Monrovia – Ahead of the West African Football Union (WAFU) Under 20 Tournament that is expected to kickoff in Liberia, a new local organizing committee has be announced with current Barrack Young Controllers (BYC) president Sekou Konneh as head of that committee.
Outgoing Liberia Football Association President Musa Bility on Friday, April 20, named a five-man local organizing committee to help in the organization of a successful WAFU/FOX U-20 Tournament that is expected to run from April 24 to May 6, 2018.
Mr. Bility named LFA Vice President for Operations, who was recently elected Vice President for Administration, Sekou Konneh, as the new head of the Local Organizing Committee while Montserrado County District 9 Representative, Madam Munah P. Youngblood, is Co-Chair; Madam D. Sheba Browne and Pepci Yeke, members; Deputy Youth and Sports Minister and CAF and FIFA Match Commissioner Andy Quamie will serve as the Government of Liberia’s Representative.
The football house, in a release on Friday, April 20, said that the decision to announce Sekou Konneh as head of the Committee was as a result of former head of the LOC Musa Shannon, who asked to step aside from the Committee to focus on his bid to become the next president of the LFA.
According to Musa Bility, who is the 1st vice president of WAFU, the LOC begins work immediately as of Friday, April 20, from where the LFA outgoing Vice President for Administration Musa Shannon, who headed the Committee, left things.
LFA outgoing president Musa Bility said the tournament will be named in honoured of President George Weah for his contributions to football and his achievements in the global sport.
He added that the theme of the tournament is “14” in recognition of President Weah’s jersey he wore during his playing days for the national football team of Liberia.
“We all know what 14 means. It explains itself; so 14 is the number everyone remembers,” Bility said.
The WAFU VP further said the regional body decided to host the tournament in Liberia in order to inspire young talents.
The LFA said 15 referees from across the WAFU Region will begin arriving in Liberia ahead of the kickoff of the tournament on April 24, 2018 beginning April 21, 2018.
Liberia’s FIFA Badge referee Jerry Yeke is among the team of officials selected by WAFU to officiate in the eight-nation soccer fiesta.
WAFU Zone ‘A’ General Secretary Jammeh E.K. Bojang along with a team of officials and technicians from WAFU will touch down in Monrovia on Saturday.
A total of eight countries of WAFU Zone A will participate in the competition to include host Liberia, Senegal, Mali, Gambia, Guinea, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau and Sierra Leone.
However, FrontPage Africa has learned that the tournament will not kickoff on Tuesday, April 24, due to administrative reason.
According to our inside source the budget for the competition is insufficient and the countries are demanding that WAFU take responsibility of their transportation to and from Liberia something the organizers have agreed upon but need a week or two to start disbursing money and air tickets to participating teams.
If everything goes well, host Liberia is expected to open the tournament against Cape Verde on April 24, at the Samuel Knayon Doe Sports Complex while Guinea Bissau will face Sierra Leone in the other game of the day.
On the second day of the competition, Senegal will meet Mali and The Gambia will sort things out with Guinea in Group B.