The Protest and Grievances Committee of the 2025–2026 National County Sports Meet has overturned the result of the preliminary round football match between Lofa County and Grand Cape Mount County, ruling that Lofa County violated player eligibility rules.
The Committee convened hearings on Monday, December 22, and Friday, December 26, 2025, to consider a formal protest filed by Grand Cape Mount County. The hearings were held at Marie Coman Villa in Congo Town and later at the Liberia Football Association (LFA) headquarters conference room on the SKD Boulevard in Paynesville.
Background to the Protest
The disputed match, originally scheduled to be played at the Doris Williams Sports Stadium in Grand Bassa County, was later relocated to the SKD Sports Complex in Paynesville on technical grounds and to prevent possible match-fixing concerns.
Following the December 21, 2025 encounter, officials of Grand Cape Mount County filed an immediate protest, alleging that Lofa County registered and fielded more than the maximum of three Division One players permitted under the 2025–2026 National County Sports Meet Rules and Regulations.
According to the protest, Lofa County fielded the following five Division One players:
Darius Garmondeh (Watanga FC) – Jersey #9 Jeremiah Johnson (Wologizi FC) – Jersey #3 Francis Doe (Wologizi FC) – Jersey #24 Alexander Curtis (Watanga FC) – Jersey #4 Maxwell Keller (Wologizi FC) – Jersey #10
Grand Cape Mount County cited Article XI, Sub-section 13.13, which limits participation to three Division One and three Division Two players per team.
Legal Arguments Presented
At the December 26 hearing, Lofa County was represented by Cllr. Jimmy S. Bonbo and Atty. Emmanuel Paivey, while Atty. Al Varney Rogers and Charles Masalay appeared for Grand Cape Mount County.
Lofa County argued that the protest should be dismissed on procedural grounds, claiming that the accompanying formal complaint letter was submitted outside the statutory time limit outlined in Article XV of the Rules and Regulations.
In response, Grand Cape Mount County maintained that the protest was properly entered on the match report sheet immediately after the game, as required. They further argued that the formal letter was delayed due to the change of venue and the unavailability of responsible officials at the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The complainants cited Section 1.7 of Liberia’s Civil Procedure Law, which allows for time extensions when deadlines fall on Sundays or legal holidays.
Committee’s Findings
After requesting and reviewing relevant documents from the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Liberia Football Association, including the official match sheet and player transfer records, the Committee addressed three key questions.
First, the Committee found that Jeremiah Johnson and Francis Doe did not meet the requirements to be classified as third-division players. Their transfers from Wologizi FC to Howard FC were ruled improperly executed through the LFA’s Domestic Transfer Matching System (DTMS) and CONNECT system and were conducted after the official transfer window had closed. As a result, both players retained Division One status.
Second, the Committee ruled that Grand Cape Mount County’s protest was valid. It determined that the protest was duly noted on the match sheet immediately after the game and that the formal letter, received and signed by Deputy Minister for Administration Henry Yonton at 12:25 p.m. the following day, was not materially late enough to invalidate the complaint.
Third, the Committee concluded that Lofa County grossly violated Article XI, Sub-section 13.13, by fielding more than three Division One players. It further noted that Lofa County failed to exercise due diligence in verifying the eligibility of the disputed players.
Final Decision
Based on its findings, the Protest and Grievances Committee ruled that the match result 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 issued and signed on December 26, 2025, bringing closure to one of the most closely watched disputes of the current National County Sports Meet football competition.
