Published: January 5, 2026
MONROVIA — The Organizing Committee of the 2025–26 National County Sports Meet (NCSM) has stepped in to overturn a controversial ruling by the tournament’s Appeal Board, saying the decision to order a replay in a protest case involving Grand Cape Mount and Lofa counties was unsupported by the competition’s rules and contradicted established penalties for fielding ineligible players.
The dispute stems from a Dec. 21, 2025 Group C match at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex, where Lofa County defeated Grand Cape Mount 3-1. Cape Mount immediately protested the result, alleging that Lofa illegally fielded Jeremiah Johnson and Francis Doe.
After investigation, the Protest Committee ruled that the two players were ineligible, finding their transfers were not properly completed through the Liberia Football Association’s Domestic Transfer Matching System (DTMS), as required under tournament regulations. The committee also determined that Cape Mount’s protest was duly noted on the match sheet after the game and subsequently formalized within a reasonable time.
The committee concluded that Lofa County violated Article XI (Players’ Eligibility), specifically Section 13.13 of the 2025–26 NCSM Rules and Regulations, by failing to exercise due diligence before fielding the players. Protest Committee Chair Cllr. Kulah Jackson awarded Grand Cape Mount three points and two goals.
Lofa County appealed, arguing that the protest was not filed within the four-hour window prescribed by the rules. The Appeal Board, chaired by Cllr. Moiffie Kanneh, reopened the case and ordered the match replayed, while barring Johnson and Doe from further participation in the tournament. The board also ruled that the replay’s outcome would not affect Grand Bassa County’s qualification for the quarterfinals.
The Appeal Board’s decision, however, cited no specific provisions of the Rules and Regulations, drawing widespread criticism and prompting intervention by the Organizing Committee.
In a statement read by Oxford Brown, communications director at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Organizing Committee said its action was taken under Article 24, Section A of the Rules and Regulations, which empowers it to decide matters not expressly covered by the rules.
The committee noted that the Appeal Board had already affirmed the ineligibility of Johnson and Doe by suspending them from the tournament, effectively upholding the Protest Committee’s findings. It stressed that the rules clearly prescribe forfeiture as the penalty for fielding ineligible players and leave no room for discretionary remedies such as replays.
“All technical matters are interpreted by the technical bodies running the tournament,” the statement said. “Any attempt to deviate from the rules of the competition will be considered invalid.”
The Organizing Committee also disclosed that the Liberia Football Association confirmed that all player transfers must be processed through FIFA’s Transfer Matching System and the DTMS. According to the LFA, the domestic transfer window opened on Dec. 15, 2025, and runs through Jan. 20, 2026.
The LFA further confirmed that Johnson and Doe were transferred from Wologizi FC to Howard FC of Margibi County on Dec. 7, 2025 — outside the approved window — rendering the transfers invalid.
Citing Article 3.3(a) of the Rules and Regulations, the Organizing Committee emphasized that participating counties must comply with all directives of relevant federations, including the LFA, which has sole authority to validate player eligibility for the football competition.
The committee also referenced Article 11, Section 13.13, which limits teams to a maximum of three First Division and three Second Division players and mandates forfeiture for violations.
Based on these findings, the Organizing Committee awarded all three points from the Dec. 21 match to Grand Cape Mount and also granted three points to Grand Bassa County for its Dec. 14 match against Lofa County, in which the same ineligible players featured.
The revised Group C standings place Grand Cape Mount County second with seven points and a plus-three goal difference, securing qualification to the quarterfinals.
The Organizing Committee called on stakeholders, participating counties and supporters to respect the decision, describing it as firmly grounded in the tournament’s Rules and Regulations.
Meanwhile, the County Meet quarterfinals began over the weekend, with Nimba County defeating Bong County 3-0 and Grand Cape Mount edging River Gee 1-0 in the late kickoff.
The quarterfinal stage is being played in a round-robin format, with each of the eight teams playing three matches to determine the four semifinalists.
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