Africa-Press – Liberia. 3 thriller between Bong and Montserrado Counties on Tuesday has sparked allegations of a “marriage of convenience,” as the result effectively bundled host county Gbarpolu out of the football category of the 2025/2026 National County Sports Meet (NCSM).
The Violence in Bopolu
The original fixture was abandoned following significant crowd disturbances involving fans of the host county, Gbarpolu.
Spectators disrupted play amid allegations that Bong and Montserrado were attempting to “fix” the result.
Rumors had circulated that the two teams planned to settle for a high-scoring draw specifically a 2–2 or 3–3 result that would allow both to advance to the next round at the expense of Gbarpolu.
At the time of the interruption, Montserrado held a 2–1 lead in a fast-paced contest that had already produced three goals.
Citing security concerns and an inability to restore order on the pitch, match officials made the call to discontinue the game for the safety of the players and staff.
Due to the situation the organizers the ministry of youth and Sports move the game to Paynesville at the Samuel K Doe Sports Complex for Tuesday December 23,2025.
The decisive Group D encounter, held at the Samuel K. Doe Sports Complex in Paynesville, provided exactly what both sides needed to advance a high-scoring draw.
The result left Gbarpolu fans in shock, watching their team exit the competition on home soil despite finishing level on points with their rivals.
The Math of Misery
The final Group D standings presented a rare and cruel mathematical deadlock, with Bong, Montserrado, and Gbarpolu all finishing the preliminary round with two points apiece.
However, the “Goals Scored” tiebreaker proved to be Gbarpolu’s undoing. While the 3–3 draw bolstered the goal tallies for both Bong and Montserrado, Gbarpolu had managed only two goals across their two fixtures. The six-goal explosion in the final match guaranteed that the host’s goal count was eclipsed, rendering their campaign dead on arrival.
A Pattern of Preliminary Pain
For Gbarpolu, the exit is a bitter case of déjà vu. This marks the second time in the history of the National County Sports Meet that the county has failed to progress in football while serving as a host.
A similar script was written during the 2020/2021 edition when Gbarpolu hosted Grand Kru and Margibi. In that tournament, the football team crashed out early while the kickball team carried the county’s banner forward.
History repeated itself Tuesday; as the football team mourned, Gbarpolu’s kickball squad secured their spot in the Quarterfinals, offering a slim silver lining to the host fans.
Fans Cry Foul
The atmosphere at the SKD was a mixture of jubilant celebrations from Bong and Montserrado supporters and simmering resentment from the Gbarpolu camp. Pundits and spectators alike have questioned the “convenience” of the 3–3 scoreline, suggesting the two sides may have played to a result that guaranteed mutual advancement.
While there is no evidence of a formal pact, and both teams displayed an open, attacking style of play, the optics of a result that perfectly eliminated the host have left a sour taste in the mouths of Gbarpolu loyalists.
Moving to the Knockouts
The “Bong and Montserrado now becomes a central talking point as the tournament shifts into the high-stakes knockout phase in Monrovia.
For Gbarpolu, the football dream is over, and the county’s hopes now rest entirely on the shoulders of their kickball stars.
In the unforgiving world of the County Meet, the hosts have learned a hard lesson: home-field advantage is no match for the cold, hard mathematics of the goal-scoring rule.
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