Liberia’s Under-20 to face Cape Verde here

The under 20 national team of Liberia will face Cape Verde in Group A, while Senegal meets Mali in the 2018 opening of the WAFU competition on April 24, 2018 at the Samuel Kanyan Doe Sports Complex in Paynesville.

Draw for the WAFU/FOX Under-20 competition took place on Monday, March 26, 2018 with eight countries grouped between A and B. Group A pairs Liberia against Cape Verde, and Sierra Leone against Guinea Bissau, while in Group B, Senegal faces Mali, and Gambia and Guinea will sort things out.

The WAFU sponsored tournament will be the first international competition to be stage in Liberia since the Eight Nations Tournament in 1988. Speaking at the draw in Monrovia, Liberia’s Musa Bility and WAFU Vice President, says the tournament is to showcase young players or talents in West Africa.

Mr. Bility explains that the Under-20 tournament will also be used to showcase the 14 jersey of legendary George Weah, now President of Liberia and Chief Patron of Sports, as a way of honoring him for his hard work in the national team, the Lone Star.

“President Weah has brought proud to Liberia through football and we as Liberians need to honor him for the world to see”, he adds.According to him, the Under-20 Lone Star kicked off training session two days ago with 54 players competing for justification at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium in Monrovia barely two weeks to the start of the competition.

Also speaking, Youth and Sports Minister Zeogar Wilson, praised WAFU for the decision to stage the competition in Liberia, noting that the youth competition is keen for Liberia’s grassroots football development.

The minister expresses optimism of Liberia winning this year’s competition to make the nation proud.Meanwhile, some Liberians are uncomfortable with the Under-20 national team going in this competition because they are poorly prepared.

By Sally Gaye-Editing by Jonathan Browne