The Government Fails to Fulfill Its Financial Responsibility to National Youth Soccer Teams

Monrovia, Liberia: Liberia Football Association (LFA), President Mustapha Raji has disclosed that the Government of Liberia has exhibited dereliction of its financial obligation to National Youth men and women soccer squads.

In a recent media engagement with sports journalists from LFA’s Headquarters, Raji quoted a communication from the Ministry of Youth and Sports informing the LFA about the government's decision to withdraw financial support from male and female Lonestar junior teams.

However, Raji stated that the government would continue to commit to supporting the male and female senior Lonestar soccer squads.

Raji revealed that the government’s communication was in response to the LFA request for funding for Lonestar male and female under-17 and 20 National Teams to honor its participatory duty in the pending WAFU qualifiers and other international competitions.

LFA President: "We recently reached out to the Ministry of Youth and Sports for approval for the national teams to participate in upcoming competitions. National teams are owned by the government, not the LFA, and it is our responsibility to inform them before obligating government support".

“We had communicated with the Ministry about engaging our youth teams, the U-17, U-20 boys and girls, and the senior teams in the WAGMFU qualifiers and programs, we received feedback from the national government that they can only finance the female and male Senior National Teams", Raji told the media.

Several reports have linked the Ministry of Youth and Sports decision to withdraw financial support from the men and woman national youth teams to limited budgetary allotment in the 2025 Fiscal Year Budget.

The 2025 Fiscal Year Budget saw a harsh reduction in allotment to football from US$150,000 in 2024 to US$50,000.

This situation has left many sports lovers thinking as to whether or not the government's professed commitment to soccer development is genuine or mere lip service. 

However, despite the government’s decision, President Raji has assured the LFA’s commitment to do all in its authority to support the National Youth Soccer squads to meet the criteria for the FIFA Forward Fund.

The FIFA Forward Fund is a program set aside to aid football development in member association countries based on the improvements made in the sport.

"We are now trying to strategize to see since the government is deciding not to provide any support due to lack of funding, we are trying to work around to see how to utilize some funding to ensure that our Under 17 and 20 boys and girls participate in other competitions. We have to make some sacrifices as a Football Association, we will go to our operational cost and make some deductions to ensure our girls and boys play as we await the national government to come in the future," Raji intoned.

Deputy Minister for Sports, G. Andy Quamie

Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister for Sports, G. Andy Quamie acknowledged that budgetary constraints have prompted the government’s decision to withdraw financial support from the male and female youth national teams.

“The government allocated only $550,000 for sports in the 2025 budget, and we cannot support all activities with over 34 sporting federations", Deputy Youth and Sports Minister said.

“We do not want to commit to supporting all of the national teams, including the U-15, U-17, U-20, and U-23 teams, and later face a situation where there is no funding to follow through,” Quamie added.

This narrative has sparked alarming concerns among sports enthusiasts about the long-term development of the men and women senior national teams when the future team which is the youth team is sidelined. 

Additionally, this situation is occurring at a moment when Liberia is grappling with a constant dismal performance from its senior football squad; and the need to groom replacement squads is of paramount concern to soccer enthusiasts.

Edited; E. Geedahgar Garsuah, Sr.