MONROVIA, Montserrado – On Saturday, the Liberia Football Association hosted its first major awards ceremony, presenting the first division’s Most Valuable Player award to Christopher Jackson, along with a Toyota Corolla and L$250,000 (US$1,185).
Jackson beat his fellow LISCR Football Club teammate, Sam Jackson, and Varney Dukuly of Nimba United to take the night’s top prize. He also received an additional L$225,000 (US$1,066) for finishing as a joint top scorer with Varney Dukuly, who also pocketed the same amount. Both men scored 17 goals.
The ceremony featured an array of high profile guests, including the celebrated soccer star, President George Weah; Lone Star’s highest goal scorer, James Debbah; former Liberia Football Association president Edwin Snowe; along with Finance Minister Samuel Tweh and Foreign Affairs Minister Gbehzohngar Findley.
Notable winners of the night were LPRC Oilers goalkeeper Prince Wlame, who kept the cleanest sheet in the 2019 Liberia Football Association first division. Wlame was named the best goalkeeper of the season along with his coach, Cooper Sannah, who won the coach of the year, and his teammate Sampson Dweh, who won the defender of the year.
In the women’s division, Earth Angels Football Club took a lion share of the awards, after their star player Angeline Kieh won the most valuable player award. Their defender Rashidatu Kamara also won the league’s best defender award and their coach Jenkins Doe was named the coach of the year.
In the second division, Muscat Football Club may have missed out on a chance of getting promoted to the first division for next season, but the effort of their striker, Mark Yallah, did not go unnoticed. He finished second on the goal chart with 18 goals and was recognized as the second division’s Most Valuable Player.
Players and coaches were not the only ones recognized – there were also awards for the best referee, which Jerry Yekeh scooped up for the first and second divisions. Meanwhile, Anthony Kokoi, who works for KMTV and the Daily Observer, was recognized as the best football journalist.
Anthony Kokoi was recognized as the best football journalist. Photo courtesy of James Sillah
The 2019 awards ceremony was sponsored by DoxxBet Liberia and Orange. The Liberia Football Association had signed a US$24,000 deal with DoxxBet for the ceremony and a L$3 million (US$14,218) deal with Orange less than a week to the ceremony.
List of winners and prizes:
First Division
1.Best Defender (Samson Dweh): L$225,000+1USB stick+Techno phone
2.Best Goalkeeper (Prince Wlame): L$225,000+1USB stick+Techno phone
3.Best Coach (Cooper Sannah): L$225,000+1USB stick+Techno phone
4. Best Referee (Jerry Yekeh): L$225,000+1USB stick+Techno phone
Second Division
1. Best Defender (Josephus Mantor): L$225,000+1USB stick+Techno phone
2. Best Goalkeeper (Reuben King): L$225,000+1USB stick+Techno phone
3. Best Coach (Mouctarr Fofana): L$225,000+1USB stick+techno phone
4. Best Referee (Jerry Yekeh): L$225,000+1USB stick+Techno phone
Women’s Division
1. Best Defender (Rashidatu Kamara): L$225,000+1USB stick+Techno phone
2. Best Goalkeeper (Lorpu Forkpah): L$225,000+1USB stick+Techno phone
3. Best Coach (Jenkins Doe): L$225,000+1USB stick+Techno phone
4. Best Referee (Sylvania Garnett): L$225,000+1USB stick+Techno phone
Best Football journalist: Anthony Kokoi; L$225,000+1USB stick+Techno phone
Featured photo courtesy of the Liberia Football Association
