Published: October 14, 2026
The 2026-2027 National County Sports Meet (NCSM) will enforce stricter player eligibility rules, barring first- and second-division footballers from participating and disqualifying players who have competed in five or more editions of the tournament.
According to the tournament’s rules and regulations, outlined on Page 14, Section 13, players who have featured in five or more editions of the National County Sports Meet will be ineligible for the 2026-2027 edition.
The regulations also prohibit first- and second-division players from participating. Players who previously played in either division but moved to a third-division club must have been registered with a third-division team for three complete seasons before the tournament starts to qualify.
However, the organizers have clarified that both provisions concerning players who moved from the first or second division to the third division before the rules were passed will take precedence. This means the three-season requirement and the exemption for players who moved before the regulations were adopted will both apply, according to the organizers.
The rules further limit each county team to recruiting no more than five players from a single football club.
Exceptions and Player Eligibility
Under Section 13.14, current and former players of Liberia’s senior national football team, the Lone Star, are barred from participating in the competition.
Players who have represented Liberia at the under-15, under-17 and under-20 levels may participate if they remain registered in the third or fourth division and have not competed in three consecutive editions of the county meet.
However, youth internationals promoted to first- or second-division clubs and registered in the Liberia Football Association (LFA) portal under either division are ineligible for the 2026 competition.
Youth internationals who have competed in major regional and international tournaments like the West Africa Football Union (WAFU) annual youth tournaments remain eligible if they are still registered in the third division.
Section 13.16 states that a third-division club promoted to the second division will retain its third-division classification for eligibility purposes until it plays in a recognized LFA second-division league match. Players must also have participated in a recognized second-division match to be classified under that division.
Similarly, a club relegated from the second division to the third division will remain a second-division club, and its players will remain second-division players, until they participate in a recognized LFA third-division league competition.
Section 13.17 establishes that a player’s divisional status is determined by the category under which the player is registered in the LFA portal.
2026-2027 County Meet Groups
The annual sporting festival will feature four groups, with Grand Gedeh, Bong, Lofa and Grand Kru serving as hosts.
Group A, hosted by Grand Gedeh, comprises Grand Gedeh, River Gee, Gbarpolu and Nimba. Group B, hosted by Bong, includes Bong, Grand Cape Mount, Maryland and River Cess. Group C, hosted by Lofa, consists of Lofa, Grand Bassa, Montserrado and Sinoe. Group D, hosted by Grand Kru, features Grand Kru, Margibi and Bomi.
The tournament is due to officially kick off on November 29, 2026 in Voinjama, Lofa County
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