The Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) has officially received the report of its Ad Hoc Committee tasked with investigating the circumstances surrounding the tragic death of former Mighty Blackpool player, Bureh Ganso Koroma.
The report was submitted to SLFA President Babadi Kamara at the FA Secretariat in Kingtom on Friday.
The five-member Committee, led by Victor Idrissa Lansana Esq., was appointed on 29 November 2025 under Article 55 of the SLFA Statutes, following public concern over allegations of negligence after Koroma’s passing in November last year. The panel was charged with examining the circumstances of the player’s death, which occurred after an on-field collision during a friendly match between Mighty Blackpool and the national team.
According to the Committee’s findings, the collision itself did not cause a brain fracture. However, the report highlighted that Koroma was medically unfit to participate in the friendly and identified multiple contributing factors to his death, including insufficient follow-up medical care, substance misuse, and failure to adhere to medical guidance. The investigation also revealed lapses by both the National Team and Mighty Blackpool in providing consistent access to proper medical care for the player.
The report drew attention to broader structural weaknesses in Sierra Leonean football, such as the lack of mandatory medical fitness evaluations before matches and training sessions, the absence of on-site ambulances during games, and a missing framework for doping education and testing. It also cited poor coordination between medical personnel and coaching staff at the national team level, alongside entrenched institutional challenges among sports stakeholders.
To address these gaps, the Committee recommended measures including financial support for Koroma’s two children, the creation of medical schemes and emergency funds for players, the implementation of doping awareness and testing programs, and strengthened collaboration between coaches, medical teams, and football authorities. Formal agreements to clarify roles and responsibilities among stakeholders were also proposed.
In response, President Kamara commended the Committee for its comprehensive report and stated that the recommendations would be reviewed by the Executive Committee to establish a clear implementation plan. He also revealed that the SLFA has initiated discussions with the 34 Military Hospital to formalize medical support for Premier League and national team players through a Memorandum of Understanding.
Additionally, the FA President announced plans to create a joint emergency medical fund, contributed to by both the SLFA and Premier League clubs, to provide immediate assistance in urgent health situations affecting players. He further pledged that the Association would extend additional support to the late Bureh Ganso Koroma’s family beyond the Committee’s suggestions.
President Kamara concluded by reaffirming the SLFA’s commitment to enhancing player welfare and ensuring that systemic improvements are made to prevent similar tragedies in Sierra Leonean football.
