By S. Siapha Mulbah
The test of qualification top the Liberia Football Association top trier league started over the weekend with 16 games from the fourteen participating counties paying in Monrovia.
Just in the opening rounds, a total of 66 goals were scored and conceded across the entire competition from all venues which contributed to 14 of the participants collecting their first wins.
As victories for one team in every football encounter leads to defeat to the other, 14 teams were also collected defeats while the remaining four teams to complete the number spoils to maintain a point on the competition chart.
Margibi County-based New Horizon Football Club was recorded for taking the greatest win for round one after the boys netted 10 goals in a single match. On Sunday May 28, 2023 at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium in Monrovia, New Horizon trashed Rivercess-based club ‘Power from Heaven’ 10-0 posing fear to the other teams remaining in the zonal fixture.
As the discouraging result for placed Power from Heaven at the bottom of group G, other matches could be of interest to see the top two teams advancing to the round of 16 stage of the campaign in the coming days.
Another big win came for Paper Football Club against one of Lofa County’s two representatives. Gompa United Football Club suffered a 6-0 defeat from the Montserrado County play-off champion at the ATS.
Gompa Football Club and Future Bright Star of Bong County got the first draw one-all followed by Brewerville United and Totata United Sports Association (TUSA) who ended goalless in round one.
Teams in the winner’s category after the completion of round one are: New Horizon, Pepper FC, Blue Lake, Philadelphia Lonestar and Samukai FC.
Others are: KWA FC, Future Star, United Boomers, Spartan FC, Skill FC, NPA IV, Discoveries S.A, Africa Sports Academy and Wologisi FC.
The losers category have teams to include; Wee Defender, Dominion FC, Gompa United, Wein Town FC, Fenwein FC, Bondi FC, Sheriff FC, Finda FC, Commie FC, Power From God FC, Zone 4 United, Power From Heaven, Caldwell United and Mighty Enforcer.
Meanwhile, Wein Town United has reportedly filed a protest against Samukai Football Club alleging the use of an illegal player in the competition. After the two sides met in a clash that ended 2-1 in favor of Samukai FC, the Margibi County champions have reported that Player Amaza Kollie from their opponent squad played for Sinoe NPA Anchor II in the just ended National Second Division League.
Reports gathered in connection to the protest revealed that the player was transfer at the end of the season to the Club, though authorities who are involved are still tight-lipped on the matter.
