By S. Siapha Mulbah
The president of the Liberia Football Association, Mustapha Raji, has opened a challenge to those critiquing his leadership at the football house to openly declare their own intentions going into football development that will be better than his over the years.
Over the past years, there have been growing waves of critics for the local football house administration by many of those that are reportedly interested in contesting against him in the upcoming elective congress.
Some have graded the two terms of the FA president as a waste of time and resources for which they believe that he should not be retained for which the congress in 2026 but will have to be decision by stakeholders.
Speaking at the 28th Ordinary Congress of the Football Association held over the weekend at the FA headquarters in Swankamore Community in Congo Town, Raji urged his critics to desist from standing in secret places and using others to fight against the growth of football in Liberia.
According to him, if one is interested in opposing the leadership provided by him at the LFA, they should channel their disadvantages through the rightful protocols and show up at the football association to outline ways for football development.
He alleged to congress that some of those secretly sponsoring or purportedly planning fights against him to end his reign as football administrator in Liberia are only pushing their selfish desires to use the football Association as a conduit to facilitate criminal processes which they are best known for.
He pointed out money laundering and high core stealing as the key intention of his major critics that are putting up stiff resistance against his administration at the football association.
The 28th Ordinary Congress was attended by sport administrators, stakeholders’ club managements as well as government officials who approved key decisions that will guide football in Liberia for the next year until the next congress.
Some of the stakeholders at gathering also expressed disappointment in the leadership of the Liberia Football Association to deny them the opportunity of reviewing key decision communicated to them before putting in for vote or approvals.
The president of Stages Queen Football Club Chris Weah and president of Senior Pro Emmet Glasco, that they were denied from raising concerns for congress discussion because the football association only wanted to see them as stakeholders raising two card with the inscriptions “Yes and No” which they termed as an unfair decision for football.
According to Weah, the Liberia Football Association communicated with them the congress documents but due to inadequate time, the clubs were not able to review with comprehension before enacting upon them but congress failed to entertain discussions.
He then frowned at the action of his colleges who were congress members and voted ‘yes’ to nearly all proposals that were raised by the executive committee not taking into consideration the implications of what may be the outcome of their decision.
He called on club administrators to wake up from their desires and unite to stand against the reported bad leadership at the helm of football in Liberia and stop prioritizing personal interest over the game and athletes.
