The president of the Liberia Football Association Mustapha Raji over the weekend celebrated the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and other sports developers for contributing to the historical dedication of the Association’s first ever headquarters.
He said FIFA and others including the former national team player now President George Weah among many people had been so instrumental to the success and achievements of the local federations.
Providing an overview of the newly constructed facility valued at about US$ 1.5 million, Raji lauded a Liberian CESAF for the designs and construction of the project.
He said the FIFA Forward project was the key source of funding to the project while adding that the instrumentality of President Weah, former administrators of the FA and other partners led to the successful completion of the facility.
Describing Gianni Infantino and George Weah as “two great men,” Raji asserted that the duo remain the reasons he’s now ”living a dream” of football.
”Special thanks to two great men: one flew the flag of Liberia worldwide; became African Best, World Best, European Best and conquered the world and the other is the president of FIFA, who decided to introduce the FIFA Forward program to reduce the gaps between member associations,” he stated.
Raji bragged that the FIFA president and the Liberian soccer legend have now made him live in the dreams of two great men who have been involved in football.
“We stood, watched them and listened to what they wanted us to do and we followed their guidance,” the LFA president remembered.
Thanking former president Willy Russell (deceased), Edwin Snowe, Cllr. Izetta Wesley, and Musa Hassan Bility for their tireless efforts in laying the ground works, Raji expressed high regards for the current Executive Committee members that have given their fullest support in getting the milestone achieved.
Representing FIFA’s president, the former president of Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick said the project is a testimony of Gianni Infantino’s campaign promise.
”When Gianni Infantino took over FIFA in 2016, he said to us during his campaign that football money is for you and not clubs in the banks,” Amaju said.
According to Pinnick, a lot of member federation leaders doubted because at that point member countries were receiving $250,000 every year, which Gianni promised to increase to $2.5 million.
He also lauded Infantino for the good work done in Africa especially keeping to his words which enabled Liberia as a member association to move to its own home
