Paynesville City – After 87 years, the Liberia Football Association (LFA) has finally succeeded in having its own headquarters. In the past, the LFA has either paid rent for offices or used the Antoinette Tubman Stadium as its headquarters, but that struggle is now in the past. On Friday, April 28th, the chief patron of sports, George Weah, dedicated a modern headquarters that was fully funded by the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) through its Fifa Forward fund.

By: Christopher C.Walker [email protected]

FIFA Forward is one of the most ambitious development programs in the world of sport and is now entering its third phase. According to LFA president Mustapha Raji, FIFA also provided logistical support and human resources through its regional office in Dakar. Speaking at the dedication ceremony, former World Footballer of the Year and current President of Liberia, George Manneh Weah, thanked FIFA for supporting Liberian football.

“It’s an important step and we can only be grateful and say a big thank you to Gianni Infantino and his team,” said Chief Patron of Sports George Weah. “We will keep working together to take Liberian football to the next level. I worked with FIFA before becoming president and I am continuing to support their work today because I know what FIFA is capable of. I must express, therefore my most sincere gratitude to Gianni Infantino, who is passionate about football and wants to see the countries of Africa keep pace with the rest of the world in terms of their development. We are proud and happy to work alongside FIFA, and I would like to congratulate Mustapha Raji and his team for successfully completing this next step.”

For his part, Mustapha Raji appreciated President Weah for his contribution to the beautiful game on and off the pitch. “I would like to thank our President Mr. George Weah, who has flown the flag for our country with such distinction thanks to his magnificent playing career and the many trophies and honors he has won,” Raji said. “I also wish to thank FIFA President Gianni Infantino who created FIFA Forward, a program that closes the gap between member associations. It is thanks to them and to the work of everyone that we are today opening this building, which will provide football in our country with a fresh start and allow it to write a new chapter in its history.”

Raji also thanked former President Willy Russell (deceased), Edwin Snowe Jr., Cllr. Izetta Wesley, and Musa Hassan Bility for their tireless efforts in laying the groundwork. He expressed high regard for the current Executive Committee members, whom he said gave their fullest support in achieving this milestone.

The new headquarters, which cost a little over $1.5 million, is the first in the country’s football history and will alleviate some of the financial difficulties that the LFA has faced in the past with rent. It will also provide administrative services and host refereeing activities, serving as a venue for all national team training camps in every age group.

Representing FIFA President Gianni Infantino, FIFA Council member and CAF Executive Committee member Amaju Melvin Pinnick said FIFA is impressed with how its Forward Fund is being used by the Liberian FA. “I want to congratulate all of you on this beautiful building. We are very proud of it at the FIFA Council,” Pinnick, who is also a former Nigerian FA president, said. “We are very excited about this project. Gianni Infantino would have loved to have been here. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the time and asked me to represent him and to stand witness to this historic day in the development of football in Africa. It’s very important for the development of the game for member associations to have their own headquarters. It provides them with a base where they can plan, put together, and implement programmes,” Pinnick added.