According to reports gathered by this paper, the president of the Liberia Football Association (LFA) Mustapha Raji, instructed the secretariat to disregard the presence and deny the formal invitation of the former Secretary-General, Isaac T. Z. Montgomery, to the 28th ordinary congress at the LFA headquarters in Congo Town on Saturday April 13, 2024.
Per history and tradition, an invitation is sent to former presidents, vice presidents and secretary-generals to attend the congress under the status of the football association according to stakeholders.
But Montgomery, who served from December 2018 to December 2022 confirmed that never had he been given any invitation to attend one of the biggest decision-making events of the Liberia Football community that is held annually.
The LFA invited former president Sombo Izetta Wesley and secretary-generals Idrissa Kaba and Yanqueh Borsah.
Several persons, including Armah Baxter, Sensii Kiadii, Melton Yoko, Dr. Clarence Yaskey and former Liberia internationals Washington Blay and Anthony Laffor, were all invited as observers.
Prior to the congress, Raji, who sued Montgomery for libel in December 2023, sent an emissary to call Montgomery for truce during the closing ceremonies of the Orange first division at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex practice pitch on April 7.
Montgomery told former LFA Vice president Wilmot Smith, who disclosed it in the TalkFootball chat room on April 9.
The former FIFA-badged referee informed Vice president Sekou Konneh, who was in India, about his exclusion by Raji.
Raj was contacted on April 15 to speak on why Montgomery was excluded from the congress but he did not respond to a WhatsApp message to press time.
