MONROVIA – Senator Jonathan Boycharles Sogbie has alleged that River Gee County was blatantly cheated by match officials during the controversial final group stage match against hosts Grand Cape Mount County.
The incident occurred during Saturday’s final match in Group D of the 2024-2025 National County Sports Meet, when River Gee’s squad walked off the pitch in protest. This followed a contentious penalty awarded to Grand Cape Mount County, who were leading 1-0 at the time.
In response to the walkout, the organizers of the tournament, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, fined River Gee County three thousand US dollars (US$3,000) for violating the competition’s rules and regulations.
However, Senator Sogbie, a former Lone Star striker turned politician, strongly criticized the decision in an official social media post, asserting that the events of the match undermined the spirit and purpose of the County Meet.
“The efforts made to get our team to this stage should not be overshadowed by unfair practices. Unfortunately, River Gee was blatantly cheated, which is unacceptable and goes against the spirit of the competition,” Sogbie wrote.
The Senator further alleged that some match officials appeared to prioritize monetary gains over maintaining the integrity of the tournament, leading to what he described as an unjust outcome for River Gee County.
“If this tournament is truly meant to showcase young talent and promote sportsmanship, such actions have no place in it,” he stated.
Senator Sogbie has called on the Liberia Football Association (LFA) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports to take immediate action to address the matter.
“The entire game today was a mess, and we must do better to prepare our teams and uphold the values of fairness and transparency in this competition,” he added.
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