Gambian Club
Disappoints Liberian Refs
By Julu M. Johnson, Jr.
Three Liberian referees were selected by the African Football
confederation (CAF) to officiate in the preliminaries of the 2005 CAF
Champions League over the weekend. The match was scheduled between
Ashante Kotoko of Ghana and Club Wallidan of The Gambia in Kumasi.
As a result, the Liberian Football Referees Association (LIFRA) named
Ebenezer Stanley Konah (referee), Jallah Korman and Sylvester Johnson
(both assistant referees).
But to a great surprise, the Gambian club, despite its financial
capacity, withdrew from the tie. Wallidan was said to have withdrawn
due to its fear for the mighty Ashante Kotoko.
The withdrawal has automatically taken Ashante Kotoko to the zonal
stage of the CAF Champions League.
The trio would have become the second batch of Liberian referees to
serve a CAF assignment this year.
In early January, Benedict Yarsiah, Buster Snyder and Sylvester Rennie
refereed the African Under-17 qualifier between Mali and Central
African Republic (CAR) in Bamako. Mali won the match 3-0.
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