MoMo Community League Trophy Remains In The Borough -With Kru Town U-17 Triumph Over Bardnersville
By S. Siapha Mulbah
The Borough of New Kru Town erupted in celebration on Sunday evening as the local Under-17 team lifted the Lonestar Cell MTN MoMo Community League trophy, keeping the championship honors right where the grand final was hosted in the premises of the D. Tweh Sports Pitch.
In a thrilling conclusion to the second edition of the youth tournament, New Kru Town U-17 pulled off a dramatic 2-1 comeback win over a luckless Barnesville side, who has now suffered back-to-back final defeats.
Barnesville struck early, stunning the home crowd with a goal just three minutes into the game. The quick opener left New Kru Town briefly nervous, but the hosts regrouped and returned from the break with renewed determination.
Jamel Kamara leveled the score from the penalty spot, setting the stage for Levi George to produce a sensational winning strike that was just sufficient to have a powerful cheer in the borough. The goal sealed both the 2-1 win and Barnesville’s fate again falling short in the final, having lost to King Gray U-17 in the 2024 edition.
Locals have begun to speculate about a “final curse” over Barnesville, with some jokingly blaming a broken corner flag and a missing referee’s whistle from last year’s championship as lingering bad omens.
As champions, New Kru Town received a cash prize of L$300,000, while runners-up Barnesville walked away with L$200,000 and a growing sense of déjà vu.
In the third-place playoff, a combine team featured from Free Port and Battery Factory at the U-17 stage edged Brewerville 1-0 to claim L$100,000 in prize money.
New Kru Town did not stop at the trophy. They swept the individual awards as well. Douglas Sackor was named Most Valuable Player, Emmanuel Davis earned Best Coach, and Peter Bobby claimed Best Defender. Golden Boot honors went to Jamel Kamara, who finished the tournament with an impressive nine goals.
Each of the 16 participating communities received L$72,000 in preparation support, along with two complete sets of kits and warm-up gear, courtesy of tournament sponsor Lonestar Cell MTN. The telecommunication company committed itself to growing grassroots football across Liberia by making available the funding for the Liberia Football Association to organize the tournament.
Immediately after the classical final encounter, some fans begun wondering if the success of the youngster from the Kru Town preserves more talent and teamwork at play as presumed in the competition.
