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Sierra Leone, Two other Nations disqualified from AFCON 2024 U17 Qualifiers

By: Abdulrahman Barrie


The U17 football teams from Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Guinea Bissau have been disqualified from the 2024 U17 African Cup of Nations competition in Senegal after failing the mandatory MRI test scans.

These scans, which determine the age of the players, revealed discrepancies that led to their removal from the tournament.

The disqualification follows changes to Article 27.4 of the U17 Africa Cup of Nations regulations, which have tightened the criteria and enforcement of age verification measures.

The updated rules stipulate that if a team has more than four players deemed ineligible after the MRI eligibility test, the entire team will be disqualified.


The MRI tests, used to enforce age restrictions in youth competitions, are crucial for ensuring fairness.

Unfortunately, the teams from these three nations did not meet the age criteria, resulting in their disqualification.

This decision has come as a significant disappointment for the young players and their fans, who had high hopes for the tournament.

This incident underscores the importance of transparent and accurate age verification in youth sports.

However, the SLFA has appealed the decision and sent all corresponding documents of the MRI scans done in Freetown before the team's departure.


The hope is that these documents will provide clarity and potentially reverse the disqualification, allowing the young players to compete and represent their country on the international stage.

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