By Sallieu S. Kanu
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone: The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed an appeal filed by football administrator Aminata Bangura against the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA), bringing to an end a legal dispute linked to the association’s 2025 electoral process.
In an Arbitral Award issued on October 5, 2026, in the case CAS 2025/A/11613 Aminata Bangura v. Sierra Leone Football Association, the Lausanne-based tribunal upheld the decision of the SLFA Ethics Board and dismissed Bangura’s appeal in its entirety. The ruling represents a significant legal victory for the SLFA and its leadership under President Babadi Kamara, whose election emerged from a process that faced several challenges before local and international football authorities.
According to information released following the award, CAS further ordered the appellant to bear the costs of the arbitration proceedings and to pay CHF 3,000 as a contribution towards the SLFA’s legal expenses incurred in defending the case.
The dispute traces its origins to the build-up to the SLFA’s August 2025 elective congress, during which Bangura challenged a decision of the association’s Ethics Board that affected her participation in the presidential race. After exhausting internal avenues, she sought redress before the Court of Arbitration for Sport, widely regarded as the highest international tribunal for sports-related disputes. In a statement welcoming the decision, the SLFA said the CAS award affirms the decisions of its judicial bodies and underscores the importance of integrity, transparency and compliance in football governance. The association also reaffirmed its commitment to promoting good governance and accountability in the administration of football in Sierra Leone.
The CAS ruling effectively closes the matter at the international arbitration level, leaving the Ethics Board’s original decision intact and removing one of the last outstanding legal challenges associated with the SLFA electoral process.
For the SLFA leadership, the decision provides legal certainty and allows the association to continue focusing on football development, domestic competitions and the management of national teams without the shadow of ongoing international litigation over the election process.