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Cavalier lodge protest against Mount Pleasant - St Ann team to face JFF’s Competitions Committee over player eligibility rules
May 01, 2025
According to a highly-placed member of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Jamaica Premier League (JPL) leaders Mount Pleasant Football Academy could be docked 15 points for ineligible use of players, and for surpassing the quota set for the number of overseas internationals being on the playing field at the same time, in one match.
STAR Sports understands that defending champions Cavalier have lodged a protest against the 2022-23 JPL winners for violating the rules of the competition, and that there could be huge implications to the standings if the St Ann-based team is found guilty.
The protest centres around the club's two recent Haitian acquisitions, Angelo Exilus and Jeudy Johnson.
The two players, who were registered with Real Hope FC and played for the Haitian club up until February.
That is after the January transfer window closed.
The players last played in the Concacaf Champions Cup for Real Hope against the Mexican club Cruz Azul on February 4 and 11.
Afterward, they joined Mount Pleasant and played six matches for the club, between April 10 and April 27.
They had reportedly been contracted to the St Ann team during the January transfer window.
However, FIFA, Concacaf, and JFF regulations do not allow players to be registered with more than one team at the same time, or for players to be transferred after the window has closed.
NO RESPONSE
Since Monday, STAR Sports has tried on numerous occasions to get a response from Mount Pleasant FA, but up to press time, calls to the phone of Paul Christie, the club's sporting director, went unanswered.
Mount Pleasant are currently 15 points clear at the top of the table, with 90 points, ahead of Montego Bay United, with only one round of games to go.
If the JFF's Competitions Committee rules against Mount Pleasant, they could lose up to 15 points and 30 goals, which could result in drastic changes in the points table.
The six matches in which the two Haitians played were against Racing United, Chapelton Maroons, Arnett Gardens, MoBay United, Cavalier and Molynes United. With the exception of Cavalier, Mount Pleasant defeated all the other teams.
All those losing teams would benefit if Mount Pleasant are found guilty.
The two teams directly below Mount Pleasant, MoBay and Arnett would gain three points each and climb into first and second on 78 and 76, respectively.
While Mount Pleasant would slip to third on 75 points.
Racing (54) stand to benefit hugely, as they would be back in the running for a top-six position, placing them within a point of Tivoli Gardens (sixth place) and Waterhouse (seventh), who are both tied on 55 points.
Also, 11th-place Molynes and 12th-place Chapelton would get three points to secure their places in the league for next season, as Molynes would move to 38 points and Chapelton to 37, and out of reach of Humble Lions (33), who play Mount Pleasant in their final game on Sunday.
That means Humble Lion would be relegated before a ball is even kicked on Sunday.
SEPARATE ISSUE
There is also a separate issue facing Mount Pleasant, for using more than the prescribed number of international players on the pitch at the same time, in their match against Racing United.
The overseas players on that day included Franco Celestine, Miguel Joseph, Exilus Angelo, Melvin Doxilly, Jeudy Jhonson, Emerson Liasse and Clifford Thomas.
