MONROVIA, Jan.28 (LINA) – Youth and Sports Minister D. Zoegar Wilson has disclosed that the ministry and the Ministry of Internal Affairs have fined the Nimba County soccer team US$1,500 and suspended the team head coach Murta Fofana and manger Musa Kroma from all sporting activities for two years for “unruly behaviour” exhibited during the County Meet finals on Sunday, January 26.
It can be recalled that during the county meet finals at the SKD Sports Complex in Paynesville, the entire Nimba County soccer team walk off the field when a penalty was awarded to its rival Grand Kru County.
Minister Wilson addressing a news conference Tuesday said the Ministries action against the team is in line with the rules and regulations governing the County Meet tournament which, among other things, state, “Any county team that behaves rudely on the field of play and brings the match to a halt or disrepute according to the match official report shall be fined.
He said the amount was to be paid before the county next match but given that the match was the last game the amount will be deducted from Nimba’s 2021 allotment for the county meet.
According to him, Nimba knowingly violated the tournament’s rules and regulations and as such the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Internal Affairs are not taking their action lightly, pointing out, “The consequence will therefore serve as deterrence to others”.
Meanwhile, Wilson has, however, declared Grand Kru County the winner of the 2019-2020 National County Sports Meet football tournament and that all awards for the tournament will be presented Thursday, January 30.
He, however, apologized to the sporting community, the ministry of Youth and Sports, fans, partners, sponsors, stakeholders and the entire country for the disruption of the match.
“We didn’t envision that the game would have ended in such an unconventional manner, however, with lessons learnt, it is our hope that corrective measures will be put in place to avert any situation arising out of similar condition in the near future, » Wilson noted.
