— Insists Points Be Awarded
Monrovia -Grand Cape Mount County has strongly rejected the December 31, 2025 ruling of the National County Sports Meet (NCSM) Appeal Committee, insisting that it rightfully won its match against Lofa County by forfeiture due to the fielding of ineligible players.
Speaking on behalf of the county in a Facebook Post, Boakai Jaleiba described the Appeal Committeeโs decision as โdeeply disappointingโ and inconsistent with both the NCSM rules and international football standards.
He argued that while the committee acknowledged that Lofa County used players involved in fraudulent transfers, it failed to apply the mandatory punishment required under the competitionโs regulations.
According to ARTICLE XVIII of the NCSM Rules, any county that fields an illegal player must forfeit the match and pay a fine.
Grand Cape Mount maintains that by confirming the fraudulent transfers but ordering a replay instead of enforcing a forfeit, the Appeal Committee ignored the clear language of the rules.
โThe committee admitted the violation but refused to apply the automatic sanction. By doing so, it rendered ARTICLE XVIII meaningless and replaced the rules with its own discretion.” Jaleiba said.
Grand Cape Mount also cited FIFA principles, noting that under global football standards, teams that field ineligible players forfeit the match.
The county argued that allowing a replay rewards wrongdoing and undermines the integrity of the competition.
The county further criticized the Appeal Committeeโs reference to โpeace, reconciliation, and unificationโ as justification for its ruling, saying true unity can only be built on fairness and strict adherence to the rules.
Grand Cape Mount has therefore called on the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Liberia Football Association (LFA) to intervene, uphold the original Protest Committee ruling of December 29, and advance the county to the next round of the competition.
โThis is not just about one match,โ the statement concluded. โIt is about defending the integrity of football in Liberia and ensuring that the rules apply equally to all.โ He added.
