Grace Weah, President of Liberia’s Determined Girls FC, has accused Sierra Leonean officials of orchestrating an attack on the hotel where her team was staying ahead of a crucial match in the WAFU Zone A CAF Women’s Champions League qualifier.
The incident, which occurred on the night before the final match of the tournament’s qualifying phase, has been described by Weah and her team as an intimidation tactic aimed at undermining their preparation and safety. The team’s concerns were highlighted in a video shared within the Talk Liberian Football WhatsApp group, where some club officials and players reported being threatened by armed men allegedly from Sierra Leone.
In the video, an unidentified woman claims that armed individuals from Sierra Leone attacked the hotel, calling them “armed robbers” and expressing fear for their safety. “We will video you guys. We were attacked by some men from Sierra Leone. Where are they, so, so armed robbers,” the woman said.
Weah, addressing the situation, voiced her deep concern over the presence of gunmen at the hotel. She stressed that this incident could significantly impact the players’ morale, especially given the importance of their upcoming match. “Some Sierra Leonean officials brought unknown gunmen to our hotel, threatening us ahead of tomorrow’s match. We’ve faced many challenges on this trip, but this needs public attention. Determined Girls FC is not safe here tonight,” Weah stated.
The Determined Girls FC, currently leading the standings with a narrow advantage over Sierra Leone’s Mogbewmo Queens, face a pivotal match against Aigles De La Medina of Senegal on August 11. A win in this match would secure their place in the next stage of the competition, which will be held in South Africa.
In a shocking respond, the host country football association address as false and damaging allegations made by Determine Girls. SLFA categorically refuted the claims terming as baseless and untrue the allegation that Mogbwemo Queens, the Sierra Leonean female league champions, orchestrated an attack on their guest at the hotel using armed men.
“It is important to clarify that when the authorities were called to investigate the situation, no involvement of armed forces was found. However, five Mogbwemo supporters were taken into custody as a precautionary measure,” the SLFA official release added.
However, the tournament’s organizers, the Union of West African Football Associations (UFOA), have acknowledged the incident. In a statement, UFOA reported that they were informed of the situation and have initiated an investigation. “UFOA has been informed of an incident at the Galliness Hotel involving delegations from Determine Girls FC, AS Mande from Mali, and Mogbewmo Queens from Sierra Leone,” the statement read. “UFOA’s Executive Director, Competition Manager, and Tournament Security Officer visited the site to assess the situation and provide reassurance. The Disciplinary Commission has been tasked with investigating the incident.”
The same night of the incident, Liberian Football Association (LFA) issued a statement regarding the alleged attack on the Determined Girls FC noting that the video on circulating on social media is such a scaring and threatening one.
The LFA revealed that it is treating the incident with the utmost seriousness and has initiated a series of actions to address the situation.
“Contact has been made with Anthony Denuika, the Head of Delegation for the Liberian team; Mohamed Benson Bawoh, Acting General Secretary of the Sierra Leone Football Association; and the WAFU Executive Director,” a release from the football house explained.
Early Sunday morning, a delegation led by the LFA President Mustapha Raji departed Liberia for Bo, Sierra Leone to engage with both WAFU and Sierra Leonean officials to seek clarification and resolution regarding the matter.
Following the incident, the delegation of Mogbewmo Queens has been relocated to a different hotel. Master Queen later confirmed on her Facebook page that the situation had been brought under control, noting that three individuals had been arrested in connection with the attack and that all players were safe.
