ACCORDING TO a highly placed member of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Jamaica Premier League (JPL) leaders Mount Pleasant Football Academy are set to be docked 15 points for the ineligible use of players and for surpassing the quota set for the number of overseas internationals on the field at any one time.
The Gleaner understands that defending champions Cavalier have lodged a protest against the 2023-24 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 were registered with Real Hope FC and played for the Haitian club up until February, after the January transfer window was closed.
The players last played in the Concacaf Champions Cup for Real Hope against Mexican club Cruz Azul on February 4 and 11, before joining Mount Pleasant and playing six matches for the club between April 10 and 27, having 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 been closed.
Drastic changes
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 Competitions Committee rule against them, they could lose up to 15 points and 30 goals, which could result in drastic changes in the points table.
The six matches the two Haitians have played have been against Racing United, Chapelton Maroons, Arnett Gardens, MoBay, Cavalier, and Molynes United. With the exception of Cavalier, Mount Pleasant defeated all those teams, who would benefit from those points if Mount Pleasant are found guilty.
If the ruling goes against Mount Pleasant, the two teams directly below them, MoBay and Arnett, would gain three point each and climb into first and second on 78 and 76 points, respectively, while, Mount Pleasant would slip to third on 75.
A ruling against Mount Pleasant would have major implications for the relegation battle as well.
Eleventh-placed Molynes and 12th-placed Chapelton would get three points to secure their places in the league next season, with the former moving to 38 points and the latter 37. Both point totals would be out of the reach of Humble Lion (33 points). Humble Lion play against Mount Pleasant in their final game on Sunday.
With only the possibility of catching Harbour View on 36 points, Humble Lion could count themselves doomed, with the Stars of the East, enoying 11 goals to the good in the goal difference column.
It is also possible that Mount Pleasant could lose even more points for using more than the prescribed number of international players on the pitch at one time against Racing.
The overseas players on that day included Franco Celestine, Miguel Joseph, Exilus Angelo, Melvin Doxilly, Jeudy Jhonson, Emerson Liasse, and Clifford Thomas.
If that element of the Cavalier protest is considered, Racing (51) could find themselves back in the race for a play-off spot, as they would be just a point adrift of sixth-placed Tivoli Gardens and seventh-placed Waterhouse, who are both on 55 points.
Then they would need for Waterhouse to lose to Dunbeholden, and Tivoli to lose to MoBay. Racing play against Portmore United on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the JFF official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, pointed out that Cavalier didn’t seem to have anything to gain from the protest, given they were the only team to beat Mount Pleasant in the six matches they used the two players.
Numerous efforts to contact officials from Mount Pleasant have proven futile.
Related news :