LFA Award Commitee Chairman Onanuga Details 2024 Awards Voting Criteria, Focuses on Statistical Accuracy

The Award Committee of the Liberia Football Association (LFA) on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, released the shortlist of nominees for its prestigious football awards in various categories for the 2023-2024 season.

The awards categories for men and women, range from Most Valuable Player (MVP), Best Coach, Best Defender, Highest Goal Scorer, Best Referee, and Most Disciplined Player (Fair Play) among others, with Best Young Player and Best Foreign Player as new categories included in the 2024 awards by the Liberia Football Association.

The nominees for various categories of awards, especially the Most Valuable Player (MVP), which is the highest honor of players individual awards, for the men's First Division seems to be a tough race for the prize among Clement Zubah (Mighty Barrole), Ishmael Doumbouya (Bea Mountain) Emmanuel Sieh (Watanga FC), Nuch Zohn (Mighty Barrole), and Abdulai Yaya Bility (Heaven Eleven).

The lads were nominated to compete for the men's First Division MVP award which will be based on a voting process by club coaches and captains; as well as accredited sports journalists on their respective outstanding performances in the 2023-2024 football season.

Let's take a look at a key achievement among the lads: Emmanuel Sieh helped Watanga FC to win the 2023-2024 LFA First Division Championship. Clement Zubah emerged as Top Goal scorer with Mighty Barrolle by 23 goals in the 2023-2024 season. Abdulai Yaya Bility, 25 goals contribution with Heaven Eleven as a midfielder.

Ishmael Doumbouya emerged as runner-up on the top goal scorer chart with 21 goals, as well with BEA Mountain on the league table last season. Nuch Zohn held an impressive performance with Mighty Barrolle to hold his side among the top four on the league table in the 2023-2024 season. The year will obviously see a new men's MVP after the current holder Edward Ledlum failed to form the shortlist.

However, speaking the news conference on Tuesday, November 26, the Chairman of the 2024 LFA Award Committee, Mr. Christopher Onanuga, explained that club coaches and captains' votes will constitute 40 percent each, and sports journalists votes will cover 20 percent in determining the winners of awards.

Mr. Onanuga, who is also the CEO of Ct.com Liberia, told the media that this year's voting process will not include the public as it has been done in the past. The LFA 2024 Award Committee Charman furthered that award winners will be technically looked at in the areas of statistics and individual performances.

"We do want the awards to be over and there is controversy of noise. So, most of the categories will be purely based on statistics. You and I know you can't play 50 matches and the next man played 45 matches then you say the man who played 45 matches played more games than you. Unless we go a bit more technical to calculate be minutes to know who played more times than the other.

Likewise the MVP awards, statistics, Flair Play team statistics among others.", He pointed out.

The award ceremony is scheduled for December 7, 2024 at the Ministerial Complex in Congo, Monrovia.

Below are the categories and full list of nominees:

*Best Coach Women’s category:

Patience Gwah =Determine Girls

Monroe Winn = Shaita Angels

Cecelia Alpha= Ravia Angels

*Best Coach 2nd Division Category

Abraham Sese = Blackman warriors

Alphonso W.H.Moore -Shaita Fc

Stephen G. Tarr= Discoveries SA

*Best Coach 1st Division Category

Cooper Sannah = Watanga Fc

Dominic Savice = Paynesville FC

Kelvin Segbwe – Invincible Eleven FC

*Highest Goal Scorer Category Women’s category

Mabinty Camara = Determine Girls

*Men’s 2nd Division highest goal scorer

Matthew T. Williams Gardnesville FC

*Men’s 1st Division Highest goal scorer

Clement Zubah = Mighty Barrolle

*Best Defenders Women’s category

Ruggy Joof= Determine Girls FC

Faith C. Nwaigwe= Shaita Angels

Hajar Kelleh = Soccer Ambassadors

*2nd Division Men Category Best Defenders

Jah R. Nyanforh = Blackman warriors

Lawrence Taylor = Shaita FC

Augustine Mulbah = Discoveries SA

Nathaniel V. Sebgbe = Blackman warriors

*1st Division Best Defenders

Alexander Curtis = Watanga FC

Eugene Swen = Paynesville FC

Santigie Koroma =LISCR FC

Natus Swen= Watanga FC .

*Best Young player Women’s category.

Makasian Siryon = Ravia Angels

Jessica Quachie= Real Muja

Louise Brown = Determine Girls

*Best Young Players Nominees Men

Jonathan Freeman 17yrs  = Discoveries SA

Clement Zubah 18yrs = Mighty Barrolle

Emmanuel Sieh 18yrs= Watanga FC

*Best Foreign PlayersWomen’s category

Mabinty Camara- Guinea =Determine Girls

Mbassey Darboe Gambia = Determine Girls

Mary Nunoo= Ghana = Shaita Angels

*Men Best Foreign player.

Ishmael Dumuyah=S.Leone = Bea Mountain

Yusifu Kargbo= S.Leone Heaven Eleven

Santigie Koroma S.Leone= LISCR FC

*Most Valuable Player 2024 Women’s category

Mabinty Camara = Determine Girls

Makasian Siryon= Ravia Angels

Erica Parson= Shaita Angels

Mbassey Darboe Determine Girls

*MVP 2nd Division

Matthew T. William= Gardnersville

Jonathan Freeman = Discoveries SA

Augustine Dayougar = Blackman warriors

Momo Blamo = Shaita FC

*MVP 1st Division

Clement Zubah = Mighty Barrolle

Ishmael Dumuyah = Bea Mountain

Emmanuel Sieh = Watanga FC

Nuch Zohn = Mighty Barroll

Abdullah Yaya Bility = Heaven Eleven