MONROVIA — The Liberia Football Association (LFA) has ordered Bea Mountain FC and Gedeh FC to play their upcoming two home matches behind closed doors following separate incidents involving attacks on match officials.
The LFA Competitions Department announced the decision on Tuesday after reviewing Bea Mountain's home match against Gardnersville FC on Nov. 2 at the Momo Taweh Stadium in Robertsport, Grand Cape Mount County.
Spectators reportedly invaded the pitch and attacked match officials, preventing them from leaving the field after the final whistle.
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The match ended in a 1-1 draw, extending Bea Mountain's winless run to four matches under new head coach Cooper Sannah.
According to the LFA, the incident violates Chapter 3, Article 10 (Counts 1 and 2) of the LFA Rules and Regulations, which require clubs to ensure adequate match organization, safety, crowd control and facility protection.
"On match days affected by this sanction, only registered players and officials of both participating teams, match attendants, ball retrievers, medical personnel, and stadium management staff will be permitted inside the stadium," the LFA statement said.
In a separate ruling, the LFA also sanctioned Second Division Club Gedeh FC following an incident on Nov. 2 at the Albert T. White Stadium in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County. Spectators allegedly invaded the pitch and assaulted an assistant referee following the club's match against Cece United.
The LFA said the decisions are intended to protect referees and other match participants and to reinforce the importance of proper event management and respect for match officials.
"The association condemns all acts of violence against referees and encourages clubs to take full responsibility for the behavior of their supporters," the statement added.
Bea Mountain and Gedeh FC become the first two teams of the season to face disciplinary actions.
Meanwhile, the Liberia Football Association Referees Committee has suspended three referees following performance reviews that found violations of professional conduct and officiating standards.
The committee announced the following decisions:
Kamara was suspended for six months after the committee determined he made significant errors in judgment during the match between Discoveries SA and Downtown FC. The committee said Kamara's failure to award Discoveries SA a clear penalty influenced the outcome of the match, which Downtown FC won 1-0.
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Tweh was also suspended for six months for what the committee described as a decisive officiating error in FC Fassell's 1-0 victory over LISCR FC. The committee found that Tweh wrongly awarded FC Fassell a penalty that affected the result.
Allison received a two-month suspension for failing to award Freeport FC a penalty in their 6-2 loss to Paynesville FC.
The suspended referees have been informed of the decisions and retain the right to appeal in accordance with LFA regulations.
