By Politico staff writer
The Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) and the Premier League Disciplinary and Protests Committee have awarded all three points to Wiberforce Strikers Club and three goals at the expense of Freetonians SLIFA who were found guilty of fielding two “unqualified” players in the match against Wilberforce Strikers on the 8th July, 2023.
The said players Alie R. Kabia aka Lacazette in no.19 Jersey and Osman Mansaray aka Karason in no.7 Jersey were considered ineligible due to the fact that they were not registered in time with the Premier League Board (PLB) to play in the match in question.
A Press Release from the protest committee acknowledged receipt of a letter dated 10th July 2023 addressed to the Secretary of the PLB in which Wilberforce Strikers protested against SLIFA’s fielding of the two players.
To back up their claims regarding the players, Wilberforce Strikers submitted the Team Sheet and Changing Sheet of SLIFA for the Match Day in question. The team believes that the said players were from Star Sport Academy and presented a letter dated 11th July 2023 from Star Sport to SLIFA referencing an earlier loan request to Star Sport dated 10th July 2023.
SLIFA represented at the hearing by its Chief Executive Officer Benjamin Gordon, after seeing the facts and evidences presented by Strikers conceded and acknowledged wrongdoing.
According to the committee, inspite of admission of wrongdoing made by SLIFA, it reportedly reached the PLB and was provided with the players registration list of the team for the current season and found out that the two players cited by Strikers were not amongst the list of players registered by SLIFA. The committee noted that the loan response from Star Sport to SLIFA that was presented to them suggests that it was done after the match had been played, in violation of the Rules and Regulations of the committee and making the players unqualified.
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