Former FPA Reporter Wins Landmark Protest Case, Cape Mount Awarded Victory Over Lofa at 2025/26 NCSM - FrontPageAfrica

Attorney Al-Varney Rogers, a former reporter with FrontPage Africa, has recorded a major legal victory after successfully representing Grand Cape Mount County in a landmark protest case at the ongoing 2025/2026 National County Sports Meet (NCSM).

By Emmanuel Weedee-Conway

Rogers, working alongside colleague Charles Masalay, led Grand Cape Mount County to victory over Lofa County following a ruling by the Grievance and Protest Committee established by the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MYS).

The protest centered on allegations that Lofa County fielded more than the allowable number of first-division players during their December 21, 2025 match at the SKD Sports Complex. Hearings were conducted over the weekend at the Marie Coman Villa in the Township of Congo Town, with the ruling officially issued to both parties on Monday.

The Protest

Grand Cape Mount County accused Lofa County of violating Article XI, Sub-section 13.13 of the 2025/2026 NCSM Rules and Regulations, which permits each team to field only three first-division and three second-division players.

The players cited in the protest included:
• 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

Lofa County’s Defense

Lofa County challenged the protest on procedural grounds, arguing that Grand Cape Mount failed to submit its formal protest letter within the required four-hour window as stipulated under Article XV (Protests and Grievances), Sub-section 17.1.

Committee’s Findings

In response, Rogers and Masalay maintained that the protest was filed on the match sheet immediately after the game and that delays in submitting the formal letter were caused by venue changes and the unavailability of authorized MYS officials. They further relied on Section 1.7 of Liberia’s Civil Procedure Law, which allows extensions when deadlines fall on weekends or holidays.

After reviewing match sheets, transfer records, and documentation from the Liberia Football Association (LFA), the Committee addressed three key issues:
1. Whether the transfers of Jeremiah Johnson and Francis Doe from Wologizi FC to Howard FC were properly executed;
2. Whether the timing of the formal protest letter invalidated the complaint; and
3. Whether Lofa County violated player eligibility rules.

The Committee ruled that the transfers of Johnson and Doe were not properly processed through the LFA’s Domestic Transfer Matching System (DTMS) and occurred after the official transfer window had closed—rendering both players ineligible as third-division players.

It further held that Grand Cape Mount County complied with procedural requirements and that any delay in submitting the formal letter was not material enough to dismiss the protest.

The Ruling

The Committee concluded that Lofa County grossly violated the NCSM eligibility rules and failed to conduct due diligence before registering the players.

As a result, the Committee ordered that:

“The result of the match between Grand Cape Mount County and Lofa County played on December 21, 2025, is reversed. Grand Cape Mount County is awarded three (3) points and two (2) goals in accordance with the 2025/26 National County Sports Meet Rules and Regulations.”

The ruling was unanimously signed by all members of the Grievance and Disciplinary Committee.

About Atty. Al-Varney Rogers

Atty. Rogers is a lawyer and media development practitioner with more than a decade of experience in advocacy and policy reform. A member of both the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) and the Liberia National Bar Association (LNBA), he has been instrumental in initiatives such as the establishment of the Media Lawyers Network and the drafting of the Community Radio Sustainability Act.

He currently serves as one of the lead lawyers at Mesurado Law Partners Inc.