PAYNESVILLE, Montserrado – The referee whose decision to cancel a goal during a match between Nimba and Grand Gedeh caused a riot at the Samuel Kanyan Doe Sports Complex was previously suspended in 2019 for receiving a bribe in a second division match.
On Monday, April 29, the SKD Sports Complex was the center of attraction when Nimba and Grand Gedeh played the 30 minutes of extra time after drawing 2-2 in the full 90 minutes on Saturday, April 27. Due to the poor lighting at the stadium, the match couldn’t be continued and was scheduled for extra time play on Monday.
Five minutes to the end of the match on Monday, Grand Gedeh thought they had a leg in the semifinals when Esliha Toelue headed into the net from a set piece. However, center referee Josephus Torjilar ruled out the goal, keeping the score at 2-2 after extra time.
Six-time football champion Nimba went on to win in the post-match penalties, and Grand Gedeh was eliminated controversially, causing fans to invade the pitch to vandalize the dugouts.
On Tuesday, April 30, the Liberia Football Association announced a decision to expel Torjilar from all its activities following a full report from the referee committee’s investigation into Monday’s incident.
Announcing his expulsion, the LFA stated that Torjilar’s poor officiating brought refereeing into disrepute and caused grave damages.
“The Liberia Football Association has, with immediate effect, expelled Class-A referee Josephus Torjilar from all LFA-organized activities. Torjilar’s expulsion is consistent with the Referee Committee’s report from the match Nimba vs. Grand Gedeh in the ensuing National County Meet. His poor officiating brought referring and the game into disrepute and caused grave damages and losses,” the LFA stated in a statement it shared on Facebook.
Like football fans who disagreed with the decision of the center referee, Deputy Youth and Sports Minister G. Andy Quamie believes Toelue’s goal was genuine but disallowed by the referee.
Speaking on the IntelSports SportsTalk TV show, Quamie confirmed that a police officer was also injured, along with several citizens.
The controversial disallowed goal by Grand Gedeh’s Esliha Toelue. Photo by T. Kla Wesley, Jr.
“A single person caused millions of damages at the SKD,” he said. “I’m being told that the leg of a police officer will be amputated because of the violence while approximately seven fans got injured badly and were taken to hospital. Maybe he will explain to the referee committee why the goal wasn’t allowed. In my opinion, it was a fair goal. I don’t see the reason for which it was disallowed.”
Quamie also blamed poor security arrangements in anticipating the crowd at the match: “The destruction was a price we paid for underestimating the turnout. The security committee overlooked the match and miscalculated their thoughts. It was for 30 minutes, and they didn’t expect the fans to turn out the way they did. We know the history between the two counties and to not have deployed the proper security measures to restrict the fans was an error on our part.”
However, this was not Torjilar’s first time being involved in unethical behavior on the field. In 2019, he was given a two-year ban for bribery after he admitted to receiving L$20,000 (US$100) for a second-division game involving PAGS Football Club and Samira Football Club. The ban was lifted after a year following an appeal, and he resumed his duties when the 2020-21 LFA football season kicked off in October 2020.
The president of the Liberia Referee Association, Lamin Kamara, told The Bush Chicken that due to the expulsion, referees in the country will now rightfully govern themselves when officiating matches, noting the recent decision of the LFA will serve as a warning to others.
“Referees must be very cautious about their decisions on the pitch. They were trained to do so and must exhibit what they were taught. It will make them to be more responsible in officiating by the laws of the game,” Kamara said.
Featured photo by T. Kla Wesley, Jr.
