MONROVIA, Montserrado – Just less than a week to the start of the 2017-18 Liberia National County Meet, last year’s football champions, Monsterrado, has been hit with a major blow after their star player, Markey Morgan, made an unexpected switch to Maryland.

Morgan, who plays for second division club Gardnersville Football Club, has been a star player for Monsterrado since making his debut in the tournament in 2015. As Monsterrado was finalizing its list of players for the tournament, the key midfielder made the shocking move to the 2016-17 losing finalist.

His move comes as a big surprise to fans, the media, and his head coach, Samuel Sumo, who has maintained that it will have no effect on his team.

Despite referring to Morgan as a top player, Sumo said his absence won’t be felt as he had prepared his team for any shortage of players, even during the league. Speaking to The Bush Chicken, Sumo said Morgan’s move surprised him but never affected his plans as he wished him good luck in the future.

“Honestly, it was surprising to everybody, even me. He has been training with us throughout,” Sumo said. “Since he made his debut, he has been one of our key players, especially in his first year. He is no doubt a top player, but his move won’t affect my team.”

Morgan’s switch to Maryland is believed to be influenced by the technical director of the Maryland football team, Amos Smith, who served as head coach for the player at third division club, Swankamore Football Club. While serving as head coach of Swankamore, Smith signed the young Morgan and handed him his third division debut in 2015 where he did not disappoint.

Although it was his first time playing at the third division level, he went on the dominate the club and the league, where he emerged as the fans favorite. His magical display for Swankamore led the club to the National Third Division playoffs where they were eventually eliminated by Paynesville Football Club (then known as Reeves Football Club).

Immediately after the club’s exit from the Third Division playoffs, Smith was appointed as the head coach of Monsterrado. Just as he handed Morgan the opportunity to play in the third division, he invited the talented kid to the Monsterrado training ground where he again showed his class as he became the fans favorite before the end of the justification process.

Unfortunately for Morgan, he had to play the 2015-16 tournament under the guidance of present Monsterrado head coach, Samuel Sumo, after Smith was appointed as the head coach of Tubman University in Harper, Maryland. During that 2015-16 tournament, Morgan proved to be a superb player and Monsterrado lost in the final to Grand Bassa.

After a sad end to a beautiful start of his County Meet career, Morgan and his Monsterrado team returned to the 2016-17 edition in style as they finished as champions. Although he was not as impactful as the year before, Morgan remained instrumental in the middle of the field as Monsterrado won their first title since the establishment of the tournament in 1956.

Monsterrado fans might describe him as a traitor, but the former Swankamore midfield maestro will forever be remembered in history as one of the players that handed the county their first-ever County Meet trophy.

Featured photo courtesy of T. Kla Wesley Jr.