Sports News Page

:: Liberia dispute goes to Fifa

Football's world governing body Fifa has moved to end the dispute currently dividing the game in Liberia.

It has summoned the country's Football Association, the Sports Ministry and representatives of Premier League clubs to Fifa headquarters in Switzerland.

The clubs are angry about what they see as poor organisation of the league. They have also demanded an audit of the LFA's accounts.

The parties have been told to report to Fifa's offices in Zurich by 10 October.

LFA vice-president Adolph Lawrence expressed the LFA's desire to have the protracted crisis resolved.

"I think the invitation is timely and would lead to a final resolution of the matter. We want all of our clubs on board no matter what their concerns," Lawrence told BBC Sport.

The clubs are also keen for the dispute to be sorted out. Their spokesman, Andy Quamie, said they were ready to put their case to Fifa.

"We will take full advantage of the invitation as our intention is not to undo the LFA but to see football here develop in the right fashion," Quamie told the BBC.

"We hope Fifa ensures that it happens with Liberian football."

:: Fifa probes Liberia league crisis

World football's governing body Fifa has become involved in the crisis in Liberia's football league.

The majority of the country's top-flight clubs are at loggerheads with the Liberia Football Association (LFA) over the poor organisation of league.

The clubs have boycotted the league and were taking their concerns to court. But mediation efforts from the sports ministry persuaded the clubs to withdraw their lawsuit.

But the issues raised by the clubs remain unresolved, with the clubs accusing the LFA of financial malpractice and demanding an audit of the LFA's accounts.

Fifa representative Sampon Kablan has been in the country leading a team to assess the situation.

The Fifa team heard allegations from the clubs that the LFA executive committee had taken funds for football development as personal loans.

Kablan, a Ghanaian, held meetings with the aggrieved clubs, the LFA, the sports ministry and the Olympic Committee. The clubs are demanding full sponsorship of the league, attractive financial rewards and better playing venues.

A planned LFA congress was recently called off by the sports ministry, due to heightened tensions between the two sides and threats of violence if the meeting was to be held without the aggrieved clubs.

The LFA has since termed the teams' demands as "insensitive". But LFA secretary general George Williams told BBC Sport: "We welcome Fifa's probe and expect a finding would resolve this problem once and for all".

Fifa is expected to communicate its findings within two weeks.

:: Hey may quit as Liberia coach.

Liberia coach Antoine Hey has revealed he may be stepping down from his post after just four months.

The Lone Star's hopes of reaching the next round of the 2010 World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers are all but over after taking two points from four games.

"We will try everything in our remaining matches - The Gambia away and Algeria at home - but so far we have not done enough to stay in the competition," the German told BBC Sport.

"When you have two points from four matches, it's quite sure that you will not be taking part in the next qualifying round."

After the group's last tie in October, Liberia will not play a qualifying match for nearly two years - something that appears to have dulled Hey's enthusiasm for a job he only assumed in March.

"I am coaching my third national team now, after Lesotho and The Gambia, and I would like to go back to club football," the former Birmingham City midfielder explained.

"We will make our decisions in the next couple of weeks: of course we either have to work out a road map for the next weeks, months and years - or someone else should fill in this position.

"This is something we shall discuss. "I'm disappointed with the result but not our performance," he said after Saturday's game.

"Senegal scored from two set-pieces and if that's all they can do with this experience, I would be disappointed if I were their coach.

"Last time Liberia lost 6-1 here, this time it was 3-1 so we've showed we can play football." However, Liberia lie six points adrift of Group 6 leaders Senegal with just two games left in September and October.

"I would like to go back to Europe or the Middle East; I've been in Africa for the last five years, and that's enough for this moment in time," said Hey. - Source (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/7469010.stm)

:: I.E pins rivals in LFA Premiership….

Liberia’s darling club Invincible Eleven I.E. Monday pulled a one zero win over bitter rivals Mighty Barrolle at the Antoinette Tubman stadium as the race for the Liberian premiership gets hotter with almost four clubs in strong contention for the title.

I.E.’s skipper Joseph Kilee Hineh scored for the Yellow Boys in the 44 minutes after Collinson Acqua over ran Rollers center back defender Hallie Lahai only for goalie Tom Nimely to block him.

I.E.’s newly signed goalkeeper Melvin King denied several goal chances from Seth Coleman and Paul Blater both of whom who came close to finding the equalizer in the last six minutes of the match. The match ended with Invincible Eleven loosing its central back defender Stanley Parker, who was sent off for a second booking after he fouled Seth Coleman.

The win takes IE to second place with 30 points from 18 matches, just a point behind league toppers Monrovia Club Breweries.
The defeat leaves Mighty Barrolle at the six place on the premier league table after 18 games and could likely lose the defense of their title if they failed to collect a win against third place side L.P.R.C. Oilers, who is one of the strong contenders for the title.

At the same time, Barrack Young Controllers, Sunday defeated First Division leaders Jasmine Rangers one goal to zero to make the race for the First Division title open. Had Jasmine Rangers pulled a victory in that match, they could have been left needing only three points to clinch their first league crown.

:: Defending NPA Anchors bows out of competition

The defending Liberia Football Association Knock Out champions NPA Anchors has been eliminated from the competition by St. Joseph Warriors from the second division.

NPA Anchors lost to St. Joseph Warriors 4 - 3 on post match penalties on Saturday after the Second division outfit held the defending champions to a goalless draw. “It’s fantastic winning a club from the premier league” said Paul Roberts coach of the Warriors. “We can beat any team in Liberia right now, because we have the players to do so”, he told ELBC Panorama Sports. Anchors coach Darlington Boyle refused to talk to our sports reporter after the match.

:: Mighty Conquerors wins Amputees Football Tournament

Mighty Conquerors of Congo Town has won the inaugural edition of the Liberia Amputees Football Association National league.

Mighty Conquerors beat all the other five participants in the competition to lift the trophy. LASA, who are the giants among the Amputee football clubs finished as runners-up to the surprise of many.

The inaugural Amputee Football tournament was organized by the Amputee Football Federation of Liberia (AFFEL) to select players that will form part of the Liberia national Amputee Football team that is expected to compete in the World Amputee Football World Cup in Turkey in November..