By S. Siapha Mulbah
The Shefflin United Sports Association (SUSA) Football Club has resurfaced in the ongoing Liberia Football Association Regional Third Division Playoff following a protest during the second leg of the first rounds.
Margibi County’s lone representative SUSA, in this year regional playoff got whipped on aggregate by one of grand Bassa County two representatives Loopers Football Club, but the result was later turned in SUSA’s favor because their opponent fielded a player considered illegal.
SUSA benefited from a disciplinary action taken by the Liberia Football Association against their first-round opponent and will now partake in the next stage to face off with regional counterparts that have modified their quest to book space in the national playoff.
In the double leg encounter between the two regional clubs, SUSA went away in the first match and collected a 2-1 victory from Loopers right before their home fans at the Dorris Williams Sports pitch in the port city of Buchannan.
The match result was embarrassing for any side playing before their own home fans and it took Loopers to a retaliatory plan to affect the return leg in their favor.
The Bassa based club comeback tactics however employed the introduction of Jefferson Yarkeh who was later identified as a player of Shaita Football Club in the first division featuring in a playoff match without proper documentation in regards to transfer.
The second leg played in Margibi at the open-air Nancy Doe Sports Stadium got a straight 2-0 win for Loopers which instantly took them to a celebration that ended in a short time frame because of player Jefferson Yarkeh illegal involvement in the match.
The management of SUSA reported the situation to the FA in a protest. Looking into the matter, FA communicated its ruling to the respective parties disclosing that Loopers suffered a forfeiture due to their actions.
SUSA President Tonny Walker took pride in the comeback decision for his team hoping that it changes the narrative and echoes transparency and fair play in the football sector.
Recounting a similar situation in the last edition of the playoff that prevented SUSA from progressing to the second division, the club sees this year’s redress as a timely intervention that signals improvement in match manipulation and other ethical problems that undermined the nature of the game.
Meanwhile, Loopers Football Club following receipt of the LFA ruling issued an official statement regretting the situation that has climaxed their progress for promotion this season.
The club termed it as an administrative error involving player Jefferson G. Yarkeh, whose transfer from Shaita Football Club was not properly finalized in the system.
According to president Mulbah Gbozee, the club failed to ensure the proper completion of Yarkeh’s release process which is an oversight the team describes as “honest but costly.”
He explained that despite their on-field efforts, where the club staged a dramatic comeback from a 2-1 deficit in the first leg to overturn the match, the team has now been penalized off the pitch.
President Gbozee expressed deep regret for the error and apologized to fans, acknowledging their continued support through every challenge.
He described the performance as one that “deserved to be remembered and not erased.”
In his wisdom, the club is not backing down as he emphasized that Loopers FC remains focused and committed to learning and growing, with their sights firmly set on climbing the ranks of Liberian football.
