With less than four days until the kickoff of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, the Liberia Football Association (LFA) is grappling with a severe lack of resources to fund the national team’s camp and travel expenses.
The situation has cast doubt on Liberia’s participation in the upcoming matches against Togo and Algeria. As Liberia prepares to face Togo on Friday, September 6, 2024, in the first of two crucial qualifiers, the LFA has reported that the Lone Star has been unable to move into camp due to financial constraints.
According to the LFA, the team has not been able to secure lodging or cover other essential expenses required to gather the players and engage in intensive training sessions with the technical staff.
During a media briefing on Friday, August 30, 2024, at the LFA headquarters, President Mustapha Raji expressed deep concern about the team’s precarious situation.
He noted that the chances of the Lone Star participating in the qualifiers and achieving positive results are diminishing daily, with no indication that the financial challenges will be resolved in time.
“The budget for the team’s travel and camp was submitted to the government through the Ministry of Youth and Sports as soon as it was finalized by the LFA finance department,” Raji explained. “However, we have yet to receive any response or funding since the submission.”
He disclosed that the last financial support from the government came in August 2024, intended to fund a training camp in Saudi Arabia. However, the camp was ultimately canceled due to delays in receiving the funds.
“A portion of that money was seized by the travel agency as reimbursement for debts owed from a previous match, while the remainder was used to pay the coach’s salary and cover other ongoing expenses,” he said.
“Now, we find ourselves unable to even secure a hotel for the team’s camp because we are still indebted to the hotels. “
As the departure date for Togo approaches with no concrete arrangements in place, Raji warned that the cost of travel could rise due to the limited availability of airline seats, further complicating the situation.
These financial challenges pose a significant threat to the Lone Star’s participation in the qualifiers and undermine the efforts of head coach Mario Marinica and his technical team, who are tasked with guiding the team through a competition that has eluded Liberia for over 20 years.
As of press time, the full roster of players for the double-header against Togo and Algeria had not been released, leaving the public in the dark about the involvement of foreign-based players.
It has been rumored that financial constraints may prevent the inclusion of these key players, as the LFA may not be able to cover their travel expenses from their respective locations.
With the clock ticking down to the first match, the fate of Liberia’s AFCON campaign hangs in the balance, and the nation awaits any developments that could provide a lifeline for the Lone Star.
