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Tanzania U20 men’s national team coach Boniface Mkwasa has raised concerns over the age eligibility of some Sierra Leone players, suggesting they may exceed the U20 limit.
His comments follow Tanzania’s 1-0 defeat to Sierra Leone at the ongoing U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt.
The victory secured Sierra Leone’s place in the quarterfinals in their tournament debut, having previously drawn 0-0 with Zambia and stunned hosts Egypt 4-1 in Group A.
“These are local players—most play in the second or first division. If you look at Sierra Leone’s team, they appear physically bigger, and age-wise, it’s questionable. But we’re building our youth program for the future,” Mkwasa said.
Age fraud has long plagued African football. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) introduced MRI scans to combat it, but this method only works at the U17 level.
Zambia U20 coach Boyd Mulwanda called age cheating “a cancer” that harms both the game and players.
“We encourage our boys to keep fighting. This is a youth tournament; we expect youth versus youth. When older players are involved, it intimidates genuine youngsters and creates an unfair challenge,” he said.
The U20 AFCON semifinalists will qualify for September’s FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile. Sierra Leone’s Shooting Stars face South Africa’s U20 team in their final Group A match on Tuesday.
