The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Competitions Committee is on the verge of making a significant decision regarding the future of runaway Jamaica Premier League leaders Mount Pleasant just days before the final round of matches this Sunday. A formal protest has been lodged against the St. Ann-based club, with serious implications for their standing in the league.

The protest centers around the club’s recent acquisition of Haitian players Angelo Exilus and Jeudy Johnson. Reports suggest that a competing top-six team has raised concerns regarding the eligibility of both players, who were initially registered with Real Hope FC. These players participated in the opening round of the Concacaf Champions Cup, playing for Real Hope against the Mexican club Cruz Azul on February 4 and 11.

However, between April 10 and April 27, both Exilus and Johnson made six appearances for Mount Pleasant in the Jamaica Premier League, despite having reportedly been contracted to the team during the January transfer window. This raises a major issue: FIFA, Concacaf, and JFF regulations do not allow players to be registered with more than one team at the same time.

Mount Pleasant, who finished as runners-up in last year’s Premier League final, currently sit at the top of the league with 90 points, 15 points ahead of second-place Montego Bay United. With just one round of matches to play, the team has already secured one of the two automatic semi-final slots. However, should the JFF Competitions Committee rule against them, Mount Pleasant could lose up to 15 points and 30 goals, which would drastically alter the standings and their position heading into the playoffs.

The St. Ann-based team is scheduled to play relegation threatened Humble Lion in its final preliminary round match at the Effortville Community Centre on Sunday.