By S. Siapha Mulbah
Former Liberian President and football icon George Manneh Weah appears to be distancing himself from the current leadership of the Liberia Football Association (LFA), fueling speculation about his shifting support ahead of the 2026 LFA elections.
Weah, widely credited for backing Mustapha Raji’s rise to the LFA presidency in 2018, has not publicly acknowledged Raji’s recent unopposed re-election as a CAF Executive Committee member. Instead, the former FIFA World Player of the Year has been linked to Cassell Kuoh, a businessman and football stakeholder who has announced his bid for the LFA presidency in April 2026.
Weah’s decision to congratulate CAF President Patrice Motsepe on his re-election while remaining silent on Raji’s success has raised eyebrows in Liberia’s football circles.
A post on Weah’s social media accounts read: “I wish to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Patrice Motsepe on his re-election as President of the Confederation of African Football, which he acceded to unchallenged.”
However, there was no mention of Raji, who was elected to serve another term representing nine West African nations in WAFU Zone A, including Senegal, Mali, The Gambia, Cape Verde, and Sierra Leone.
Weah’s shift in posture has led to speculation that he may now be backing Cassell Kuoh in his bid to replace Raji at the LFA. The former president recently attended a Liberian national league match for the first time in over two decades, stating that he did so at Kuoh’s invitation.
Additionally, Weah acknowledged that Kuoh played a key role in bringing back a former trainer Lone Star coach Paulo Luiz Campos after 39 years, signaling his growing influence in Liberian football.
His apparent alignment with Kuoh has sparked mixed reactions. Some believe his silence on Raji’s CAF victory is an unintentional omission, while others see it as a clear message that he is shifting his support ahead of the 2026 LFA elections.
Despite the local political maneuvering, Raji has further cemented his role in African football governance. He was re-elected unopposed as a CAF Executive Committee member during the 14th CAF Extraordinary General Assembly in Cairo, Egypt, on March 12, 2025.
His continued presence on CAF’s leadership team reflects strong confidence from WAFU A members and signals his growing influence in regional football affairs. However, with Weah’s reported backing of Kuoh, Raji could face a formidable challenge when seeking a third term as LFA president next year.
As the 2026 LFA elections draw closer, all eyes will be on how Liberia’s football power struggle unfolds and whether Weah’s influence will once again shape the future of the nation’s football leadership.