The Lauru Football Association (LFA) has officially appealed a decision by the SIFF Disciplinary Committee that awarded Western Tomoko a 3-0 win over Makira Ulawa, giving Tomoko three points and pushing Lauru Kuvojo out of the semi-finals on goal difference.
The ruling followed a complaint from the Western Football Association (WFA), which claimed Makira Ulawa had broken tournament rules by fielding more than three guest players at the same time in their match against Tomoko last week.
LFA in a statement said, the decision is unfair and cost their team a deserved place in the semi-finals, despite following all tournament rules.
“LFA’s stand is clear and simple: Justice for Team Lauru Kukuvojo. For us, justice means a rightful place in the 2025 Solomon Cup semi-finals—a position earned on the field and protected by the rules of the game,” said LFA in a statement on Friday.
In its appeal, LFA also claimed that none of the affected teams, including Lauru, were given an official written explanation from the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) about the ruling.
“Our protest is not about creating conflict, but about defending fairness. The Solomon Cup Regulations are clear, and both our legal and procedural challenges to SIFF point to a breakdown in how these rules were applied.”
LFA argues that the Disciplinary Committee went beyond its powers by awarding a forfeit instead of applying the correct penalty—a fine—for using too many guest players.
“Worse still, the ruling came after MUFA had already played their next match, violating Regulation 9.5, which requires timely enforcement before further games are played.”
To support its case, Lauru submitted two letters to SIFF on Thursday, July 17:
A request to overturn the Disciplinary Committee’s decision because of rule and process errors.
An objection to the delayed ruling on the Makira vs. Tomoko match.
“As a result of this flawed process, Lauru, who followed every rule was unfairly pushed out of the semi-final picture. We were not penalized for wrongdoing, but because of administrative failures and delayed action.”
LFA is now calling on SIFF to urgently review the situation and return Lauru Kuvojo to the semi-finals, in line with the tournament’s own rules.
“We believe the solution lies within the very rules set to govern the competition. Let the regulations speak. Let justice be done. That justice is simple: Reinstate Team Lauru Kukuvojo into the semifinals,” the statement reads.
As support builds from local fans, all eyes are now on SIFF and the LOC to respond to the growing calls for action.
This also comes ahead of the highly anticipated semi-finals which is expected on Saturday July 18.
By TIMOTHY INIFIRI JNR
Solomon Star, Honiara
