PHOTO: Tahir standing 4th from right with his team in India
As a young boy growing up in Monrovia, Tahir Massaquoi had to struggle between playing soccer and furthering education. His late father, G. A. Momoh Massaquoi, who was a strong disciplinarian, thought that in order to succeed he had to acquire a university degree. Being mindful of his father’s advice, young Tahir had to work hard to practice football and at the same time study his lesson.
Tahir making a name for himself and his native Liberia
Despite the difficulties he encountered in pursuing both dreams, Tahir went on to play for a number of teams in the first and second division in Liberia, including Barrack Young Controller (BYC), Watnaga FC, Might Blue Angel and FC Fassel. He also played for Diamond Star in Sierra Leone’s premier league.
However, he did not allow his football career to stop him from pursuing his education. In October 2019, he made his family proud when he received his Bsc in Economics from the African Methodist Episcopal Zion University in Liberia. Unfortunately his dad passed away a month before he graduated. He worked at Youth Action International as a Program Assistant.
In late 2022, Tahir travelled to India upon the invitation of Sastha Medical Football Club. He was later spotted by Sporto FC. The club started off as a football academy at the grassroot level for developing young talents and emerged as a professional football club in 2021.
Tahir underwent a successful trial and now, he has emerged as a leading player in this club, serving as a left winger.
Realizing his enormous talents, the team has also selected Tahir to serve as the Coach for the Under 17, Under 15 and Under 12 and he is scouting for new talents to beef up the club.