By Chernor Alimamy Kamara
Five Premier League clubs in the ongoing Salone Premier League together with the Secretary General of the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA), Christopher Kamara have faced disciplinary actions from the League’s Disciplinary and Protest Committee.
The affected clubs are Kamboi Eagles, Ports Authority, Diamond Stars , East End Tigers and FC Johansen.
According to the Disciplinary and Protest Committee, a report was received from the Match Commissioner in a match which involved FC Kallon and Kamboi Eagles played on the 12th February, 2023. The Committee noted that the conduct of the Technical Team and the Secretary General of Kamboi Eagles was rude and unprofessional during the last 20 minutes of the match which warranted the centre referee to award him a red card.
Few supporters of the club were also heard using abusive language against match officials.
As deterrence to such ‘unhealthy and unsporting conduct,’ the Kamboi Eagles Secretary General has been given a four match ban from the Technical Area effective immediately and fined NLe 2,000 whilst the club was fined NLe 5,000.
Also in the match between Ports Authority VS Lamboi FC held on the 27th February, 2023, the centre referee awarded a direct free kick to Ports Authority in the 90th+4 minutes of play. Before the release of the ball, four Ports Authority players were on an offside position and after the release of the ball; the Assistant Referee 1 raised his flag for the attention of the Centre Referee.
There and then, supporters of Ports Authority FC were said to have physically attacked the centre referee and removed the electronic flag the Assisting Referee 1 was using,damaging it. The security personnel present at the match came to his rescue and took him to the dressing room.
Quoting its rules and regulations, the disciplinary committee resolved at imposing a fine of NLE 6000 on Ports.
The committee received another report filed by the centre referee, Saidu Matthew Kamara, dated 13th February, 2023 which involved the match between East End Tigers and Diamond Stars played on the 12th February, 2023. The report indicates that the Secretary General of Diamond Stars FC and the Goalkeeper Coach and spectators of both teams frequently attacked and used abusive language on the Assistant Referee 1.
As a result of persistently attacking the match officials, a red card was given to Diamond Stars Secretary General, Comfort Nyakeh, for refusing to leave the technical area. Another red card was given to Musa Jalloh, East End Tigers head coach, for frequent infringement into the field from his technical area. The goalkeeper coach of Diamond Stars also received a yellow card for continuously challenging the decision of the assistant referee 1.
The committee therefore finds the Secretary General, the goalkeeper coach of Diamond Stars and the head coach of East End Tigers culpable of misconduct against match officials and levied them with a fine of NLE 2,000 each and a four match ban. It also fined both clubs NLE 4,000 each.
In a disciplinary hearing in the match between FC Johansen and Bo Rangers FC, at the end of the game, the SLFA Secretary General, Chris Kamara was said to have approached them and started insulting and threatening them together with some supporters of the Club.
According to the report, Kamara and the Club’s Supporters attempted to follow the match officials into their dressing room but were prevented by other match officials not on duty that day. Ibrahim Mansaray, a referee was hit by the FC Johansen supporters led by the SLFA scribe which left him injured.
The conduct of the SLFA scribe contravenes Article 46.1 of the Premier League Rules and Regulations.
To deter such behaviour by senior Football Administrator and maintain the decency of the game, Kamara was given a four match ban involving FC Johansen with immediate effect and fined the sum of NLe 5,000. The club was also fined the sum of NLe 5,000.
According to the SLFA Disciplinary and Protest Committee, failure to comply with these sanctions will warrant further sanctions being imposed.
Copyright (c) 2023 (31/03/23)
