MONROVIA — The Liberia Football Association (LFA) Grievance and Disciplinary Committee has expelled FC Fassell President and Chief Executive Officer Cassell Anthony Kuoh from the association and banned him from all football-related activities.
By: Christopher C. Walker, christopherc.walker@frontpageafricaonline.com
The decision follows a finding that Kuoh violated both LFA and FIFA regulations by taking an internal football dispute to an ordinary court.
The landmark disciplinary decision, announced Monday, July 6, stems from a formal complaint filed by Small Town Football Academy President J. Melton N. Yoko.
Yoko alleged that Kuoh breached the association’s governing rules by seeking an injunction through Liberia’s civil court system to challenge the LFA’s electoral process.
Following what it described as a comprehensive investigation, the committee, chaired by Acting Chairman Jenkins D.N. Pelenah Sr., concluded that Kuoh’s actions amounted to a serious infringement of football’s governing rules.
According to the ruling, Kuoh violated Article 18, Subsections 18.3(J) and 18.3(K), as well as Article 19 of the LFA Statutes, which require all football-related disputes to be resolved exclusively through football’s designated arbitration mechanisms rather than ordinary courts.
The committee further determined that Kuoh’s legal action constituted undue third-party interference in the internal governance and electoral affairs of the LFA.
In its decision, the committee found Kuoh in violation of Articles 2, 18.3, and 19 of the amended LFA Statutes, as well as Article 51 of the FIFA Statutes.
FIFA regulations strictly bar football stakeholders from referring sports-related disputes to ordinary courts, except in limited, recognized circumstances.
Relying on Chapter 15, Article 27 of the LFA’s 2018 Approved Statutes, as amended, the committee noted that membership may be forfeited where an individual commits a serious infringement of the regulations or improperly resorts to ordinary courts.
As a result, the committee ordered Kuoh’s immediate expulsion from the LFA and imposed a comprehensive ban prohibiting him from participating in any football-related activities.
The ruling stated that Kuoh “knowingly, purposely, intentionally, willfully, and specifically” committed serious infringements of the statutes, regulations, directives, and decisions of the LFA, FIFA, CAF, and WAFU.
The decision represents one of the most consequential disciplinary actions taken by the LFA against a senior football administrator in recent years and comes amid heightened tensions over the association’s governance and electoral processes.
Kuoh Responds, Questions Committee’s Authority
When contacted by FrontPage Africa shortly after the committee’s ruling was made public, Cassell Anthony Kuoh said he has not yet decided what course of action to take.
He noted that he is still reviewing the decision and consulting with stakeholders before determining his next steps.
“I haven’t made a decision yet,” Kuoh said. “I’m processing the ruling, and I’m taking my time to decide what to do.”
Kuoh also strongly questioned the legal authority of the Grievance and Disciplinary Committee to issue an expulsion, arguing that such powers belong to higher administrative bodies within the LFA.
“You don’t need to read the statutes for long to know that only one body has the authority to expel somebody,” Kuoh countered. “How can the Grievance and Disciplinary Committee expel me? How can it override the powers of Congress or the Executive Committee?”
As of Monday evening, Kuoh added that he had not yet received an official copy of the decision via email, stating he had only seen the ruling as published on the LFA’s official Facebook page.
What Statutes Did the LFA Say Kuoh Violated?
The LFA based its decision on several key provisions of its own governing documents and the global FIFA Statutes:
Article 2 (LFA Statutes) Establishes the fundamental principles governing the Liberia Football Association, emphasizing members’ duties to respect and uphold the association’s internal authority and decisions.
Article 18 (LFA Statutes) Outlines the obligations of members, including strict compliance with the association’s rules, regulations, and judicial bodies.
Article 19 (LFA Statutes) Expressly prohibits members from taking football-related disputes to ordinary courts. It mandates that all such conflicts be handled through the LFA’s Arbitration Tribunal or other recognized sports dispute-resolution mechanisms.
Article 27, Chapter 15 (LFA 2018 Approved Statutes) Authorizes the association to revoke the membership of any individual or entity found guilty of serious statutory violations, explicitly highlighting the improper use of civil courts as grounds for forfeiture.
Article 51 (FIFA Statutes) Reinforces the global governing body’s fundamental principle that football disputes must be settled through independent sports judicial bodies rather than state or ordinary civil courts.
