By Jerome C. Willie, Jr., boyzwill26@gmail.com
It was a dramatic scene at the SKD Sports Complex in Payenesville on Wednesday,1 May as the first semifinals games of the most prestigious sporting festival of Liberia the National County Sports Meet got underway in the two versions of the competition.
A well and entertaining football soccer displayed from one of the underdog as many football pundits would say, because of population and moreover not been a familiar finalist in such competition.
Derick Weah’s beautiful finish and Blamo Weah’s clinical finish in the second half of the match after a scoreless first half against Grand Bassa County secured a convincing 2-0 win for River Gee County against Grand Bassa County.
River Gee County 2-0 defeat against Grand Bassa County in the first football match in the semifinals of the competition at the SKD Sports Complex in Payenesville on Wednesday,1 May saw the southeastern County River Gee booking the second ever grand final ticket of the competition.
River Gee County last appearance in the grand final of the competition was in 2009 after River Gee County defeated Bong County 3-2, but got humiliated in the grand final with a 5-2 defeat to Bomi County.
The win against Grand Bassa County has put the on the stage as been the competition favorite haven defeating the like of Maryland, Sinoe, Bong and Grand Bassa Counties.
Derick Weah and Blamo Weah second half goals for River Gee County against Grand Bassa County did not only give them the team three points only but rather has set a milestone record for Coach Daniel Sessay of River Gee County for been the first coach to have helped River Gee County booked a final ticket since 2009 making it 15 yrs.
It just the matter of time or days to see the former Grand Kru County tactician making such history for him been the first head coach of River Gee County to clinch the championship of the competition.
As it stands River Gee County remains unbeaten since the start of the competition.
In the team’s opening fixture in this year’s edition River Gee and Grand Gedeh County played to a one-all-draw in Fish Town, River Gee on 15 April.
On April 17 in Fish Town, River Gee County defeated Maryland County 2-0 making it the first win in the competition.
And in the team’s final group stage game in Fish Town, River Gee County defeated Sinoe County 2-0 on 20 April making the team to seal top spot in Group A.
Blamo Weah’s goal in the semifinals against Grand Bassa County at the SKD Sports Complex in Payenesville on Wednesday, 1 May marks his fourth goal in the competition.
River Gee County await the winner from Lofa and Nimba Counties game on Thursday, 2 May at the SKD Sports Complex in Payenesville to rub shoulder against in the grand final of the competition schedule for 5 May 2024 at the SKD Sports Complex in Payenesville.
In another development, Rivercess County booked a ride to the grand final of the kickball version of the competition.
The Cestos Girls of Rivercess County defeated the Blue Lake Girls of Bomi County 6-1 to get a ticket to the grand final of the competition.
Rivercess County win against Bomi County on Wednesday,1 May at the same venue of the football game marks the sixth time booking a ticket to the grand final of the competition since the introduction of the game kickball in the National County Sports Meet.
In the kickball version Rivercess County remains unbeaten since the start of the competition and moreover remains the only county to have clinched the competition three times in a row.
Rivercess County await the winner from Lofa and Nimba Counties kickball game schedule for Thursday, 2 May at the SKD Sports Complex in Payenesville.
Rivercess County of recent in the kickball version of the competition has suffers defeat to either of the counties that will be playing on Thursday, 2 May in the second semifinals game of the kickball version of this year’s edition.
In 2021- 2022 Grand final of the kickball version of the competition, Rivercess County suffers a defeat to Lofa County while in 2008-2009 Rivercess County got defeated to Nimba County in the grand final.