Controversies Cloud LFA Awards as Determine Girls Claim They Were Snubbed

MONROVIA — The 2023-2024 Liberia Football Association (LFA) Awards have once again been overshadowed by controversy, with club executives, fans, and journalists taking to social media to express frustration over the selection process. The awards ceremony, which is meant to celebrate the achievements of players, coaches, and teams, instead left many questioning the fairness of the voting system.

Determine Girls Feel Overlooked Despite Dominant Season

One of the most contentious issues was the absence of awards for players from the Determine Girls, the champions of the Upper Women’s League. Despite a stellar season—scoring the most goals, conceding the fewest, and losing only one game—none of their players received an individual award.

Gambian midfielder Mbassey Darboe, who contributed 70 goals (47 assists and 23 goals in 26 appearances), was nominated for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award alongside Guinean striker Mabinty Camara, who had 41 goals and 12 assists in 22 matches. Defender Ruggy Joof was nominated for Best Defender, and Patience Gowah was in the running for Best Coach.

However, the awards were dominated by their rivals, Shaita Angels, with Erica Parsons winning MVP, Faith Chichi named Best Defender, Mary Nunoo taking Best Foreign Player, and Monroe Winn receiving the Best Coach award.

Determine Girls President Grace Hawa Weah, widely known as “Master Queen,” voiced her dissatisfaction in a strong statement. “LFA denied all Determine Girls FC players from being awarded tonight, even though the statistics are clear to see. You robbed players who have worked and dedicated their time, efforts, and resources over the years just to prove a point. Shame on all of you involved,” she said.

Weah reassured her players that this setback would not deter their careers, urging them to remain dedicated and hardworking.

History of Controversy

This is not the first time the Determine Girls have been embroiled in award-related disputes. Two seasons ago, defenders Magaroett Stewart and Jestina Wilson refused to play for the Women’s National Team after being snubbed for the Best Defender award, which was instead given to Earth Angels’ Francisca Howe. The incident led to Wilson retiring from active football.

Questionable Selections in Men’s Division

The controversy extended to the Men’s First Division, where Paynesville FC’s Eugene Swen was named Best Defender despite his team conceding 41 goals, one of the highest in the league. Watanga’s Alexander Curtist and Natus Swen, whose team conceded the fewest goals (14) and suffered only one defeat, were overlooked.

Emmett Stages Glassco, President of Senior Pro FC, criticized the selections, calling them biased. “How come you nominate players from teams that didn’t perform well last season, and some of them conceded more goals, but they were still nominated for the Best Defender award?” he argued.

LFA’s Defense of the Voting Process

In response to the criticisms, the LFA issued a statement clarifying that the winners were determined through a voting process involving coaches, captains, and journalists, not by the association itself or the awards committee.

“The Liberia Football Association (LFA) would like to clarify that the winners of its prestigious annual football awards are not selected by the association itself or the awards committee. Instead, the selection of awardees is determined by votes cast by coaches, team captains, and accredited journalists,” the statement read.

The LFA detailed the voting procedure: coaches and captains in the three divisions (First, Second, and Upper Women’s League) were given 40% of the voting weight, while 25 accredited sports journalists contributed 20%. Each group could only vote in their respective divisions.

Some categories, such as Fair Play, Best Goalkeepers, and Top Scorers, were based on statistics provided by the LFA’s Competition Department. Media-related awards, like Photojournalist of the Year, were judged by experienced practitioners, while the Best Referee awards were based on referee assessors’ reports.