Liberia’s former President and global football icon, George Manneh Weah, and several legendary football stars, are expected to light up Rwanda for the first time ever to participate in an international championship called the Veteran Clubs World Championship (VCWC).
The Veteran Clubs World Championship, according to its organizing committee, will take place in Kigali, Rwanda, where retired footballers around the world will participate in the sporting festival to create several opportunities and inspire the young generation that the game of football is not only significant on the pitch, but also to the developmental goals of the world.
Some legendary football stars that are expected to grace the occasion, according to the VCWC, alongside the only Africa player to ever win the Ballon D’or and other top accolades under the Federation of International Football Association, George Manneh Weah, are Roger Milla, Ronaldinho, Michael Owen, Jay-Jay Okocha, Robert Pires, Miguel Pauleta, and many others.
The Championship will run from September 1 to 10, 2024, and will feature 150 football legends from around the world in male football, while 20 veteran female players will spice up the different teams, promoting women participation.
The Chairperson of the Veteran Clubs World Championship, Fred Siewe, as a special guest visiting the country through a partner to the competition the United Nations, recently told a news gathering that Liberia as a country has been blessed to produced one of the greatest footballers in the world who still lives to share the impact of the game to other nations through his inspiring life story.
According to Siewe, there are lots of things that the players go through to have the world around them entertained, but until they are linked to the generation of nowadays, there will be no understanding that the game requires what they put in during their time on the pitch.
He noted that the new Liberian government is working hard to impart football to the youth for development, and his VCWC will contribute to developing Liberian youth in partnership with the United Nations.
According to him, the plans for the Veteran Clubs World Championship are of long-term for sustainable goal and cooperative task that former footballers can undertake to ensure that the development of football across the world becomes as speedy as possible.
Siewe added that when the Veteran Clubs World Championship tournament continues, people around the world will see it as an objective to promote football through peace, education, tourism, business, and many other means.
He further explained that VCWC believes in contributing to youth development, female football, and amputee football, despite being organized for former footballers, adding that they are focused on sustainable development globally.
