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Liberia national football team

(Redirected from Liberia national under-23 football team)
This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Liberia women's national football team.

The Liberia national football team, nicknamed the Lone Stars, represents Liberia in men's international football and is controlled by the Liberia Football Association. Although the nation produced the 1995 FIFA World Player of the Year, George Weah, its football team has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup and has qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations just twice—in 1996 and 2002. It is a member of both FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Liberia
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)The Lone Stars
AssociationLiberia Football Association
ConfederationCAF (Africa)
Sub-confederationWAFU (West Africa)
Head coachMario Marinică
CaptainOscar Dorley
Most capsJoe Nagbe (77)
Top scorerGeorge Weah (18)
Home stadiumSKD Stadium
FIFA codeLBR
First colors
Second colors
FIFA ranking
Current 149 Decrease 6 (24 October 2024)[1]
Highest66 (July 2001)
Lowest164 (October–November 2010)
First international
France Ivory Coast 0–2 Liberia 
(Abidjan, Ivory Coast; unknown date 1954)
Biggest win
 Liberia 5–0 Djibouti 
(Monrovia, Liberia; 29 March 2016)
Biggest defeat
 Ghana 6–0 Liberia 
(Accra, Ghana; 6 April 1975)
Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances2 (first in 1996)
Best resultGroup stage (1996 and 2002)

History

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African Cup of Nations

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In 1965 Liberia played in first campaign 1965 qualification qualifying campaign, losing its first match 0–1 against Ivory Coast. They also won 3–2 against DR Congo however lost both returning fixtures and were eliminated in the first round. In 1967 Liberia played in 1968 qualification qualifying campaign, drawing its first match 2–2 against Guinea. They also drew against Senegal however lost both returning fixtures and were eliminated in the first round. Liberia returned to qualifying in 1976 but lost in the preliminary round to Togo, falling to defeat in both fixtures. After another absence, Liberia again joined AFCON qualifying in 1982 in the preliminary rounds but failed to progress after two draws against Gambia, losing on the away goals rule.

Liberia withdrew from qualifying for the 1984 African Cup of Nations, but the following tournament they managed to secure their first win during qualifying, a 3–1 first-leg victory over Mauritania. They failed to capitalize on this advantage, losing 3–0 in the second leg. Liberia then faced Sierra Leone and Mali during the 1988 qualification and 1990 qualification respectively, but again failed to progress. In 1992, Liberia withdrew from qualifying before playing a match (possibly due to the ongoing First Liberian Civil War), and in 1994, Liberia was put into a group with two participants that withdrew during qualifying (Tanzania and Burkina Faso) however they failed to take advantage of this and finished with zero points, having lost to Ghana twice.

In the 1996 African Cup of Nations qualification, Liberia managed to register three wins (against Togo, Tunisia and Mauritania) and four draws, which saw them finish the group in second place and qualify for their first African Cup of Nations tournament. Following the withdrawal of Nigeria, Liberia was placed in a group with Gabon and Zaire. Liberia opened the tournament with a 2–1 victory over Gabon with goals from Kelvin Sebwe and Mass Sarr Jr. but lost 2–0 to Zaire. This meant that Liberia finished bottom of the group on goal difference and failed to progress to the knock-out stages.

Liberia missed out on returning to the African Cup of Nations in 1998 as they finished one point off of qualification. In 2000, they defeated Niger in the preliminary rounds, but again failed to advance to the main tournament, this time finishing behind Algeria on goal difference.

In 2002 African Cup of Nations qualification, Liberia beat Cape Verde in the preliminary rounds, then they finished top of their group to qualify for the main tournament for the second time in their history. In the 2002 African Cup of Nations, Liberia drew their first game 1–1 with Mali (goal scored by George Weah) and drew their second game 2–2 against Algeria (goals from Prince Daye and Kelvin Sebwe), but in their final group game, needing a win against Nigeria, they lost 1–0.

FIFA World Cup

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Liberia first entered the qualifying process for the FIFA World Cup in 1966, however, they withdrew in protest against the fact that too few places had been reserved for Africa and Asia, along with all fourteen other African nations that had initially entered qualifying.

Liberia next entered qualifying in 1982 against Guinea after receiving a bye in the first round. They lost 1–0 over the two legs and were eliminated. In 1986, Liberia was again eliminated without having scored a goal, falling 4–0 to Nigeria. In 1990, Liberia won its first FIFA qualifying match defeating Ghana to progress to the second round. Despite finishing second in their group, Liberia failed to advance to the final qualification round, ending two points behind group winners Egypt.

