Liberia: Invincible Eleven Survive Relegation
IE defeated Monrovia Club Breweries 4-3 on aggregate.
Traditional club Invincible Eleven’s (IE) will remain in the Orange First Division League for another season after a 4-3 aggregate win against Monrovia Club Breweries in the relegation playoff.
IE won the first-leg 2-1, thanks to goals from Sidiki Kromah and Saah Nyumah before losing the second-leg 3-2, but became victors based on aggregate.
IE ended the season in the 10th position with 22 points from 22 matches after they lost 10, drew 7 and won five.
The Sun Shine Yellow Boys were far below that position halfway through the season and were at the verge of being relegated, but thanks to the coming in of Senator Saah Joseph who was appointed president and wasted no time as the team got busy in the transfer market and signed 14 new players. Among them were star players Sidiki Kromah, Saah Nyumah and Fallah Sheriff.
The trio, along with their new teammates, helped the team escape the relegation zone and ended the season in the relegation playoff zone.
The playoff zone is in keeping with Chapter 7, Article 1, Section 1.0 which states: “The last two teams (11th and 12th placed) on the First Division league table shall be automatically relegated to the Second division. The (9th and 10th) placed teams shall engage in a home and away relegation playoff to determine the third team to be relegated to Second division (away goal rule shall apply). If there is a point gap of 6 or above between the (9th and 10th) placed teams, the 10th placed team shall be automatically relegated and no playoff.”
Based on the Executive Committee’s decision on Friday, April 22, to increase the number of teams to 14 in the 1st Division and 12 in the Women's Upper League, there will be a modified relegation playoff to ensure only one club is relegated from each league.
Breweries will now play in the modified relegation playoff against 11th and 12th placed Heaven Eleven and Sandi FC respectively, with the best two maintaining their status as first division teams, while the least will be relegated to the second division.
This was a similar case in the women’s division where Blanco FC defeated Shaita Angels 3-2 on aggregate to survive relegation.
Shaita Angels still have another opportunity to survive relegation in the modified relegation playoff where the best two out of three teams will remain in the league.