MONROVIA — The Chairman of the Lone Star Mobilization Committee, Rev. Luther Tarpeh, has informed lawmakers that Liberia’s national football team requires $10 million to stand a realistic chance of qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
By Jaheim T. Tumu | [email protected]
He warned that mounting debts and poor player welfare are severely undermining the team’s campaign.
“Liberia’s national football team currently owes hotel bills in four countries. The players are suffering and, in many cases, are forced to stay in low-budget hotels across Africa,” Rev. Tarpeh revealed during his appearance before the Legislature.
Tarpeh, who also serves as the National Chairman of the governing Unity Party (UP), made a passionate appeal for urgent legislative backing.
He stressed that adequate financial support is essential if Liberia is to return to Africa’s prestigious football tournament after a 24-year absence.
He disclosed that the team’s deepening financial crisis has repeatedly forced players and technical officials into substandard accommodations during international assignments.
According to him, an increased budgetary investment would directly address these persistent logistical nightmares, while significantly improving the living and travel conditions for the national team.
It can be recalled that in April, Tarpeh announced a $5 million fundraising drive to support preparations for the AFCON qualifiers.
Speaking during a Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT) regular press briefing at the time, he stated that the funds would cover technical, logistical, and competitive needs, while rallying Liberians at home, in the diaspora, and the business community to contribute.
As part of the strategy, the committee also revealed plans for a nationwide fundraising rally and fan mobilization campaign, which was slated for Unification Day on May 14.
Liberia last qualified for the AFCON finals in 2002, during the era of the famous George Weah-led XI. Since then, the Lone Star has failed to qualify for 12 consecutive tournaments.
Despite the daunting challenges, Tarpeh urged national unity and optimism, describing the aggressive fundraising initiative as a critical step toward restoring Liberia’s lost glory in continental football.
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