MONROVIA – After weeks of anticipation, the Liberia Football Association (LFA) Appeals Committee has overturned the one-year suspension of Ms. Grace Hawa Weah, President of Upper Womenโs Division club, Determined Girls FC, following an appeal she filed.
The Appeals Committee, after a thorough review, found that while the initial decision by the LFA Grievance and Disciplinary Committee (GDC) was procedurally sound, the twelve-month suspension penalty was deemed disproportionate.
๐๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐น๐, ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐น๐น๐ผ๐๐:
1. ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ: ๐ ๐. ๐ช๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ต ๐ถ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ (L$150,000) ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป 30 ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด.
2. ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ: ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐บ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐น ๐น๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐๐ฏ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐๐๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป.
3. ๐ฃ๐๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ก๐ฒ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐: ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐ ๐บ๐๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐น๐น๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ป๐ฒ15, 2025: ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ณ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ, ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ป๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ก๐ฒ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ and ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ก๐ฒ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ.
๐ฉ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐บ๐๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฏ๐บ๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป ๐ณ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป.
This decision brings a new chapter in Liberian womenโs football, signaling a hopeful future for the development and governance of the sport.
In an exclusive interview on Wednesday, June 12, 2025, Ms. Grace Hawa Weah expressed her acceptance of the decision and welcomed the ruling of the Appeals Committee.
She confirmed her commitment to paying the fine and publishing the required apology as instructed.
Ms. Weah appeal stemmed from a ruling by the LFA Grievance and Disciplinary Committee dated February 12, 2025, which found her guilty of making false and misleading public statements regarding the LFAโs awards voting process.
Although Ms. Weah issued a prompt written and social media apology, citing a misunderstanding of the process.
The GDC invoked Chapter 4, Article 8(b) of the LFA Disciplinary Code and imposed a 12-month suspension, waiving the L$50,000 fine.
As a first-time offender with no prior disciplinary record, Ms. Weah appealed for leniency, emphasizing her cooperation and apology.
The Appeals Committee acknowledged her efforts and responded accordingly with a balanced and fair decision.
This case demonstrates that the LFA operates not just on authority but with adherence to legal frameworks guiding football governance.
Such accountability is vital in encouraging all stakeholders, regardless of whatever position or an opposition relative to procedural processes of the LFA to try always uphold the integrity and respect for Liberian Football at all levels.
