Since their qualification to their second final in the history of the National County Sports Meet, River Gee County had been in high spirits before meeting Lofa, with good reception from officials of the county and supporters from the southeastern region of Liberia.
The team received several donations from lawmakers, including House Speaker, Fonati Koffa, before the final match, to motivate the players on getting a win for the county against their opponent.
Speaker Koffa presented the amount of 2,000 United States Dollar to River Gee County football team before their Sunday encounter with the Wologizi Boys.
The Grand Kru County Lawmaker made the donation on Friday, May 3, 2024 at the team’s camp at C’est La Vie resort located outside the nation’s capital in Brewerville, when he paid the players and officials a visit.
His gesture came as regards the Southeastern solidarity for River Gee County being the only Southeastern County to book a ticket to the final of the football category.
According to him, from the beginning of the competition, the team was overlooked and perhaps considered as an underdog side that was not expected to reach that far.
“We overlooked you from the beginning, but here it is now, you are in the grand finale. You are now called champions for the Southeastern Counties in the country,” the House Speaker noted.
Speaker Fonati Koffa also promised to give the team an additional US$10,000 if they clinch the 2023-2024 trophy of the football category of the National County Sports Meet.
Senator Francis Dopoe, another legislator from River Gee County, also promised to give US$3,000 if the team triumphs over Lofa to win the trophy for the first time.
Being the Co-chair on Youth and Sports at the House of Senate, Dopoe got impressed with the result from the team’s previous fixtures and made the pronouncement to encourage them to have a better on-field performance.
Since the start of the competition this year, River Gee County football team has not tasted a defeat. They defeated Bong and Grand Bassa Counties to advance to the final showpiece.
This year’s edition marks River Gee County’s second final appearance in the competition’s history since its introduction in 1956.
The Leopards of River Gee’s last appearance in the final was in 2009, when Bomi County defeated River Gee 5-3 to clinch the championship after River Gee defeated Bong County 3-2 in the semifinals of the competition.
