Due Process Violated: Court of Arbitration Orders LFA to Temporarily Restore Jubilee FC Status

MONROVIA, LIBERIA: Just twenty-four hours after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced its verdict in the long-running relegation dispute, the Liberia Football Association (LFA) has provisionally reinstated Jubilee Football Club to participate in the First Division League.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the highest authority for resolving legal disputes in sports, issued its ruling in the LFA-Jubilee dispute on Friday, October 31, 2025. The court ordered the club to be reinstated while all internal due process mechanisms are followed to determine the case's outcome.

The ruling highlighted procedural errors in the LFA's decision to relegate the club to the Third Division due to regulatory violations.

CAS contended that Jubilee Football Club was denied due process and that the FA made its decision outside the appropriate committee.

CAS has also mandated the provisional restoration of Jubilee status to the First Division League until all necessary steps are taken internally through the LFA Club Licensing Appeal Board to reach a logical conclusion of the case.

After CAS's verdict, the Liberia Football Association has confirmed that Jubilee FC has been informed of its inclusion in the 2025/2026 First Division League season, while the matter is still under review for a final decision.

The LFA Media Manager, Anthony Kokoi, informed K-News Sports Desk on Saturday, November 1, 2025, that the Football House has no intention of ignoring the CAS partial ruling regarding the ongoing relegation dispute.

Mr. Kokoi stated that Jubilee Football Club has been given ten days to complete its player registration process with FIFA's consent.

Kokoi stated that the LFA will communicate with FIFA to open the registration system, allowing the club to register its players within the next ten days, as they have been provisionally reinstated to the First Division.

The relegation dispute originated in April 2025 when the LFA fined Jubilee FC US$10,000 for allegedly submitting a falsified business registration document during the club registration process in the 2024/2025 league season.

Jubilee's failure to comply with the fine within the specified timeframe led to the Football House taking action to relegate the club from the second division to the third division, even though they had already secured a place in the First Division League.

Jubilee FC appealed the decision to the LFA Appeal Board, but the case faced a setback due to a stalemate in the voting process.

This led to Jubilee's appeal to CAS. The club contends that it was denied due process and was not given enough time to pay the fine.

The CAS verdict came after months of investigations and proceedings, which required the club to be provisionally reinstated until the relegation decision was further reviewed by the Club Licensing Appeal Board of the LFA.

Jubilee FC needs to strengthen its preparations as it enters the top-flight league, which a soccer pundit claims was insufficient for the season.

The club will begin anew after three rounds in the 2025/2026 season, increasing the total number of teams in the LFA First Division to 15.

The Church-Boys must recalibrate to begin their campaign strongly, as their chance to remain in the top-flight league relies on the final decision of the LFA's Club Licensing Appeal Board.