A storm of controversy has erupted in Liberian football after the Liberia Football Association (LFA) announced the immediate relegation of Jubilee FC from the Second Division, citing violations of club licensing regulations. The decision, announced Monday, is being met with backlash from the club and concerns from football stakeholders who believe the punishment may be excessive and politically charged.
The LFA stated that Jubilee FC submitted falsified business registration documents that were discovered during a 2024 verification exercise with the Liberia Business Registry. The move was deemed a breach of the LFA Book of Sanctions. Following this discovery, the association issued a communication on January 2, 2025, warning the club of disciplinary action should they fail to settle the associated fine.
Although Jubilee FC acknowledged wrongdoing and proposed a payment plan committing to an initial $3,500 deposit by January 14 and full payment by February 15, the club missed the final April 10 deadline outlined in a Memorandum of Understanding.
“As of the agreed deadline, Jubilee FC had not fully settled its obligations. In line with the LFA Book of Sanctions, the club is hereby relegated from the Second Division to uphold the integrity of the league,” the LFA wrote in its April 14 release.
But Jubilee is pushing back hard, calling the decision both unfair and legally questionable.
“Jubilee FC categorically rejects the decision as procedurally unfair and legally untenable,” the club said in a statement released hours after the LFA’s announcement. “We have formally filed an appeal to the LFA Appeals Board and believe the facts and legal principles will support a reversal.”
Club President James Nimene voiced frustration over the timing, saying the club had already begun payments and was in the process of completing them when the LFA took action.
“We acted in good faith, began settling the fine, and clearly showed our intent to comply,” Nimene said. “We were not given a fair hearing or due notice.”
According to the club, they deposited 40,000 Liberian dollars toward the fine, and Nimene claimed he was at the bank preparing to finalize the payment when news of the relegation broke.
Adding another layer of complexity, the First Instance Board (FIB), which examined the case last year, had concluded in a November 2024 letter that Jubilee may have been misled. The FIB’s chairman, Jacob K. Dayfell Sr., acknowledged the club’s cooperation and levied a significantly lower fine of $1,000, a move now overshadowed by the LFA’s harsher penalty.
The situation has raised eyebrows across the Liberian football community, with some stakeholders questioning the motive and proportionality of the LFA’s actions particularly in light of Jubilee’s ties to football personality Cassell Kouh.
“This feels like more than just a rules issue,” one local football analyst commented. “When you look at how other cases were handled, and the connection to key figures in the sport, it’s hard not to see this as politically tinged.”
Jubilee now becomes only the second club in the past six years to be relegated over disciplinary issues. In 2019, the storied Invincible Eleven faced a similar fate after multiple violations, including failure to attend scheduled matches.
While Jubilee awaits the outcome of its appeal, the football community is currently watching the political dynamics of Liberian football governance as the heat of the 2026 FA elective congress approaches.
