Monrovia, Liberia: President George Manneh Weah has hosted a reception in honor of WAFU Tournament Semi-Finalists.
The Liberian leader called on the home-based players participating in the ongoing West African Football Union (WAFU) Tournament to cultivate a sense of seriousness if they want to succeed and achieve their desired goals.
President Weah said similar advice by former Liberian President, Samuel Kanyon Doe, also informed his career including several former players of the Lone Star of Liberia, which led him to succeed in his soccer feat.
“I sat in the same chairs you people are sitting in today, when President Samuel Kanyon Doe told us to be serious about anything we intend to do in life, if we want to succeed and achieve positive goals,” President Weah told the WAFU Semi-finalists, according to an Executive Mansion press release.
President Weah spoke on Tuesday, May 1, 2018 in the C. Cecil Dennis Auditorium of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, when he held a reception gala in honor of the home-based players of Liberia, Mali, Ivory Coast and The Gambia, currently qualified to participate in the semi-final round of the WAFU Tournament.
“…And if I can win the African Best, European Best and World Best Titles, while playing football, before becoming President of Liberia, then it means that, you can do the same,” the Liberian Chief Patron of Sports, underscored.
President Weah said although due to his very busy schedule, he could not meet all of the players who started the tournament from their respective countries at the Group Stages onto the quarter final and now semi-final, but commended the outgoing President of the Liberia Football Associations (LFA) Musa Hassan Bility, and Deputy Youths & Sports Minister, Andy Quamie for mobilizing and leading the remaining four teams to meet a such reception with him.
He used the occasion to commend players of the Junior Lone Star Team of Liberia for making a very strong comeback, after suffering a 3-0 defeat in their opening match against the Junior Elephants of Ivory Coast; and for defeating Guinea Bissau 2-1 and Sierra Leone 5-1 respectively in their remaining matches to reach the semi-final of the competition.
“I am happy that Liberia is still in the tournament, after defeating Guinea Bissau and Sierra Leone to qualify for the semi-final of the competition,” President Weah said.
Speaking earlier, Deputy Youths & Sports Minister, Andy Quarmie commended the home-based players of the four countries for reaching the semi-finals.
For his part, the outgoing President of the Liberia Football Associations (LFA), Musa Hassan Bility, lauded President Weah for taking time off his busy schedule to invite the four semi-finalists to the reception.
President Weah was joined by the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Hon. Nathaniel F. McGill, National Security Advisor Jefferson Karmon, amongst several others.