The Liberia Football Association (LFA) President, Mustapha Raji, has raised concerns about the challenges facing the national football team ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers this month, as reported by the Liberian newspapers.
Liberia is scheduled to play against Togo in Lomé on September 6 and then host Algeria in Monrovia four days later. However, securing funding for the team remains uncertain.
According to a report on Monday by FrontPage Africa, Raji revealed during a recent media briefing that the Liberian government has yet to provide the necessary funds for the team’s trip to Togo. He stated that while the LFA has previously managed to cover costs for the team, they are now unable to do so without government support.
“We cannot tell you now when the national team will depart because there is no commitment or final conclusion from the Liberian Government in terms of when we will get the money,” Raji said. He explained that the cost of travel to Togo is rising as the departure date approaches, and the LFA is also struggling to secure accommodation for the team due to unpaid debts.
Raji expressed frustration that the Ministry of Youth and Sports is working to secure funds from the Ministry of Finance, but delays have already impacted the team’s preparations.
The national team missed a training camp in Saudi Arabia because the government couldn’t provide the funds on time.
Additionally, players have yet to receive their winning bonuses from their last match against Sao Tome and Principe, which Raji noted is demotivating the team. Failure to participate in the upcoming qualifiers could result in serious consequences from both the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and FIFA.
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