Monrovia – Football is the most popular sports in the Liberia, which has produced the only African player to win the World and European Player of the Year — George Weah — who is now Chief Patron of Sports.
A country with no recognize football academy but with lots of young and talented players, who dream of playing international football. With the lack of international scouts coming to the country, their dreams have always delayed. However, one club that is contributing to the development of the “finest players” is former Liberian double champion, LISCR FC.
In recent years, the club has produced two from captains for the national football team, Lone Star, Anthony Laffor and Murphy Nagbe. The team has also nurtured rising star Allen Niji, Ashley Williams, Tommy Songo, who are part of the current national team, which missed out on Egypt 2019.
LISCR FC is a Liberian football club based in Monrovia. The club is nicknamed the ‘Shipping Boys,’ after its owner, LISCR, which deals with ships flying Liberian flag around the world.
The club was formed on August 24, 1995 as Young Barcelona by its president, Mustapha I. Raji, who is now president of the Liberia Football Association (LFA).
In the same year 1995, the club won the 4th division league and got promoted to the 3rd division.
In 1997, the club emerged as champions of the 3rd division but failed in the process to qualify to the 2nd Division category the following season. The club continued with its campaign in getting to the 2nd Division as crowned champions of the 3rd Division in 1998.
The team earned a well-deserved position in the local league after winning the football association’s 2nd division championship in 1999 and gained promotion to the 1st Division and later got promotion to the FA premier league.
The Shipping Boys won their first trophy as a premier league team in 2004.
The following year, 2005, they captured their second Liberian FA Cup trophy.
LISCR won the 2010/11 local premiership and represented Liberia in the 2012 CAF Champions League, where they were knocked out by Ghanaian club, Berekum Chelsea in the preliminary round. They won their second premiership title the following season (2011-12) and again represented Liberia in the 2013 CAF Champions League. Again, the club was knocked out in the preliminary round by Cameroonian side, Union Douala.
After winning two consecutive
Before the start of the 2016-17 season, the club signed Gambian coach, Mustapha Manneh, who led the club to an unbeaten league run. The club won the new First Division title in style as they finish the 2016-17 First Division League unbeaten, becoming the first and only Liberian club to win the league unbeaten. From 22 matches, the team was able to obtain 10 wins and 12 draws as they ended the league season with 42 points. The 2016-17 season turned out to be the best in the club’s history by winning double championship. They climaxed the 2016-17 season by winning the Liberia Football Association FA Cup.
The club has won the Liberian Super Cup twice. They won their first Super Cup title in 2004 and their second in 2011.
Currently the club is seated sixth on the 12-team log with six points from four matches.