Sierra Leonean Ibrahim Kargbo retires from internationals
By Mohamed Fajah Barrie, BBC Sport
Ibrahim Kargbo retires from international football
Former Sierra Leone captain Ibrahim
Kargbo has retired from international football with immediate effect.
The 33-year-old
defender, who is playing for English non-league side Thamesmead, says his
decision relates to his indefinite international ban.
He was suspended by the Sierra Leone Football Association over
allegations of match-fixing over a year ago.
"The feeling
and emotion are longer there, so I'm moving on with my life," Kargbo told
BBC Sport.
Kargbo was banned
alongside Ibrahim Koroma, Samuel Barlay and Christian Caulker - all four
accused of attempting to fix a 2010 World Cup qualifier against South Africa in
Pretoria in June 2008.
The quartet have
protested their innocence and Kargbo is angry that he has not been cleared by
an investigation.
"I'm quitting
because of the suspension," Kargbo told BBC Sport. "I'm no longer
going to play for Sierra Leone. It's not going to happen any more.
"It's not fair
because it's now 15 months since the SLFA suspended us and they have not yet
started investigations.
"Fifa didn't
ban us from playing club football but I have lost contracts in England, China
and Finland because of the match-fixing allegation. It has affected me greatly
as it has stained stain my career.
"I'm leaving
with a bitter heart and the feeling in me for my country's national team is
bitter because I have been treated unfairly. No one is standing for us to fight
for justice."
"I have worked
for Sierra Leone, I have helped my people, so I don't deserve this. It's hard
because this is not the way I wanted my career with the national team to
end."
The SLFA secretary general Christopher Kamara says the matter is no longer within the governing body's control."I don't have anything to say on this issue because we have set up an independent investigation committee headed by Rtd Major Paolo Conteh to investigate the match-fixing allegations," Kamara told BBC Sport.
"The matter is in the hands of Conteh who had visited the Fifa headquarters on the issue. I can't make any statement."
The ban was imposed
by both the SLFA and the Sierra Leone Sports ministry but the latter lifted the
suspension.
Kargbo is also
being investigated by Dutch football authorities for allegedly fixing matches
when he was playing for Williem II. He has denied the allegations.
He made his senior
international debut for Sierra Leone against Ghana in 2000 in a 2002 World Cup
qualifier in Accra and took over the Leone Stars captaincy 10 years later after
former Inter Milan and Monaco striker Mohamed Kallon relinquished the position.
His last appearance for Sierra Leone came against Sao Tome & Principle in a 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Freetown.
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