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Miracle Ministries Pentecostal High School (MMPHS) head coach Kern Cupid has been banned for three Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) matches and is likely to be referred to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) Child Safeguarding unit, after being found guilty of physically assaulting a Signal Hill Secondary player.
The SSFL Disciplinary Committee, who comprised of chair Essiel Seecharan, Kurt Harry and Barrington Richardson, ruled on the matter this morning, after reviewing evidence from referee Tricia Des Vignes, the match commissioner, video footage and Cupid himself.
The altercation occurred on Tuesday 20 February on the Signal Hill compound, as Signal Hill and Miracle Ministries Pentecostal clashed in a SSFL Big Five fixtures.
In the dying minutes of the game, Signal Hill thought they had snatched a winner and captain Imanhi Forbes ran over to the MMPHS gesturing with both hands—as if to suggest that the Central Zone Championship winners had been giving their mouths liberty.
Forbes’ provocative approach was cut short by Cupid, who grabbed the 19-year-old defender by his neck and then shoved him away. The action caused an aggressive standoff between the two teams.
Signal Hill’s presumed goal was subsequently ruled out for a handled ball, and the game finished goalless.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868
The alleged late submission of Des Vignes’ report meant that Cupid was allowed to complete the Big Five competition before answering for his behaviour. And, in the very next match day, Miracle Ministries whipped Moruga Secondary 4-0 to seal their historic promotion to the Premier Division.
It capped off a remarkably topsy-turvy season for the government-assisted private school.
Miracle Ministries won the Central Zone Championship for the second consecutive season last October, only to be stripped of their crown and denied entrance to the Big Five for registration errors.
It took roughly three months and deliberations by the SSFL Credentials, Disciplinary, Appeal and Arbitration (twice) bodies before MMPHS—and Moruga—were reinstated as zonal champions and bonafide Big Five participants.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
There was a late scare for Miracle Ministries after their 4-0 win over Moruga, as Wired868 noted that the school made six substitutions during the match.
In the immediate aftermath of the contest, Cupid said match commissioner Austin Perilion declared that a first half change for midfielder Shevon Lallo, after the player suffered a broken arm, was ruled to be a “concussion/trauma sub”.
Fifa rules allow only for a concussion substitute.
However, by the time the match report got to the SSFL, Perilion and referee Gerard Davis both suggested that Lallo suffered a broken arm and concussion at the same time, which cleared the school and officials from any wrongdoing.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868
Miracle Ministries will compete in the top tier of the schoolboys’ league for the first time in September 2024.
Cupid will not be eligible to run their technical area for MMPHS’ first three matches though, while he must also wait to see if the TTFA takes further action.
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Lasana Liburd is the managing director and chief editor at Wired868.com and a journalist with over 20 years experience at several Trinidad and Tobago and international publications including Play the Game, World Soccer, UK Guardian and the Trinidad Express.
