County Meet Dispute: Tom Johns Denies Nimba County Payment Claims

Midfielder Tom Johns and his representatives have vehemently denied allegations made by the Nimba County Sports Steering Committee, which claims the player received a cash payment and committed to representing the county in the upcoming 2025/26 National County Sports Meet.

The dispute came to light early Tuesday, December 2, 2025, when the Nimba County Sports Steering Committee announced they had filed an official complaint with the tournament organizers. The complaint targets Johns and three other unnamed players, asserting that they accepted money and pledged their commitment to play for "the Conquerors" (Nimba County) this season.

Pre-Contract Acknowledged, Cash Denied

While Johns’ camp agreed that the midfielder signed a preliminary document, which they classify as an "unofficial pre-contract," they issued a strong clarification that no money was ever received from the Steering Committee, contrary to the allegations.

Johns, a veteran who represented Nimba in the previous two editions of the competition, had been participating in the county's justification process for nearly a month. His recent, sudden departure from the Nimba camp to join rival Bong County has fueled the controversy.

Reasons for Departure and Claim of Targeting

According to his representatives, Johns’ decision to switch allegiance was not financially motivated but was instead triggered by concerns over "lack of respect and playing time" within the Nimba County squad.

Furthermore, Johns' camp maintained that he is being unfairly targeted. They assert that several other players signed similar mutual pre-contract forms and subsequently left the Nimba camp long before Johns' departure, yet no public action or complaint was raised against them.

Johns' representatives concluded by calling the complaint filed with the Ministry of Youth and Sports an orchestrated attempt to "tarnish the player’s reputation" and urged the committee to refrain from such actions.

The tournament organizers are expected to review the complaint, setting the stage for a potential early standoff in the highly anticipated build-up to the National County Sports Meet