MONROVIA, Montserrado – After more than three weeks of action, the 2017-18 National County Sports Meet ends on Sunday, April 22 at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex.

The tournament began with all 15 counties participating in the football and kickball categories, but on Sunday, only four counties in each category will be fighting for the two trophies.

Football’s defending champions, Montserrado, will be looking forward to retaining their title when they take on 2008 champions, Bong. The match between the two teams is expected to be the most exciting fixture of the tournament with the two counties looking forward to winning their second football championship.

Bong won their only championship in 2008 and has since found it difficult crossing the quarterfinal stage and will want to clinch this year’s title under the technical director, Cooper Sannah, who saw his contract terminated at Barrack Young Controllers after spending just a year where he won the Liberia Football Association’s First Division League title.

Both counties reached this year’s final with the same record from the group stage up to the semifinals. Bong qualified from their group with five points after managing one win and two draws. They scored twice in the three games and conceded once. The Kpatawee Boys won 2-1 against Lofa and played to goalless draws against Nimba and Grand Gedeh to finish second in the group with five points, two behind Nimba.

They surprised all on the first day of the quarterfinal matches when they beat Bomi 5-0 to reach the semifinals. With their 5-0 win in the quarterfinals, there were expectations from fans of Bong of more goals in the semifinals against Nimba, which had not yet been scored on. However, they had to settle for a 1-1 draw before eliminating Nimba 3-0 from the penalty spot.

Bong’s football team celebrates after equalizing against Nimba. Photo: T. Kla Wesley Jr.

Like Bong, defending champions Montserrado qualified from the group stage with five points from three games, scoring twice and conceding once. Montserrado began on a very disappointing note after being held to a goalless draw by the 2012 champions, Margibi. They bounced back to win their second group game against River Cess. Their score on the first day of the competition against Margibi resurfaced on the final day of the group games against Grand Bassa as they were held to another goalless draw.

Despite their poor goal scoring form in the group stage, Montserrado took many by surprise in the quarterfinals after humiliating River Gee at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex. The “Congo Boys” eliminated River Gee from the quarterfinals with a 5-0 humiliation as they advanced to the semifinals where they met Margibi.

Montserrado’s football team celebrate their first goal against River Gee. Photo: T. Kla Wesley Jr.

With the two teams playing to a goalless draw in the group stage, there were expectations of a difficult match between the two teams. It was an interesting match to watch after both teams played to a 1-1 draw in the full 90 minutes and the extra 30 minutes of play. Montserrado managed to eliminate Margibi from the penalty spot with an entertaining 8-7 win.

With the two teams having the same record in the competition and looking forward to getting their second football title, the football final is expected to produce more fireworks on Sunday. Also, the match will come as a battle between the president of Liberia, George Manneh, who is a former senator of Montserrado, and Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor, who is a former senator from Bong.

Featured photo by T. Kla Wesley Jr.