Edward Kollie Slams “Double Standards” in Sports Meet Protest Against Lofa

Monrovia, Liberia:Serious allegations of bias and selective enforcement of rules have emerged in the National County Sports Meet following the acceptance of a protest filed by Grand Cape Mount County against Lofa County despite clear regulations governing the protest process.

Edward Kollie, a prominent son of Lofa County, has accused authorities at the top of the competition of deliberately targeting Lofa County because of its continued dominance in the tournament.

“There are people in high places who are clearly uncomfortable with Lofa’s success,” Kollie said, pointing to what he described as a blatant double standard in the handling of protests.

He recalled events from the 2022 National County Sports Meet at the ATS, when Lofa County was eliminated after a goalless draw with Grand Cape Mount. Lofa subsequently filed a protest, which was summarily dismissed by the Grievance Committee—not on its merits, but solely because it was ruled to have been filed late.

“Despite our anger, we respected the law and accepted the decision,” Kollie said, noting that witnesses, including Amos Fallah Kpalia and Mohammed O. Sheriff, were present during the hearing.

However, in a dramatic turn of events, Grand Cape Mount has now filed a protest against Lofa in 2025, which has been accepted, even though it was submitted more than 15 hours after the match ended.

According to the competition’s regulations, protests must be filed during the match or within four hours after full time, and must bear the signature of the opposing team’s captain. Cape Mount’s protest, filed on December 22, 2024, at 12:25 p.m., clearly falls outside the legally permitted timeframe.

Critics argue that the decision to accept the late protest exposes deep inconsistencies within the Grievance Committee and raises questions about fairness, integrity, and impartiality in the management of the tournament.

“The same committee that rejected Lofa’s protest in 2022 for being late is now bending the rules,” Kollie charged. “This is not coincidence it is deliberate.”

The controversy has intensified tensions within the tournament and sparked calls for transparency and accountability at the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Despite the unfolding dispute, Kollie remains defiant, insisting that the law will ultimately prevail.

“Lofa County will not be pushed aside,” he declared. “Justice will stand, the rules will be enforced, and Lofa will play at the SKD.”

As public scrutiny grows, all eyes are now on the Ministry of Youth and Sports to determine whether the rules of the National County Sports Meet will be applied fairly—or selectively.