Monrovia—Senator Jonathan BoyCharles Sogbie of Rivergee County has publicly condemned what he described as a robbery against his team during their recent National County Sports Meet match against Grand Cape Mount.
The defending champions suffered a 2-0 loss to Grand Cape Mount in their Group-D match on Saturday, January 18, 2025, at the Momo Taweh Sports Stadium in Robertsport.
Following Grand Cape Mount’s second goal, Rivergee players left the pitch in protest, resulting in the official awarding of the three points to the home team, which secured their qualification alongside Nimba County.
In a statement on his official Facebook page, Senator Sogbie expressed strong support for his team’s actions, stating, “What transpired during the match… undermines the true essence of the National County Sports Meet. Rivergee was blatantly cheated, which is unacceptable and goes against the spirit of the competition.”
Senator Sogbie also took the opportunity to commend the Rivergee County Kickball Team for their progression to the quarterfinals, where they are set to face Grand Gedeh after their prior victory over Grand Cape Mount, despite a significant 6-1 loss to Nimba County.
Before the Rivergee vs. Grand Cape Mount match, Sogbie mentioned that he had contacted Mr. Joseph Kollie, head of the Referees Association, to ensure the match would be officiated fairly.
He lamented the prioritization of financial gain over integrity by some match officials, which he believes jeopardizes the spirit of unity and peace the National County Sports Meet aims to promote.
Senator Sogbie described the officiating in the River Gee vs. Grand Cape Mount match as a “total mess” and called for punitive actions against referees who allegedly accept bribes.
He has urged the Liberia Football Association (LFA) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports to launch a thorough investigation into the match.
In a related development, the Ministry of Youth and Sports has fined Rivergee County $3,000 for their refusal to continue the game after the controversial awarding of a second penalty to Grand Cape Mount.
