The lack of huge investment and/or adequate support in the sporting sector has been a major challenge for the growth and improvement of the game across the country.
However, this story may be a thing of the past, following the election of newly elected lawmakers who are already key stakeholders and executives of the sector.
According to the President of the Liberia Football Association, Mustapha Raji, he hopes that support to sports will be further stepped up, beginning in 2024, for the sector.
He named former LFA President, Musa Bility, who is now a Lawmaker from Nimba County; Mighty Barrolle President, Alex Tyler, Senator-elect of Bomi County, and Saah Joseph, President of one of Liberia’s traditional Clubs, Invincible Eleven, who retained his position as Senator-elect of Montserrado County.
Already, Bomi County Senator and former LFA President, Edwin Snowe, is a member of the National Legislature.
President Raji said, with such visible advantages for the sector, through these key individuals, he will maximize every opportunity to roll his sleeves and lobby with these sporting executives, now legislators, to help provide more support for the sector.
Reflecting on their previous statements, he recounted that the former President of the LFA, now Bomi County Senator, Edwin Snowe, stated that the National Government needed to put at least a one-cent tariff on petroleum products to support football; he promised to engage with the Bomi Senator to remind him of his statement. As for former President Bility, Raji added that he spoke about football receiving 5m a year, “we will be reminding him”, as well.
“As for the President of Mighty Barrolle, Alex Tyler, now Senator-elect of Bomi County, he once emphasized the need for the government to do more to support football, and now that he is there, we will remind him,” the current LFA boss noted.
At the same time, he promised to reach out to the President of Invincible Eleven, Saah Joseph, to see the need to help use his legislative influence to improve the game.
According to President Raji, it is now time for the Liberian league to grow, but it can’t happen without significant investment.
He pointed out that when you invest in the game, you will get the necessary returns.
Raji, who is very passionate about seeing the improvement and fast development of the game across the country, re-echoed the need for a collective approach and teamwork efforts to take Liberian football to a bigger stage.
