By S. Siapha Mulbah
The top-class knock-out soccer tournament under the Liberia Football Association dubbed “Orange Cup” resumes today, Wednesday, February 8, 2023 and will run till the weekend on Sunday, February 12, 2023 with round two in Monrovia.
Beginning this afternoon, series of interesting game-fixtures will begin to surface from the cross section event at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium in Monrovia, to be extended to the practice pitch of the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex in Paynesville City and the Tusa Field in Gardnersville.
In round two opener; both second division sides Gardnerville FC and Tony FC will justify their quest for a quarter final space at the Examination Hall of football in Monrovia.
Gardnersville eliminated the National Port Authority team (NPA Anchors) on Wednesday, November 30, 2022 in a 1-0 showpiece at Tusa Field to book appointment with Tony FC that joined the campaign after the first round.
Thursday, February 9, Nimba County-based first division Club Heaven Eleven will go against the 2022 Petro Trade Cup winner from the Liberia International Ships and Registry (LISCR). The single match of the day will attract residents and sports’ lovers around Paynesville as the game will be played at the SKD Practice pitch by 4:30 P.M.
It interestingly continues on Friday with one game, each at two separate venues under the FA. At the Tusa Field, the first league Freeport FC currently in relegation zone will host second division side Nimba FC; while another second league Samira FC will lock horns with first division fifth place team Muscat at the SKD Practice Pitch.
As Watanga meets a currently poor performing Tewor FC on Saturday afternoon in Paynesville on a home soil, it is predicted that an anger from Bea Mountain’s last victory over the LFA champion will be unleashed on Cape Mountainian side.
Margibi will take on her sister league side Sinoe NPA at the ATS on Saturday, February 11 to conclude the action for the day in the LFA Orange Cup.
Finally, for the second round, the big game with more anticipation comes on Sunday at the Gardnersville Tusa Field when Cece United will have another meeting with Majestic Sports Association’s Invincible Eleven.
Cece knocked out the current first division league leader Bea Mountain 2-1 in the first round of the tournament in December 2022 at the ATS to come across Invincible Eleven who also gave farewell to Sandi FC.
To mark the closure of this phase of the Orange Cup, Global Pharma and Nimba Kwado are expected to be at their best in order for one side to reach the quarter final round that will kick off in March of this year.
The LFA Orange Cup is formerly of the Petro Trade and was lastly won by the Shipping Boys LISCR in a competitive final against Watanga before it transitioned the Orange Cup.
