MONROVIA, Montserrado – As Liberians get prepared to have their first Independence Day Celebration under former soccer star, Pres. George Manneh Weah, the Ministry of Youth and Sports has released the sporting activities that will form part of the celebrations.
The activities released by the ministry included just football. According to the press release, three football games are expected to be played on the 21st and 22nd of July before the main Independence Day celebration on Wednesday, July 26. The first match on Saturday, July 21 is expected to be played between members of the Executive Branch and the Legislative Branch at 3:00 p.m. at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex. Later, at 5:00 p.m., former players of Liberia’s two traditional clubs, the Invincible Eleven and Mighty Barrolle will clash.
There has been no confirmation on whether the president will play in any of the games on Saturday but he could feature for either the Executive Branch, Mighty Barrolle, or the Invincible Eleven. The former FIFA World Player of the Year played for Mighty Barrolle and Invincible Eleven before leaving Liberia to seek greener pastures in Cameroon.
He began his senior career with Mighty Barrolle in 1985, where he won the Liberian Premier League and FA Cup before joining the Invincible Eleven in 1986. He spent just a single year with the Sunshine Yellow Boys and won the Liberian Premier League before moving to Cameroon’s Tonerre Yaounde where he was spotted by Arsene Wenger, who was then the head coach of French League One club, AS Monaco.
Meanwhile, the third game of the Independence Day celebration is the most anticipated match, involving the national team of Liberia and the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone. In the 15 times both teams have met, Liberia has dominated, with eight wins, four draws and only three losses. Lone Star will be hoping to replicate that past success against Sierra Leone when the two sides meet on Sunday, July 22.
A 25-man Sierra Leone delegation has arrived in the country for the match against a Lone Star team that is being trained by newly appointed head coach, Thomas Kojo.
Featured photo courtesy of G. Andy Quamie
