MONROVIA, Montserrado – LISCR FC and ELWA United will not be Liberia’s only representatives to the 2018 Confederation of African Football’s Champions League and Confederation Cup; eight FIFA-certified referees from Liberia have also been called by Africa’s football governing body to officiate matches in both competitions.

The CAF Champions League will feature Jerry Yekeh, Elisha Johnson, George Rogers, and Sekou Kanneh. They will take charge of the match between Sport Bissau Benfica of Guinea Bissau and Morocco Botola Pro side, Difaâ Hassani El Jadidi.  The match, which will be the second return leg, will be played in Guinea Bissau between the 20^th and 21^st of February.

Jerry Yekeh will serve as the match’s center referee while Elisha Johnson and Sekou Kanneh will serve as assistant referees. George Rogers will serve as the fourth official while Malian match commissioner, Sidi Bekaye Magassa, will serve as the match commissioner.

Yekeh recent international assignment was at the just ended 2017 WAFU Nations Cup, where he officiated two matches. The experienced referee was handed a match in the competition’s first round between Benin and Cape Verde. Benin won the match 2-0 to advance to the group stage of the competition. His second assignment in the 2017 WAFU Nations Cup was a Group One match between Ghana and Mali.

While Yekeh and others will be involved in Africa’s premier club competition, the CAF Champions League, Isaac Montgomery will lead a group of four Liberian FIFA-badged referees who will be involved in the second-tier competition, the CAF Confederation Cup. Montgomery, along with Johnson Gbartea and Abraham Fahnbulleh, will take charge of the first meeting between Morocco’s Renaissance Sportive de Berkane and Senegalese side, Mbour Petite Cote.

The experienced Montgomery will serve as the center referee while Abraham Fahnbulleh and Johnson Gbartea will serve as assistant referees. Hassan Corneh will serve as the fourth official for the match that will be commissioned by Sao Tomean match commissioner, Adalberto Catambi.

It has been more than five months since the Liberian First Division League concluded, and there have been a few doubts over the referees’ level of fitness since CAF revealed their names for the international assignment.

In response to those doubting the fitness level of the Liberian match officials, the chief of referees, Lamin Kamara, told The Bush Chicken that his colleagues are prepared physically and mentally for the games. While the league had not been playing, Kamara told The Bush Chicken that the referees have been active with their regular training sessions.

“There were two preseason tournaments organized by LISCR and the Liberia Diaspora International, which they played several games,” Kamara said. “Besides, BYC has been having lot of friendly matches that they have been involved in also. The games might not be competitive as the league games, but they are helpful.”

Featured photo courtesy of Boy Dolo