LFA Suspension of Determine Girls' President Sparked Debate; Links Raji to Abrasiveness against Criticizers

Monrovia, Liberia: Mixed reactions have emerged among football stakeholders over the recent decision of the Liberia Football Association to suspend Determine Girls Football Club's president, Madam Grace Weah, from participating in all football-related activities in the country for a period of one year.

LFA said Madam Weah’s suspension followed a review of her social media post made concerning the 2024 Annual Awards ceremony, in which she publicly accused members of the Award Committee of robbing Determine Girls players of awards she claimed they deserved.

According to LFA, Madam Weah failed to substantiate her accusations before its Ethics and Disciplinary Committee, something the Football House said amounts to a breach of conduct of a club official under Chapter 4, Article 4, Count 8c of its standing rules and regulations.

Chapter 4, Article 4, Count 8c of its standing rules and regulations states, "An official of a club, a player, a referee, a match commissioner, or another official who accuses other persons of match-fixing or match manipulation on social media platforms, television, radio, or newspaper without providing evidence shall be suspended for a period not less than two years (2 yrs.). The Disciplinary Committee shall render further punishment based on the severity of the situation."

Despite the LFA's justification to this effect, key opposition football stakeholders have described the move as a tactic under the presidency of Mustapha Raji to silence critics ahead of the LFA's upcoming elections in 2026.

Anthony Cassell Kouh, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Determine Girls Football Club, argued that the LFA decision to suspend the club's president, Grace Weah, contradicts the very statutes of the football governing body.

In a press statement issued on Friday, May 9, 2025, through his official Facebook handle, Team Cassell, Kouh declined to state a particular provision of the statute that the decision violates but vowed to challenge LFA’s decision using the available legal framework.

Kouh, who is expected to contest in the upcoming election, said the one-year suspension of Madam Weah, which coincides with the LFA's pending elections, is a calculated attempt by Raji’s leadership to clamp down on individuals he thinks oppose his third-term bid for the LFA presidency.

"The suspension of Grace H. Weah from all football activities—this decision is not only unlawful but also stands in direct contradiction to the very statutes and laws that govern the LFA," the statement said.

"It is our firm belief that these measures are pseudo tactics aimed at intimidating stakeholders ahead of the upcoming LFA elections. We hereby declare that we will spare no effort to challenge these unlawful decisions, utilizing the proper legal framework to safeguard the laws and values of this noble institution," the statement maintained.