Published: October 22, 2025
MONROVIA — The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has rejected four witnesses proposed by the Liberia Football Association (LFA) in an appeal filed by Jubilee FC over the club’s relegation to the third division.
In a letter dated Oct. 16, 2025, the LFA informed CAS counsel Delphine Deschenaux-Rochat of its intent to present four individuals as witnesses in the case CAS 2025/A/11482: Jubilee Football Club v. Liberia Football Association. The proposed witnesses included Counselor K. JlaytehSayor, Momo Kparteh of the Liberia Business Registry, LFA General Secretary Emmett Crayton, and LFA Club Licensing Manager Joel Freeman.
However, CAS notified both parties on Monday, Oct. 20, that the individuals were not properly announced in any written submission and therefore would not be accepted as witnesses. The court clarified that Kparteh, Crayton, and Freeman are considered party representatives rather than witnesses.
“On behalf of the Sole Arbitrator, I note that neither Mr. Momo Kparteh, nor Mr. Emmett Crayton, nor Mr. Joel Freeman have been announced as witnesses in the respondent’s written submissions. Accordingly, the Sole Arbitrator understands that Messrs. Kparteh, Crayton, and Freeman are party representatives and not witnesses,” the CAS communication stated.
The court also confirmed that Cllr. Ambrose Taplah, chair of the LFA Appeals Board for Club Licensing Issues—who had been listed as a witness for the respondent—will no longer attend the hearing.
Deschenaux-Rochat further noted that Jubilee FC had not yet submitted the names and contact details of its representatives for the hearing and requested the information be provided.
The appeal hearing is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 23, in Lausanne, Switzerland. CAS previously asked both parties to confirm their availability in an Oct. 6 communication. Atty. Joseph Howe, representing Jubilee, and LFA Legal Affairs Manager Cllr. Benedict Yarsiah confirmed their attendance.
Jubilee FC was relegated on April 14, 2025, after failing to comply with disciplinary sanctions, including a $10,000 fine. The club maintains that the sanctions were politically motivated and imposed without due process. It argues that its internal appeal was ignored, prompting the escalation of the case to CAS.
If CAS overturns the relegation, the LFA could be required to reimburse Jubilee for legal and procedural costs—similar to a 2017 ruling in which the court reversed the expulsion of Executive Committee member Rochelle Woodson.
The parties have been requested to sign and return a copy of the order of procedure to the CAS Court Office by Oct. 23, 2025.
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