Gone are the days when Liberian football fans would rush to stadiums to watch Liberian Premier League games that featured the likes of George Manneh Weah, James Salinsa Debbah, and Kelvin Sebwe.

Football fans would wake up early to fill the various venues to watch their favorite teams and players. Fixtures between Mighty Barrolle and Invincible Eleven would bring the entire Monrovia to a standstill with fans eager to see the nation’s then top two clubs play.

Modern Liberian football fans, however, care very little about the local leagues, as interest in the European leagues has surged.

The local football action that continues to claim fans’ attention, however, is the National County Sports Meet, a tournament which is played among teams from Liberia’s 15 counties.

Though the tournament involves less skilled players who play in minor leagues like the Third Division League and community leagues, it attracts many more fans than tournaments for the national First Division League, where the top players play and have often made their way to the various national teams.

The county meet, which was scheduled to start on December 9 but was pushed to December 16th, has grown into the most watched football tournament within Liberia, even as the nation’s top league receives little attention.

There are many reasons why this phenomenon exists, including a difference in the level of financial investment, engagement of the entire country as opposed to just one region, among other factors.

A First Division game between Barrack Young Controller and LISCR FC; Photo Courtesy of T. Kla Wesley Jr.

Financial Investment

The County Meet might be significantly more popular partly due to the level of budgetary support it receives from the government, in addition to individual government officials’ contributions.

With the National Oil Company of Liberia serving as the official sponsor of the National County Sports Meet this year, the tournament now has a budget of US$1 million (NOCAL provides US$500,000 and the government provides the other half).

In addition to the huge investment by the government, participating counties receive extra support from county officials. During the county meet, representatives and senators are usually prominent and flashy about their support for their county’s teams.

Because of the heavy investment in the tournament, players would make up to US$1,000 if they reach the group stage (a significant amount of money to make in a period that is not longer than three months).

The First Division League, on the other hand, which is the top tier of Liberian football, has struggled over the years to attract fans due to a lack of funds which has resulted in poor infrastructure.

According to the treasurer of the Liberia Football Association, which administers the leagues, the LFA has been running the league with funding from FIFA and a sponsorship from Orange, the telecommunications company.

Speaking to The Bush Chicken at the LFA office, Jallah D. Corvah said the current administration of the sporting body, which came to power in 2010, has been running the league without the support of the government.

Corvah revealed that under the leadership of the organization’s president, Musa Bility, US$20,000 was given by the Ministry of Youth and Sports for all football activities, excluding the budget of the national teams.

The LFA treasurer told The Bush Chicken that his organization rejected the amount and has not received “a dime” from the government since 2010.

“We rejected the money because it was too small to run football for a year,” Corvah said. “We have the first, second, third divisions and women football to run, and US$20,000 cannot help at all.”

Unlike other sports leagues across the world that receive assistance from the government, the LFA has benefitted from a sponsorship by Orange (formerly known as Cellcom), which has now expired.

In 2012, the LFA first signed a three-year deal with the company for US$450,000. The deal was later extended to the 2016-17 season, which ended in August 2017. According to Corvah, US$150,000 was used for each league season within the three-year period. That amount is divided among the eight female clubs, the 14 Second Division clubs, and the 12 First Division teams. Corvah said US$7,000 is given to teams in the First Division, US$5,000 to Second Division teams and US$2,000 to female clubs.

“We bought jerseys and boots in the first year and divided it among teams,” he added.

A packed stadium at the 2015-16 National County Sports Meet semifinal game between Bong and Grand Bassa. Photo: T. Kla Wesley Jr

Minimal online presence

But while the government has not been treating the First Division league as it has the County Meet, there are some self-inflicted pains – the clubs themselves and the LFA are not doing enough to build their brand and attract fans.

Even as technology has become cheap and democratized through tools such as social media, storied clubs such as Mighty Barrolle and the Invincible Eleven are not attracting fans partly because they are not using these platforms to reach out to new fans and sustain older ones.

In an age where websites can be set up for as little as US$100 a year, no First Division League club currently has a website. Moreover, only three First Division teams – LISCR FC, Barrack Young Controllers, and Nimba United – have active Facebook pages.

The LFA itself, though maintaining an active Facebook page, rarely updates its website with scores from games and tables that give the standings of teams in the league. In the age of information, such a glaring lack of information makes it difficult for fans to remain engaged.

Media Coverage

Within the established media circles, there is little interest in broadcasting local league games, as media executives understand that there is little interest from the public. However, this may be a catch-22, as part of the reason the public is not interested in the games is because they are difficult to follow due to few games being broadcast.

As football fans crowd video clubs to watch European league games and sports newspapers remain dedicated to publishing plagiarized articles, stories from the local games are relegated to the backs of newspapers, whenever they’re covered. Additionally, almost all First Division games are not broadcast.

Decentralization of the Game

Unlike the County Meet, where teams representing particular counties and in effect, ethnic groups, add excitement to the tournament by allowing fans to cheer based on their places of origins, the First Division League has been filled with mostly Montserrado-based teams.

In countries like Ghana, there are clubs like Tema Youth, representing the region of Tema; Meadeama representing the Tarkwa region; Accra Hearts of Oak from Accra; and Ebusua Dwarfs from the Cape Coast region. However, not only are all the Liberian First Division teams based in Montserrado, but almost all games are played at one venue – the Antoinette Tubman Stadium. Only two First Division teams have their own fields – Nimba United and Barrack Young Controllers.

The LFA system of providing equal funds to all teams regardless of location makes it more expensive for teams based out of Montserrado to compete with others in the league, given the poor state of roads in the country.

Until the LFA, its constituent teams, and its partners start addressing these issues, the County Meet, with less skilled players, is likely to continue attracting significantly more fans.

Featured photo courtesy of T. Kla Wesley Jr.