In 1998, Liberia beat Gambia in the first qualification round, but finished twelve points adrift of Tunisia in their group. In 2002, Liberia had their strongest qualifying campaign, however, a loss against Ghana in their penultimate group game gave Nigeria the opportunity to overtake them and secure the only qualification spot.

Team image

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Kit supplier

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Kit provider[3] Period
  Hummel 1990–1993
  Diadora 1994–1995
  Adidas 1996–1998
  Weah Sports 1999–2001
Unknown 2002
  Adidas 2003–2004
  Hummel 2004–2006
  Kappa 2006–2008
  Adidas 2008
  Kubba 2009
  Adidas 2010–2012
  Erreà 2012
  SPECS 2012–2013
  Joma 2013–2014[4]
  Adidas 2015–2020
  Puma 2021–present

Results and fixtures

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Main article: Liberia national football team results (2020–present)

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2023

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17 November 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Liberia   0–1   Malawi Paynesville, Liberia
16:00 UTC±0 Report
  • Mphasi   78'
 Stadium: Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex
Referee: Antoine Effa (Cameroon)

2024

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20 March AFCON 2025 qualification Djibouti   0–2   Liberia Marrakech, Morocco
22:00 UTC±0 Report
Stadium: Stade de Marrakech
Referee: Mehrez Melki (Tunisia)
26 March AFCON 2025 qualification Liberia   0–0
(2–0 agg.)		   Djibouti Paynesville, Liberia
16:00 UTC±0 Report Stadium: Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex
Referee: Karim Sabry (Morocco)
Note: Liberia won 2–0 on aggregate.
5 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Namibia   1–1   Liberia Johannesburg, South Africa
18:00 UTC+2
Report
Stadium: Orlando Stadium
Referee: Messie Jessie Oved Nkounkou Mvoutou (Congo)
9 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification São Tomé and Príncipe   0–1   Liberia Oujda, Morocco
14:00 UTC+1 Report
Stadium: Stade municipal d'Oujda
Referee: Andofetra Rakotojaona (Madagascar)

Coaching staff

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As of February 2024[5]

Position Name
Head coach   Mario Marinica
Assistant coach   Kelvin Sebwe
Assistant coach   Harold Gbotoe
Goalkeeping coach   Chris Wesseh
Fitness coach   Desmond Mulbah

Coaching history

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Caretaker managers are listed in italics

Players

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Current squad

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The following players were called up for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches against Togo and Equatorial Guinea on 6 and 9 September 2024.[6]

Caps and goals correct as of 9 September 2024, after the match against Equatorial Guinea.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Tommy Songo (1995-04-20) 20 April 1995 (age 29) 23 0   LISCR
1GK Abdulai Koulibaly (1995-01-01) 1 January 1995 (age 29) 7 0   Global Pharma
1GK Teddy Kollie (2005-11-10) 10 November 2005 (age 19) 0 0   Watanga
2DF Sampson Dweh (2001-10-10) 10 October 2001 (age 23) 28 0   Viktoria Plzeň
2DF Kemoh Kamara (1995-07-03) 3 July 1995 (age 29) 20 0   Bea Mountain
2DF Sabastin Teclar (2000-02-28) 28 February 2000 (age 24) 6 0   LISCR
2DF Natus Jamel Swen (2004-11-18) 18 November 2004 (age 19) 5 0   Mġarr United
2DF Philip Tarnue (2005-12-25) 25 December 2005 (age 18) 3 0   Watanga
2DF Nelson Laomie (2005-04-04) 4 April 2005 (age 19) 1 0   Watanga
2DF Musa Sesay (2007-02-08) 8 February 2007 (age 17) 0 0   LPRC Oilers
3MF Oscar Dorley (captain) (1998-07-19) 19 July 1998 (age 26) 42 3   Slavia Prague
3MF Mohammed Sangare (1998-12-28) 28 December 1998 (age 25) 21 3   Bellinzona
3MF Divine Teah (2006-04-19) 19 April 2006 (age 18) 14 2   Hammarby
3MF Nohan Kenneh (2003-01-10) 10 January 2003 (age 21) 12 0   Hibernian
3MF Chauncy Freeman (2001-07-26) 26 July 2001 (age 23) 6 0   Watanga
3MF Abdulai Bility (1999-09-08) 8 September 1999 (age 25) 4 0   Heaven Eleven
3MF Lawrence Kumeh (2005-05-01) 1 May 2005 (age 19) 4 0   Paynesville
3MF Sheku Sheriff (1999-09-17) 17 September 1999 (age 25) 3 0   LPRC Oilers
3MF Quiah Sholee (1997-04-07) 7 April 1997 (age 27) 1 0   Invincible Eleven
4FW Peter Wilson (1996-10-09) 9 October 1996 (age 28) 16 2   Jerv
4FW Terry Sackor (1993-04-01) 1 April 1993 (age 31) 9 1   Bea Mountain
4FW William Gibson (2007-11-22) 22 November 2007 (age 16) 6 1   Heaven Eleven
4FW Emmanuel Ernest (2000-12-30) 30 December 2000 (age 23) 2 0   Aarau
4FW Emmanuel Seih (2006-10-11) 11 October 2006 (age 18) 0 0   TS Galaxy

