Following
Disqualification For Cup-Winners-Cup:
Mighty Blue Angels Appeal To CAF, Blame LFA
-But Chief Scribe Borsay Rebuffs Claims
LFA Secretary General Yanqueh Borsay
March 5, 2003
By: Siebo Williams
LFA’s knockout champions Mighty Blue Angels, have
appealed to the Confederation of African Football (CAF), to reconsider
its decision not to disqualify the team from the 29th African Cup
Winners Cup Competition.
In a letter dated February 24, 2003 to CAF’s
Secretary General, Mustapha Fahmy, the team said its failure to meet
up with the February 15th CAF deadline to submit players licenses, was
purely an
administrative error on the part of the local Football House
Secretariat.
A release quoting Angels’ Public Relations
Officer (PRO), Emmanuel Johnson has called on CAF to allow the
Liberian Second Division side to take part in the competition, so as
to expose young Liberians hidden talents as well as placing a Liberian
soccer club amongst African clubs in the CAF competition.
Mr. Johnson accused LFA Secretary Yanqueh Borsay for
the concealment of License from the team which was forwarded to the
LFA’s Secretariat by CAF on February 7, regarding its Executive
Committee decision.
He said the Fax from Cairo, Egypt at CAF headquarters
disqualified the team based on its failure to submit licenses of
players and not Three Hundred and Ten United States dollars as was
previously mentioned by LFA’s Secretary General Yanqueh Borsay.
The Angel’s PRO termed the act on part Mr. Borsay, as a
calculated ploy to bury the talents of over thirty football youths,
and comprising the interest of the Liberian flag.
Mr. Johnson in a release then called on President
Charles Taylor as well as the Angels’ Chief Sponsor, Jonathan Taylor
and LFA President Edwin Snowe and the sporting populace, to intervene
on the Angels’ behalf to represent Liberia.
Meanwhile, when LFA Chief Scribe Yanqueh S. Borsay was
contacted yesterday, he rejected the team’s claims outrightly and
bluntly. He also termed it “a mere fallacy to please themselves.”
Giving detail account of the entire transaction between
Mighty Blue Angels, LFA and CAF, Mr. Borsay
said on November 25, 2002 he wrote CAF informing them about Blue
Angels’ qualification for the
Cup-Winners-Cup as Liberia’s Knockout champion.
He said on November 11, 2002, CAF circulated the
fixture of the competition and gave forms for teams to register their
players. On November 26, 2002 Mr. Borsay said he gave information to
all the teams that won slots for international competition.
Commenting on, he said the LFA wrote CAF on November 28
telling them that due to time constraints the funds would be sent
later when Blue Angels remit same. He said the player listing was sent
to CAF and that the only thing needed for Blue Angels to pay was the
US$310.00 to obtain the licenses for the players’ photos to be
attached.
“When I noticed that Blue Angels was still
delaying, I went to find their President to remind him. I was even
told that he had a little problem on the job site. I also used
telephone to have him come over, but again he only assured us. How
then can they say that we got licenses and concealed them when we did
all we could to have the team pay the money”? Mr. Borsay asked.
The LFA Chief Scribe still not satisfied wrote
CAF another letter requesting for time, which CAF accepted and wrote
on February 7, 2003 telling the LFA that Blue Angels had up to
February 15, 2003 to meet up with the requirement.
“Again we reminded the team officials but they
never heeded our words. Even the team President told me that he had
asked LFA President Edwin Snowe to assist him pay the US$310.00,
something he said he was awaiting. How then can they blame their
disqualification on the
LFA Secretariat when they could not meet up with their financial
obligation”? Mr. Borsay asked.
Meanwhile, the LFA Chief Scribe is urging Mighty
Blue Angels to desist from spreading false information and say exactly
where they felt short that led to their disqualification. He said he
finds no pleasure in the disqualification of a Liberian team, but
people must understand that if a team is not financially equipped, it
finds it difficult to participate in international competitions.
During our visit to the LFA Secretariat, all
communications from CAF to the LFA that were forwarded to Mighty Blue
Angels were shown our reporter from the file. On February 18, 2003,
CAF informed the LFA that Mighty Blue Angels was disqualified from
participating in the 29th African Cup of Cup Winners Competition due
to its failure to send licenses of the players.
Consequently, CAF canceled the two ties
against Asante Kotoko of Ghana, thus the Ghanaian side getting a bye
to the round 1/8th finals.
This disqualification of Mighty Blue Angels means
that no Liberian team will participate in continental competition.
LPRC Oilers and LISCR FC failed to register for the CAF Champions’
League and CAF Cup respectively, while Mark Professionals cannot
participate in WAFU Competition because WAFU has canceled its
competition for two years.
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