The Protest, Grievance and Disciplinary Committee of the National County Sports Meet has overturned the result of the preliminary round football match between Grand Cape Mount County and Lofa County, citing serious violations of player eligibility rules by Lofa County.
In its report submitted to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the committee, chaired by Cllr. Kula L. Jackson, ruled that players Jeremiah Johnson and Francis Doe were illegally transferred and improperly registered, rendering them ineligible to participate as third-division players in the 2025–2026 National County Sports Meet.
According to documents reviewed by the committee, the transfer records of the two players were not properly processed through the Liberia Football Association’s Domestic Transfer Matching System (DTMS) and CONNECT system. As a result, the committee concluded that the players did not meet the eligibility requirements and must be considered first-division players.
The committee further established that Johnson and Doe were transferred from Wologizi FC, a first-division club, to Howard FC, a third-division club, after the official LFA transfer window had closed. This action, the report noted, voided their eligibility to compete as third-division players in the County Meet.
Addressing the second issue raised, the committee ruled in favor of Grand Cape Mount County, confirming that the protest was filed correctly and within procedure. The protest was noted on the match sheet immediately after the game on December 21, 2025, and a formal complaint was submitted to the Ministry of Youth and Sports the following day. Records show the letter was received and signed for by Deputy Minister for Administration Henry Yonton at 12:25 p.m.
The committee dismissed arguments by Lofa County that the protest was filed outside the four-hour procedural deadline, stating that the timing of the formal submission was not material enough to invalidate Grand Cape Mount County’s protest under the 2025–2026 National County Sports Meet Rules and Regulations.
On the third question before it, the committee ruled that Lofa County grossly violated Article XI: Players’ Eligibility, Sub-section 13.13 of the Rules and Regulations, which allows only three players from the first division and three from the second division to participate on each county team. The committee also faulted Lofa County for failing to conduct full due diligence on the eligibility status of the two players prior to their transfer and participation.
Based on these findings, the Grievance and Disciplinary Committee ruled that the result of the match played on December 21, 2025, at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex be reversed. Grand Cape Mount County has been awarded three points and two goals in accordance with the 2025–2026 National County Sports Meet Rules and Regulations.
The ruling was signed by Cllr. Kula L. Jackson, Chairman of the committee, on December 26, 2025.
With the ruling, Grand Cape Mount topped the group with six points, followed by Grand Bassa with four points, while Lofa County and Grand Gedeh finished with three points each.
As a result, Grand Cape Mount and Grand Bassa qualified for the knockout stage, while Lofa County and Grand Gedeh were eliminated.
Original reporting by Front Page Africa
