By Sahr Morris Jnr
Football governing body, FIFA is said to be investigating both the Sierra Leone Football Association and the country’s former Women’s national team coach, Abdulia Kalogba Bah on allegations of sexual harassment.
According to a report from the Guardian in UK, SLFA are dragged into the FIFA investigation following the international players’ union, Fifpro, allegations that SLFA has failed to respond to questions from them.
The report reads: “The international players’ union, Fifpro, said the SLFA failed to respond to repeated questions and has expressed doubts over the “scope and independence” of the SLFA’s investigation. Fifa is also looking at these allegations against the SLFA.”
The report further stated that Fifpro has claimed the SLFA failed to respond to repeated requests to explain “the scope and independence of the investigation”.
And the Guardian UK also quoted fifpro spokesperson saying: “We were instructed by players to act for them in an investigation supposedly opened by the Sierra Leone FA in October 2021,
“We wrote to the Sierra Leone FA in November 2021, asking various questions concerning its investigation, such as the scope and independence of the investigation, and the expertise and support available for victims, survivors, and whistle-blowers.
Coach Kaloga Bah was suspended from his role as Sierra Leone’s coach in October 2021 after allegations of sexual harassment were made by three players and it is reported that Fifa’s ethics committee stepped in after SLFA was accused of inadequacies in its investigation.
Bah was reminded but was later released on the pretext that there is not enough evidence. The now Old Edwardians coach has dismissed the allegations against him saying they are “completely untrue and unfounded”.
