By S. Siapha Mulbah
Four teams from the Liberia Football Association (LFA) Third Division League are battling for three slots in ongoing 2023 edition of the Promotional Playoff.
On Tuesday June 6, 2023 the ‘slaughter house of Liberian Football, the Antoinette Tubman Stadium on Lynch Street, administered a mouthwatering soccer examinations where eight clubs in the quarterfinals of the Playoff face-off clashed to secure their place in the semifinals. Four teams including Wologizi FC from Lofa, Discoveries Sport Academy, Mighty Enforcers FC of Nimba and Philadelphia Lone Star FC emerged as winners to reach the semifinals.
In the semifinal fixture, Wologizi FC from Lofa with knock horns with Discoveries Sport Academy at the ATS, while Mighty Enforcers FC of Nimba will settle things with Philadelphia Lone Star FC at the same venue.
After being crowned as champions of their respective sub-committees Third Division Leagues in the just ended league season, the playoff semifinalists have maintained their supremacy over their opponents in the national event that brought together 32 teams from across 14 counties of Liberia.
From the group stage, the clubs have displayed youthful talents, featuring young athletes who have won the admiration of coaches and clubs in the upper league.
The playoff is also opening doors for participating clubs to exchange details of interested players in order to prepare their various squad during the next season.
In the first quarterfinal match, Wologizi FC ended full-time against Gompa FC of Nimba County in goalless draw after which a dramatic penalty session when Gompa FC bowed to the Lofa Boy 7-8 in a post penalty match after all 11 plays have kicked.
The Lofa County Champions are going to be up against Discoveries Sports Academy in the semifinal and a win could made them represent the county Lofa in the Second Division league next season.
Since the kick off of the tournament, the legacy Boys of Discoveries have been a threat to all teams along their path as the competition progresses to conclude in the coming days.
Discoveries Sports Academy dismantled and destroyed Riverrcess based club Power Form Heaven after 20-0 in a single game.
Mighty Enforcers also controlled the oldest third division club Pepper FC in the quarterfinal at the ATS on Tuesday. It was Pepper’s second defeat in the competition from another Nimba based club which sent them out of the playoff.
Pepper FC was first defeated by Gompa FC in the group stage one-nil and the 3-0 result against Mighty Enforcer had them in tears because they missed out on a qualifying opportunity after 14 years playing in the Third Division League.
Mighty Enforcers of Nimba and Philadelphia Lone Star will battle in the Semifinal of the competition on the Survivor Friday, June 9, 2023 to book a single seat that could be conformed in the second division league just by qualifying to the playoff final.
Philadelphia Lone Star got to the semifinal when they defeated New Horizon of Margibi County in the quarterfinal.
Out of the four outstanding teams, the two finalists are going to gain automatic second division promotion while the best loser or third place winner will complete the last slot for the three team’s promotion process.
The semi-final matches will take place on Friday June 9,2023 at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium in Monrovia.