By S. Siapha Mulbah
Liberia’s national first division league outfit and current champion Watanga Football Club has won the third edition of the Paynesville off-season tournament hosted by management and owners of the Paynesville Football Club.
Making an appearance into the competition for the very first time in the champion’s history, Watanga was crowned on Sunday July 7, 2024 at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex where they defeated the 2023/2024 national second division champions, Blackman Warrior, in a competitive grand final show piece.
Both team tasting championship crowns during the just ended national league season commenced the Paynesville Cup with a heavy courage of success and an intention for a relevant pre-season preparation as they played the final to a goalless draw after fulltime regularity and extra time.
Watanga and Blackman Warrior football Clubs actually maintained strong supremacy along with showmanship in a sporting manner but got cleared apart with a 4-3 post match penalty victory for Liberia’s representative to the Confederation of African Football upcoming champion’s league.
Along the way to winning the 2024 Paynesville Cup, Watanga defeated Discoveries Sports Academy 1-0 during the semifinals to book a space in the grand finals. The champions also eliminated the host team of the competition in the quarterfinal which give them a prospect that there were more needed wins to determine the preparedness rate of the team for the interclub competition.
Following the club’s off-season championship win, Coach Cooper Sannon appreciated the work rate of his players noting that the game of football is not always the same in performing against lower league clubs.
He expressed optimism that Watanga performance in the Paynesville Cup showed light that the team is ready to go to the CAF champion’s league on another occasion to make in what they have done in time past.
According to Coach Sannon, the Liberian champion’s league will kick off further preparations for the interclub competition this Wednesday and called for citizens to turn out to support them at the international stage.