Recent call-ups

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The following players have been called up for the team in the last 12 months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Emmanuel Deanneh (1995-06-20) 20 June 1995 (age 29) 1 0   Bea Mountain v.   Djibouti; 26 March 2024
GK Ashley Williams (2000-10-30) 30 October 2000 (age 24) 19 0   LISCR v.   Equatorial Guinea; 20 November 2023
GK Boison Wynney (1996-12-27) 27 December 1996 (age 27) 7 0   Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț v.   Equatorial Guinea; 20 November 2023
DF Mark Pabai (2000-09-30) 30 September 2000 (age 24) 10 0   Koper v.   São Tomé and Príncipe; 9 June 2024
DF Joachim Adukor (1993-05-02) 2 May 1993 (age 31) 6 0   Sliema Wanderers v.   Djibouti; 26 March 2024
DF Jamal Arago (1993-08-28) 28 August 1993 (age 31) 11 0   Al-Ahly v.   Equatorial Guinea; 20 November 2023
DF Joel Johnson (1992-09-20) 20 September 1992 (age 32) 10 0   Charlotte Independence v.   Equatorial Guinea; 20 November 2023
DF Seth Hellberg (1995-08-19) 19 August 1995 (age 29) 12 0   Brage v.   Morocco, 17 October 2023
MF Sheikh Sesay (2002-10-24) 24 October 2002 (age 22) 1 1   Gaborone United v.   São Tomé and Príncipe; 9 June 2024
MF Marcus Macauley (1991-10-27) 27 October 1991 (age 33) 28 5   PDRM v.   Djibouti; 26 March 2024
MF Edward Ledlum (1999-06-15) 15 June 1999 (age 25) 10 0   Bea Mountain v.   Djibouti; 26 March 2024
MF Tonia Tisdell (1992-01-02) 2 January 1992 (age 32) 18 1   Telecom Egypt v.   Equatorial Guinea; 20 November 2023
MF Brem Soumaoro (1996-08-08) 8 August 1996 (age 28) 12 0   York United FC v.   Equatorial Guinea; 20 November 2023
MF Albert Korvah (1999-02-02) 2 February 1999 (age 25) 5 0   Rivers United v.   Equatorial Guinea; 20 November 2023
MF Mohammed Kamara (1997-10-31) 31 October 1997 (age 27) 4 1   Hapoel Haifa v.   Equatorial Guinea; 20 November 2023
MF Prince Saydee (1996-02-20) 20 February 1996 (age 28) 3 0   Hartford Athletic v.   Equatorial Guinea; 20 November 2023
MF Saah Moses Jr. (2007-07-10) 10 July 2007 (age 17) 2 0   Discoveries SA v.   Equatorial Guinea; 20 November 2023
FW William Jebor (1991-11-10) 10 November 1991 (age 33) 27 13   Al-Minaa v.   Equatorial Guinea; 20 November 2023
FW Kpah Sherman (1992-02-03) 3 February 1992 (age 32) 22 3   Pahang v.   Equatorial Guinea; 20 November 2023
FW Sylvanus Nimely (1998-09-04) 4 September 1998 (age 26) 12 0   Surkhon v.   Equatorial Guinea; 20 November 2023
FW Abu Kamara (1997-04-01) 1 April 1997 (age 27) 9 0   Kuching City v.   Morocco, 17 October 2023

Records

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As of 14 October 2024[7]
Players in bold are still active with Liberia.

