By Ebrima Mbaye
The Kanifing Municipality Regional Football Association (KMRFA) has dismissed a protest filed by Universal Sporting Boys FC against ASM Athletic FC, citing a failure to meet critical procedural requirements outlined in the competition’s rules.
Universal Sporting Boys had accused ASM Athletic FC of fielding an ineligible player, Muhammed Cham, during a recent match. However, in a response signed by George Nyouki, Secretary General of KMRFA, the protest was deemed “inadmissible and set aside” without further investigation into the merits of the case.
“All the required formal conditions must be met first before the merit of the case is discussed under our procedures. Therefore, your protest is deemed as inadmissible and set aside. This means the results of your match against ASM Athletic FC stand,” the letter stated.
According to the KMRFA, protest though filed within the stipulated 24-hour period after the match, fell short on two key grounds:
Protest Not Properly Addressed
KMRFA cited a violation of Article 18(3) of the Standardized Regional Rules and Regulations 2023 (as amended), which mandates that all protests must be addressed directly to the Chairman of the Organizing Committee.
“It was addressed to the Competition Organizing Committee which we do not have and is different from the Chairman of the Organizing Committee, thereby in contravention of Article 18(3) of the rules and regulations,” the response noted.
Incomplete Player Identification
The second violation involved the failure to include the jersey number of the player in question, despite mentioning his name. This, according to KMRFA, contravened Article 18(12), which clearly states that protests must include both the name and jersey number of the accused player.
“While the name of the player was clearly written, however, his number was never written as required. The two are sacrosanct and must go together as indicated by the word ‘SHALL’, thereby contravening Article 18(12),” the letter emphasized.
The Association reiterated that adherence to procedural guidelines is mandatory before any protest can be entertained.
Quoting Article 18(7), the letter further stressed:
“If any of the formal conditions of a protest as set out in these rules are not met, such protest shall be deemed incompetent.”
The ruling means the original match result stands in favor of ASM Athletic FC. KMRFA concluded its response with a caution to clubs regarding the importance of following due process when filing official complaints.
“These rules are in place to ensure fairness and consistency in the application of the rules and regulations. Clubs are expected to understand and adhere to the procedure for lodging protests to have their concerns properly addressed,” Secretary General George Nyouki wrote.
