By Chernor Alimamy Kamara
The Women’s Premier League Disciplinary Committee has banned the Team Doctor of Sierra Leone Police Football Club (SLPFC), Ibrahim Bangura from taking part in all future matches of the League and from attending them in the area immediately surrounding the fields of play and from all activities relating to the Board, indefinitely.
The ruling against Bangura was a result of the attack on referee, Florence Yatta Lebbie, during the match between Patricia Umu FC (PUFC) and Sierra Leone Police FC on the 18th February, 2024 in Kambia Town field.
The committee awarded 3 points and 2 goals to PUFC and ordered the SLPFC to pay a fine of Le 10,000.00 (Ten Thousand Leones) for their use of obscene languages and threatening remarks.
It also banned SLPFC players Abibatu D. Bangura and Madam Mabinty Sama from participating in the next 2 matches of the 2023/24 Women’s Premier League Season.
The committee further banned the SLPFC Welfare Officer Alhaji U. Bangura from taking part in all future matches of the Women’s Premier League and from attending them in the area immediately surrounding the fields of play and from all activities relating to the Board for a period of six 6 months from the date of this ruling.
It also ordered the Welfare Officer to pay a fine of Le 6,000 (Six Thousand Leones), quoting the league’s rules and regulations.
According to the Committee, the incident started during the warming up session in the match played on the 18th February, 2024 where a cross section of the SLPFC players made threatening remarks and accused the referee of poor officiating against them in their previous match at Rutile.
It stated that within 3 minutes into the first half, the SLPFC Welfare Officer, Alhaji U. Bangura left the area designated for the Technical Team and went to PUFC’s half. The Fourth Official asked him to go back to the area designated for his Technical Team, but he deliberately refused to do so which made the Fourth Official to inform the Central Referee of his refusal.
The central referee then asked him to return to the area designated for his team upon which he described her as a “Prostitute” for which he was given a red card. Another SLPFC player with number 15 jersey was also red carded during the 75th minute into the second half for using abusive languages on the match officials.
The team doctor according to the committee attacked the referee after she was called to attention by the Assistant referee Saio Turay for an elbow offence committed by a SLPFC player during the additional 5 minutes after the full 90 minutes of play.
The elbow incident resulted to a direct free kick in favor of PUFC and it was at that point the team doctor for SLPFC entered the field of play and splashed water on the central referee, choked her on the neck, slapped and pushed her to the ground. The referee fell down and became unconscious and was rushed for medical attention.
The committee referenced videos, submitted to them that showed blood oozing from the referee’s nose which also captured two players Abibatu D. Bangura and Madam Mabinty Sama with jersey No. 10 & 11 respectively and of SLPFC uttering abusive languages directed at the referee.
It looked at the final issue in this ruling which is the act that disrupted the match, the attack on the central referee that was initiated by the SLPFC team doctor. The committee made it clear that the match did not end as a result of the life- threatening attack on the central referee by the SLPFC’s team doctor.
The Sierra Leone Women’s Premier League Committee was tasked by the Board to thoroughly examine incidences of indiscipline.
Meanwhile the Media Officer for the Police team Hilton John told Police that they will appeal, saying they consider the ruling to be bias.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (26/02/24)