Most appearances

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Rank Name Caps Goals Career
1 Joe Nagbe[a] 77 0 1986–2011
2 George Weah[b] 75 18 1986–2018
3 Kelvin Sebwe 62 10 1988–2008
4 James Debbah[c] 58 13 1986–2018
5 George Gebro 48 1 1997–2012
6 Anthony Laffor 46 5 2004–2018
7 Teah Dennis Jr. 44 1 2011–2019
Oscar Dorley 44 3 2015–present
9 Varmah Kpoto 40 1 1997–2008
10 Fallah Johnson 37 0 1995–2004
Zizi Roberts 37 9 1995–2003

Top goalscorers

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George Weah is Liberia's top scorer with 18 goals.
Rank Name Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 George Weah[b] 18 75 0.24 1986–2018
2 William Jebor 13 27 0.48 2011–present
James Debbah[c] 13 58 0.22 1986–2018
4 Kelvin Sebwe 10 62 0.16 1988–2008
5 Zizi Roberts 9 37 0.24 1995–2003
6 Oliver Makor 8 32 0.25 1995–2008
7 Prince Daye 7 25 0.28 1996–2004
Jonathan Sogbie 7 27 0.26 1988–1998
9 Zah Rahan 6 35 0.17 2006–2017
10 Francis Doe 5 22 0.23 2004–2016
Isaac Tondo 5 22 0.23 2000–2005
Dioh Williams 5 24 0.21 2004–2016
Marcus Macauley 5 28 0.18 2011–present
Anthony Laffor 5 46 0.11 2004–2018

Competitive record

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FIFA World Cup

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FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
  1930 to   1962 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
  1966 Withdrew Withdrew
  1970 to   1978 Did not enter Declined participation
  1982 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 0 1
  1986 2 0 0 2 0 4
  1990 8 3 3 2 4 3
  1994 Withdrew during qualifying 2 0 1 1 2 4
  1998 Did not qualify 8 2 1 5 7 12
    2002 10 6 1 3 11 2
  2006 12 2 1 9 6 29
  2010 6 0 3 3 4 12
  2014 6 1 1 4 3 9
  2018 4 1 1 2 4 6
  2022 8 3 0 5 8 10
      2026 To be determined 4 2 1 1 5 2
      2030 To be determined
  2034
Total — 0/15 – – – – – – 72 20 14 38 54 94

Africa Cup of Nations

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See also: Liberia at the Africa Cup of Nations
Africa Cup of Nations record
Appearances: 2
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
  1957 Not affiliated to CAF
  1959
  1962
  1963 Did not enter
  1965 Did not qualify
  1968
  1970 Did not enter
  1972
  1974
  1976 Did not qualify
  1978 Did not enter
  1980
  1982 Did not qualify
  1984 Withdrew
  1986 Did not qualify
  1988
  1990
  1992 Withdrew
  1994 Did not qualify
  1996 Group stage 13th 2 1 0 1 2 3
  1998 Did not qualify
    2000
  2002 Group stage 9th 3 0 2 1 3 4
  2004 Did not qualify
  2006
  2008
  2010
    2012
  2013
  2015
  2017
  2019
  2021
  2023
  2025
      2027 To be determined
Total Group stage 2/34 5 1 2 2 5 7

Honors

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Regional

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Notes

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  1. ^ Nagbe retired from international duty in 2001 but later played two farewell matches in 2011.
  2. ^ a b Weah retired from international duty in 2002 but later played a farewell match in 2018.
  3. ^ a b Debbah retired from international duty in 2004 but later played a farewell match in 2018.

References

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  1. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". FIFA. October 24, 2024. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  2. ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. November 14, 2024. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  3. ^ "Liberia Kit History". Football Kit Archive. Archived from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  4. ^ Molaposc (July 21, 2014). "Molapo Sports Centre: A good win for Lesotho, but there is still work to do". Molapo Sports Centre. Archived from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  5. ^ "Liberia Football Association LFA Unveils Marinica as men's senior national team head coach". Facebook. Liberia Football Association. February 19, 2024.
  6. ^ "Squad List". Instagram. Liberian FA.
  7. ^ "Liberia". National Football Teams.
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