MONROVIA – Former Liberia national team midfielder John Tarkpoh Sonkailey died on Monday, June 24, at the SD Cooper Hospital in Monrovia. He was 38.
By Christopher Walker
His death was confirmed by longtime friend Nicodemus Jacobs, who disclosed that Sonkailey had recently returned from Nimba County, where he had been seeking treatment after reportedly falling ill with a common cold. He was a resident of the Peace Island community in Congo Town.
Sonkailey earned five caps for the national team and enjoyed a lengthy professional career in Indonesia, where he became a fan favorite for his powerful long-range shots and composed midfield play.
Sonkailey began his football career with Second Division side Mighty Blue Angels. In 2003, he helped the club win the Liberia Football Association (LFA) Knockout Cup in a major upset that drew national attention.
That performance earned him a move to top-flight club Mighty Barrolle the same year, before joining LPRC Oilers in 2004.
In 2005, he signed with Persita Ternate in Indonesia, marking the start of nearly a decade-long career in Southeast Asian football. He later played for several Indonesian clubs, concluding his professional career in 2014 with Persijap Jepara in the Indonesian Super League.
Sonkailey made his international debut for Liberia on November 16, 2003, in a crucial 3–0 win against The Gambia at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium. The victory overturned a 2–0 first-leg deficit and secured Liberia’s place in the group stage of the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup qualifiers.
His final appearance for the national team came in 2008 during a goalless draw with Equatorial Guinea in a rain-soaked Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the same venue.
One of Sonkailey’s most memorable moments came during the 2003 LFA Knockout Cup when he scored a stunning long-range goal for Mighty Blue Angels against LPRC Oilers.
The goal, which caught goalkeeper Boye Pratt off guard, remains one of the most talked-about moments of his early career.
Though not one of the most widely celebrated figures in Liberian football, Sonkailey is remembered for his quiet dedication to the sport, both at home and abroad.
Funeral arrangements are yet to be announced.
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