Voinjama, Lofa County – What was meant to be a day of youthful footballing excitement in Voinjama turned into chaos as violence marred the Region 1 Championship match between C.H. Dewey High School of Tubmanburg, Bomi County and Free Pentecostal Global Mission School of Foya, Lofa County.
By Christopher C Walker 0777898224/0886723075 [email protected]
The September 3 fixture, played at the Voinjama Public High School Sports Pitch, descended into disorder when C.H. Dewey players and their head coach physically assaulted center referee Prince Dorbor after contesting a second goal scored by Free Pentecostal in the 56th minute.
Despite the Liberia National Police’s intervention and repeated appeals from the referee for the game to continue, C.H. Dewey refused to return to the pitch, forcing an abrupt end to the match.
Free Pentecostal Global Mission took the lead in the 27th minute through a penalty before striker Emmanuel Abednego doubled their advantage in the second half. However, Dewey players disputed the legitimacy of the goal, claiming it was unfairly awarded.
The investigation later confirmed that the goal was a defensive blunder between a C.H. Dewey defender and his goalkeeper left the ball loose for Abednego to slot into the net.
Instead of accepting the decision, two Dewey players attacked the referee. Their coach reportedly attempted to strike him as well, escalating tensions before police restored order.
Findings and Fueling Tension
The inquiry revealed that not only did Dewey players initiate violence, but tensions were also inflamed by Bomi County’s local National High School Sports coordinator, who had earlier accused match officials of bias toward Free Pentecostal.
Eyewitnesses, including the Match Commissioner, National High School Sports representatives, and local journalists, confirmed that referee Dorbor made the correct call and that Dewey’s refusal to continue was unjustifiable.
The Decision
Citing Article XIV (Misconduct) and Article XVI (Forfeiture) of the tournament rules, the Organizing Committee handed down a stern punishment:
The punishment states that C.H. Dewey High School is banned for one year from the National High School Football and Kickball Championship.
The school must forfeit the match to Free Pentecostal and pay a fine of LD$10,000.
Dewey is also required to issue a formal apology, signed by the school’s principal, pledging to prevent similar misconduct in the future.
Meanwhile, Free Pentecostal Global Mission School advances to the next stage of the National Championship.
The ruling serves as a warning to schools across Liberia that indiscipline will not be tolerated in national competitions. Officials stress that condoning such behavior would set a dangerous precedent, undermining both the integrity and safety of high school sports.
As Liberia continues to invest in youth football and kickball, the incident in Voinjama highlights the urgent need for stronger measures to promote discipline, sportsmanship, and respect for referees in the game.
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