Veteran Old-Timers and Bassa Old-Timers Battle
By Jerome C. Willie, Jr. boyzwill26@gmail.com
The Liberia Old-timers National Association Super Cup final is scheduled to be played on Sunday, 11 June 2023.
The Super Cup final match will be showcase at the SKD PP in Paynesville between Veteran Old-timers and Bassa Old-timers.
The Super Cup marks the opening of the new league season of the Liberia Old-timers National Association.
Speaking in an interview Stephen S. Kafi, Jr. mentioned that the match will see the league champions Veteran Old-timer and Knockout champions Bassa Old-timer rubbing shoulders in the first ever competitive league final.
The LONA VPO Kafi said prior to the Super Cup Final, Alpha Old-timer 50 and Above, Sinkor Old-timers 50 and Above, Paynesville Legends and Super BOSAC will showcase in an exhibition matches to spice the day long activities.
In game one at the SKD PP in Paynesville at 10:30AM Alpha Old-timer 50 and Above and Sinkor Old-timer 50 and Above rub shoulder while in game two at 12:00 PM Paynesville Legends and Super BOSAC battle.
And in the day’s final showpiece at 3:30PM Veteran Old-timer and Bassa Old-timer fight for the first trophy of the LONA 2023/ 2024 League Season.
Veteran Old-timers won the 2022-2023 LONA Championship while Bassa Old-timers won the 2022-2023 LONA Knockout Championship.
Veteran Old-timer won the just ended league season of the Liberia National Old-timers Association (LONA) accumulating 68 points from 27 games played. Veteran Old-timers won 22 games, 3 defeats and 2 draws.
On the other hand Bassa Old-timer defeated BOTFA Old-timer 2-1 at the Williams Kuckles Sports Pitch in Zubah Town on 18 December 2023 to win the LONA Knockout Championship to clinch a trophy during the debut season in LONA Competition.
Vetrean Old-timer pockets LD 75,000.00 and giant size trophy as league champions with Alpha Old-timer clinching LD$50,000.00 as runner-up while on the other hand Bassa Old-timer walks away LD 60,000.00 and a trophy as Knockout Champion while BOTFA Old-timer pockets LD 40,000.00.
In another development, VPO Kafi mentioned that the LONA 2023-2024 League Season with have 30 teams participating in a one round basis.
Kafi said the first 20 teams will be called LONA League A and the last ten teams will be called LONA League B where thereafter there will be promotion and relegation of the last teams in League A and promotion of the first three teams in League B with the balance been decided by LONA to decide how many teams come back to League B.
At the 10th Extra Ordinary Congress And Awards Night held on 6 May at FISEBU LODG, there were few things passed on by the body which among them include; Congress decided that at the end of the 2023/2024 National League, there will be first and second division leagues, where 14 teams will be placed in 1st division with 14 teams place in second division.
And during the Awards Night several individual players and clubs walk away with an award to climax the league season.
Those winners include:
MVP – Moses Carlos Nyaman (Veteran)
Best Goalkeeper- Wallace Vah (Paynesville)
Best Defender -Fedislist Togba (Alpha)
Highest Goal Scorer- John J. Samuels (Veteran) 23 goals in 27 matches
Best Coach- Austin Pajibo (Veteran)
Fair Play Team- Thinker Village Old-timer
Most Discipline Team – Independent Old-timer
The LONA 2023-2024 League Season commence early this month with Senior Brothers and Kpawen Old-Timers making the debut in the competition.