By Paul Kamara
The Sierra Leone Premier League Board Protest and Discipline Committee has awarded 3 points plus 3 goals in favour of Bo Rangers Football Club at the expense of Port Authority Football Club for fielding in ineligible players (Desmond S. Wellington and Abu Bakarr Kamara) in a Premier League match they won 1-0 at the Bo Sports Stadium in Bo City on Saturday 5 March 2022.
Bo Rangers in a letter dated 7th March 2022 filed in a protest against Port Authority citing that both players were ineligible to represent them as they had participated in the first round of the league season as players of Freetown City Football Club (FCFC) and also pointed out that both players were registered by FCFC for the second round and were never duly transferred to another club.
In its ruling, the Sierra Leone Premier League Board Protest and Discipline Committee stated that the two players ought not to have played for Port Authority without proper transfer and registration of them with the Sierra Leone Premier League Board and accordingly forfeited all three points.
Meanwhile, Port Authority have been ordered to pay a fine of Two Million, Five Hundred Thousand Leones before their next match.
The ruling means Bo Rangers are back on top of the Sierra Leone Premier League Table a point clear of East End Lions Football Club.
East End Lions had led the table after back-to-back wins against FC Kallon and Kamboi Eagles. Bo Rangers however missed out on going top of the table after being forced to a 1-1 draw by stubborn Anti Drugs side on Sunday.
League leaders Bo Rangers are set to host Wusum Stars FC over the weekend as they will be hoping to secure all three points to tighten their grip on top of the the premier league table over close contenders East End Lions who will entertain Diamond Stars on Sunday.
Wusum Stars on Tuesday 15 March 2022 suspended with immediate effect three of its starting players and may miss premier league clash against Bo Rangers after all players took part in a community league in Moyamba Town without the knowledge of the head coach and any Executive member of the club. This action the club considered as a gross misbehavior and the highest form of indiscipline.
Among the suspended players include the match winner between the two sides in the first league Alimamy Buya Kamara who scored the only goal at the Wusum Field in Makeni.
The title race intensifies with lot of dramas. After the decision of the Protest and Discipline Committee of the Sierra Leone Premier League Board to award Bo Rangers FC 3 points and 3 goals, East End Lions Football Club who were leading the table in a press release shortly after expressed dismay over the decision noting it has profound implications for their title race and called on their lawyers to carefully study the matter and advise them accordingly.
They agued that to determine a premier league champion, points should be earn on the pitch rather than merely awarded.
“East End Lions strongly believe that the championship of the premier league should be won based on results on the football pitch”, the release stated.
The club also questioned the independence and neutrality of two members the committee whom they say should have recused themselves from the matter.
With 12 games remaining the league is still widely open though closely contested between East End Lions Football Club and Bo Rangers Football Club who are hoping to win the league for the very first time in the club history as the Executive Chairman Babadi Kamara together with entire executive are doing all they could to achieve this great feat as they want to settle for nothing than the trophy which the fans are as well desperately demanding from the players.
Credit: Paul Kamara Blog
