For the second time in less than six months, Liberians will cheer a team representing the country in a knockout stage of an international football tournament after a team of eight players reached the quarterfinals of the ongoing Sheikha Al Thani for Underprivileged Children World Cup that is being hosted in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Liberia reached the quarterfinals of the competition after a 5-1 win over Iraq. A goal each for Edwin Johnson, Zayzay Pewee, Leo Zinnah, and a brace from Emmanuel Johnson ensured that Liberia reached the quarterfinals after a disappointing start to the tournament.

The host nation showed no mercy to Liberia in their first game with a convincing 2-0 win. The team, which is coached by Liberia’s national team head coach Thomas Kojo, failed to register a goal in the first match before bouncing back with a strong performance to score five against Iraq.

Liberia finished second in Group A after the 5-1 win over Iraq. They finished behind the host nation that managed a 4-0 win over Iraq that bowed out of the competition without a win. Thomas Kojo’s side will now face Cambodia in the quarterfinals on August 14 for a place in the semifinals. The match against Cambodia is expected to be a tough test for Liberia, with Cambodia proving to be one of the favorites to win the tournament. Cambodia has yet to lose after recording a 1-1 draw with South American side, Peru before a 5-0 win over Bosnia.

After receiving an invitation from the organizers of the tournament through the Ministry of Youth and Sports in July, the team departed Liberia for Nigeria last week where they were issued the Bulgarian visas. The visas were received on Wednesday, August 9 before arriving in Bulgaria on August 10.

Featured photo courtesy of Pawala Janyan