By: Bei Santigie T Kamara
As Sierra Leone draws closer to the all-important SLFA Elective Congress on August 2, the narrative is changing at a time when eligibility and ethics are being dissected with forensic precision. Questions of eligibility, club affiliation, and moral standing are not just background noise, they are what makes part of the discussions in this pivotal moment heading toward the SLFA elective congress.
Amidst swirling claims and counterclaims, the General Secretary of the SLFA, Chris Kamara, offered a piercing reminder during an interview with Radio Democracy’s Musa Kamara. His statement wasn’t political, it was structural. It was not just about what is said, but about what is provable, verifiable, and anchored in statutes.
“Let’s go again on the knowledge path and get wisdom. I hope people will not forget that stating someone belongs to a football club, owns it, or co-founded it has ramifications,” Chris Kamara asserted.
Football is not a game of guesses. At its institutional level, it is a sport governed by systems, statutes, and strict ethical codes. Within this ecosystem, falsely asserting ownership, founding status, or official affiliation to a club is misstep, and a calculated deviation from truth to tamper with the structural memory of the game. One that, if proven, can attract far-reaching consequences.
Between 2019 and 2021, the SLFA, as part of a structural compliance drive (SLFA Membership Regularization Circular, 2019–2021), required all affiliated clubs to regularize their membership in accordance with Article 10 of the SLFA Statutes (2019). This directive mandated clubs to submit executive committee lists, ownership structures, and proof of governance history. These documents form the official archive, and the legal identity of every club within the federation.
“Please have this at the back of your mind that SLFA has records, both in hard and soft copy. Lying or falsification can lead to fines or bans by the Ethics Board. We’ve had similar situations in 2021,” Chris Kamara emphasized.
This is not a SLFA issue alone, it is one that resonates continent-wide. The Confederation of African Football (CAF), under Article 5 of its Statutes, defines a member association as a body that must maintain clear and accurate records of its clubs and their leadership. Any form of misrepresentation is considered a serious breach of membership principles, and CAF has in recent years strengthened its Club Licensing System to enforce structural compliance and transparent governance.
CAF’s Club Licensing System (CLS), launched in line with FIFA’s club integrity requirements, enforces these provisions with a firm hand. It requires clubs to submit documented evidence of; Legal existence and ownership, Administrative structure, Audited finance, and verified football activity history among others.
Furthermore, CAF’s Code of Ethics (Article 18 – Misrepresentation) explicitly prohibits individuals from knowingly making false declarations in matters related to ownership, appointments, or club affiliation, considering it a form of ethical misconduct subject to sanctions, including suspensions and disqualifications.
FIFA, the custodian of global football, offers no refuge for those who fabricate. FIFA’s Code of Ethics functions as football’s moral constitution. It outlines core values that protect the sanctity of the sport across all six confederations. Falsifying one’s involvement in a football entity violates multiple layers of this code; Article 11 – Forbids the use of false documents or inaccurate declarations for personal or electoral advantage.
Article 13 – Demands that all football stakeholders act with integrity, fairness, and dignity, ensuring their actions uphold the image of the sport.
Article 21 –Addresses the deliberate distortion of facts, particularly concerning qualifications, affiliations, or club ownership, deeming such acts worthy of disciplinary proceedings.
These are not dormant clauses. They are active levers of accountability. In 2015, British businessman Christopher Samuelson was subjected to intense regulatory scrutiny for false claims of club ownership during football takeover talks, an episode that underscores how misrepresentation can invite legal battles, reputational ruin, and sporting exclusion.
Football, in its purest form, is more than tactics and titles, it is trust institutionalized. That trust is safeguarded by Ethics Committees and Judicial Bodies that sit within every recognized football association. In Sierra Leone, the SLFA Ethics Board, empowered by both national statutes and FIFA directives, holds jurisdiction over matters of truth, transparency, and probity.
Chris Kamara’s admonition is therefore not rhetorical. It is a reminder that every signature, every public claim, and every club association is traceable, and falsification is punishable.
“In all you’re trying to make what can’t be made, don’t forget your tracks, or you too will become a subject before the Ethics Board.” Chris Kamara cautioned.
As the football family stands on the threshold of what could be a transformative election, the compass must not waver. Those who seek to lead must first prove they can tell the truth. And in the end, no ambition is worth more than the soul of the game.
Now, to all of us in the game, let wisdom and our consciences lead us to a path of sanity in the best interest of the game.
