Monrovia – Chief Patron of Sports Joseph Nyuma Boakai looks certain to secure double wins inside the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex in Paynesville City on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, as the Lone Star is expected to complete their 2024 preliminary fixtures of the 2025 Nation’s Cup on home soil.
By: Christopher C Walker [email protected], 0777898224/0886723075
The game will mark the first competitive fixture on home soil for the new Chief Patron of Sports, Joseph Nyuma Boakai, who, under his new sporting portfolio, has already collected his first win away from home against a lowly rated Djibouti side in Morocco on March 20, 2024.
Liberia took just under twenty-five minutes to win the match through two quick goals in the first half.
Although Djibouti enjoyed ball possession, the Liberian team was the better side on the pitch and showed convincing supremacy in attacks, which led to two clinical finishes from two foreign-based players.
Mohammed Sangare’s penalty strike into the roof and Oscar Dorley’s unexpected left-footed firepower on top of the eighteen-yard box were enough to give Liberia a crucial advantage ahead of Tuesday’s encounter.
The win was a good start for the new Chief Patron of Sports, Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s new government, new Youth and Sports Minister, J. Cole Bangalu, and new head coach Mario Marinica.
A collaborative effort, especially from the Youth and Sports Ministry and the Liberia Football Association, helped to secure the win away from home, with expectations high for a successful completion on home soil in front of thousands of fans on Tuesday.
While some Liberians are still cautious of celebrating too much, given their last home fixture against South Africa, where they suffered a painful 2-1 defeat, it’s worth noting that Djibouti is a weaker opponent, and historical records favor Liberia.
It can be recalled that Liberia defeated Djibouti 5-0 at the ATS, with former captain William Jerbo scoring a hat-trick.
Unlike before, LFA President Mustapha Raji now has all reasons to smile and feel some relief after a convincing win, adding to his commendable works, including visible transformation to the LFA and the sector in general.
However, he has faced criticism from a select few for failing to ensure a win for the Senior team under his watch as head of the LFA and official caretaker of the National Team.
But the Lone Star’s win over Djibouti in Morocco appears to be a turning point for the LFA’s President and may herald a new era of success for him and his entire team.
As he awaits the bigger picture of qualification for the Nation’s Cup later on, Coach Marinica remains engaged with his team and is confident of fulfilling his mandate to qualify Liberia for the Morocco 2025 Nation’s Cup within his two-year contract.
Coach Marinica also appears to be a man of his word, evident in his first-team selection of five local players, including goalkeeper Abdulai Koulibaly of Global Pharma, Watanga winger Chauncy Freeman, who was deployed as a right-back, Bea Mountain’s center defender Kemoh Kamara, LISCR’s in-form left-back Sabastine Teclar, and LPRC Oilers goal machine Terry Sackor, all of whom made the starting eleven and impressed.
With a mix of political differences across the country, a win and subsequent qualification for Liberia to secure a slot in the zonal stage of the 2025 Nation’s Cup could help shift the debate for some time.