Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. Sierra Leone’s National U-20 Football Team, the Shooting Stars, have issued an urgent appeal to the government and the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) for the payment of outstanding bonuses.
The players have threatened to protest at their hostel due to unpaid allowances totaling approximately Le 22,579,502 (Old Leones), or $1,000, accumulated over the past two years.
The dispute centers on bonuses from the WAFU tournament in Liberia and training allowances leading up to the ongoing U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt. The players are demanding immediate action from the SLFA to resolve the issue.
Tensions escalated as the team delayed a scheduled 6 pm training session until 8 pm as a form of protest. Sources indicate that players and coaches have only received $1,000 since the qualifiers in Liberia and have not received any further allowances during the four-month training period before the AFCON tournament.
The players and coaching staff have expressed deep disappointment and are urging the SLFA to address the situation to avoid potential disruptions, including a possible boycott of their crucial match against Tanzania on Saturday, May 3rd, in Ismailia.
Attempts to obtain a response from the SLFA were unsuccessful at the time of this report.
Despite the financial dispute, the Shooting Stars have performed strongly on the field, currently leading Group A after a draw against Zambia and a 4-1 victory over Egypt. 1
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