. “It is a serious violation of electoral integrity,” said a senior football administrator who requested anonymity. “If the congress is rigged from the start, then every decision made will be illegitimate. We need an urgent investigation before April 5 to prevent a complete breakdown of trust in the SLFA.”
Legal experts have also weighed in, suggesting that affected district chairmen could seek a court injunction to block the congress if the allegations are not addressed. “If these allegations are true, this would amount to a serious case of electoral fraud,” said a legal analyst. “Any district chairmen who have been sidelined through bribery and manipulation have the right to take legal action to restore fairness.”
The congress, which is expected to address key governance issues, is seen as critical to the future of football in Sierra Leone. However, stakeholders warn that any decisions made under questionable circumstances will lack legitimacy and could further divide the football community.
In response to the allegations, SLFA’s Head of Media and Marketing, Ibrahim Kamara, dismissed the claims as baseless. dia“Let them produce evidence if what they are saying is true,” he stated, denying any truth to the accusations.
As the clock ticks down to April 5, the football community anxiously awaits further developments. If the allegations go unchallenged, they could set a dangerous precedent, where financial influence, rather than credibility, determines the future of Sierra Leonean football.