By Danesius Marteh
Miracles don’t happen these days at worship centers but at the Liberia Football Association (LFA).
That’s because some players and officials, who were banned, have miraculously returned to active football activities after their clubs (part of a group of 30) endorsed President Mustapha Raji’s third term bid on 23 March.
The LFA banned 11 players and two officials for four months with a fine of L$50,000 respectively on 10 March.
They were goalkeepers Ahmed Tijan Savage and Ibrahim Coulibaly of FC Fassell; Bea Mountain’s Benjamin K. Doe and Success Wisdom and Christiana Jappah and Orlet Obey of Earth Angels.
Head coach Watchin Harmon, medic Veronic B. Johnson and players Felicity Asante, Nailea Boimah, Odell E. Togbah, Fatima B. Gboah and Gifty H. Gboah of Bushrod Queens were also caught in the dragnet.
But Success started the 4-2 loss to Watanga in the first division at the Samuel Kanyon Doe sports complex practice pitch (SKD PP) on 31 March.
Bea (who wasn’t part of the group of 30) and LFA didn’t announce any appeals or publish it.
But Bea announced on their Facebook page on 22 March that goalkeeper Ashley Williams was called-up for the friendlies against Benin and Libya in Morocco.
The Queens published a dissenting press release, which was later deleted, about the bans and threatened to withdraw from the league on 14 March.
A follow-up release on the same day confirmed it will honor the league and appeal against the ban.
Two players, including Odell, featured in the 6-1 defeat to Shaita Angels at the SKD PP on 16 March and 1-1 draw with Senior Female Professionals at Tusa field on 22 March with no announcement from the LFA that the bans have been lifted.
Watchin is part of the women’s under-17 technical staff that were preparing for the two-legged Fifa World Cup qualifiers with Libya in April before Libya withdrew.
Transparency and accountability at the LFA goes beyond those banned.
Freeport FC goalkeeper James Williams was red-carded in a 7-3 defeat to Bea Mountain in the first division at Tusa field on 14 March.
According to chapter three, article 8.4 of the 2025/2026 rules, James should have missed the next league game but he played in the 1-1 draw against Borough FC at D. Tweh field on 21 March.
Borough did question his eligibility to play but Freeport argued that it appealed the red card.
When did Freeport appeal? Did they appeal for mistaken identity?
Did the LFA inform concerned clubs that the red card was rescinded?
There is no regulatory commission or independent panel, like in England, to review the performance of referees and cards issued.
Let’s assume that the referee committee has been functioning in that capacity.
Why didn’t the LFA announce the cancelation of the card just as it was informed by the referee committee, which suspended Sylvester S. Sayon for four months for unprofessional conduct at the close of a third division match at the Doris Williams Stadium in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County?
Freeport President Tickly D. Monkoney, Jr. is an executive committee member, who heads the competitions committee, and harasses the competitions department to assign his team in Monrovia and its environs.
A whole LFA publicizing the suspensions of players and officials but clearing them in the back.
Fassell’s Coulibaly and Savage, who was a peacemaker during the fracas, will serve their bans because President Cassell Kuoh wants to democratically replace Raji.
Determine Girls President Grace “Master Queen” Weah, suspended on 18 September 2025 without an investigation and Shaita President Benita Whitney Urey, banned for five years in January while her appeal gathered dusts after more than 58 days, can also serve their bans because they support Cassell.
Football is truly in a cesspool under Raji.
