MONROVIA – For some Liberians and especially fans and supporters of one of Liberia’s most popular football teams, Mighty Barrolle, alias “The Kanyan Pepper Boys”, James Salinsa Debbah was and still remains Liberia’s most celebrated soccer star due to his exploits with the round leather ball on the field of play in his heydays.
It said because of Debbah’s talent and domination of Liberian football in the 1980s made former and slain Liberian President Samuel Kanyon Doe to fall in love with Mighty Barrolle and eventually with the player himself.
And it was during the era of James Salinsa Debbah of Mighty Barrolle and wizard dribbler George Oppong Weah of Invincible Eleven (IE), another iconic football team of Liberia, that President Doe took interest in the National Football Team of Liberia, the Lone Star, thus splashing huge tax payers’ dollars on the team for training and development.
Doe’s love and support for Mighty Barrolle also gravitated more government officials at the time, including former Mighty Barrolle presidents, Alhaji G.V. Kromah (deceased), Paul Mulbah (deceased), Aletha Johnson Francis, among others to the Kanyan Pepper Boys of Gbehzon – Mighty Barrolle.
And so, with the Samuel Kanyon Doe Administration’s support to the National Football Team, the Lone Star, several young players in the 1980s including the likes of James Salinsa Debbah, George Oppong Weah, goalie D. Zeogar Wilson, Washington Blay, Simon Mattar, Alex Theo, Francis Mayango Jallah, Robert ‘Break Dancer’ Clarke, goalie Pewu Bestman, Amadou Sarnoh, Momo ‘Wall’ Blamo, among many others came to prominence.
To crown it all in 1986, President Doe sent about 24 players of the Lone Star to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, the world’s greatest football nation, for training camp which eventually laid the catalyst for the development for the likes of former President Weah and others. James Salinsa Debbah did not make the trip in 1986 because he was a graduating senior student at Wells Hairston High School on Mechlin Street and because of that, he reportedly told president Doe he could not make the training camp to Brazil. But Weah and others did make the trip to Brazil in 1986.
After the training camp in Brazil, Debbah, Weah and the rest of players’ game stepped up to another level and the dividends began to show in the national team, the most iconic being the Italia ’90 FIFA World Cup qualifying rounds, where Liberia made name for itself. The historic 2-0 defeat inflicted on the four-time African champions, the once Mighty Black Stars of Ghana, featuring their legends Abedi Ayew Pele, Mohammed ‘Magician Dribbler’ Polo, George Alhassan, Kwesi Appiah, Sarfo Gymfi, goalie Mohammed Odoom, among others at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex in Paynesville left lasting memories on the minds of Liberians and former President Samuel Doe.
After that game former President Doe invited the Lone Star to the Executive Mansion for lunch and it was during that time he singled out Debbah and Weah for scoring the two goals against Ghana Black Stars and quietly presented to them US$2000 that was split between the two young football stars at the time. That was the beginning of the special treatment Doe gave to Debbah and Weah during their playing days in the 1980s for Mighty Barrolle, Invincible Eleven and the Lone Star respectively.
President Doe also gifted the entire players of the Lone Star team a parcel of land each and placed each of them on government payroll, where they were earning US$800 at the time. The Liberian dollar was on parity with the US dollar in the 1980s. That amount was a lot of money back in the day in Liberia. President Doe and his wife, former First Lady Nancy Bohn Doe, eventually took Debbah and Weah as their own as they showered them with special treatment while playing for the Lone Star before departing the shows of Liberia to play semi and professional football in the late 1980s before the civil war broke out in December of 1989. As they say, “The rest is history” as President Doe was slain by rebel forces bringing to end his rule over Liberia.
Debbah Accuses Ex-President Weah of Neglecting Doe Family
Fast forward, Doe’s Family relocated in the UK with former First Lady Nancy B. Doe single-handedly taking care of her children who were practically minors when their father was slain by rebel forces during the civil war, specifically on September 9, 1990.
As former First Lady, Nancy Doe was entitled to benefits from the Government as it is with other former officials at the highest level, especially the presidency, vice presidency, legislature, judiciary among others.
From 1990 to 2017, Nancy Doe had accused previous governments of not paying her benefits as she cried over and over again as succeeding governments ignored her cries.
But with the ascension of Weah to state power in January 2018, the now deceased former First Lady had hoped that her “son”, President George Manneh Weah (Oppong) would have finally heeded her cries of many years regarding her benefits. But again, in one of her many radio appearances, especially on OK FM, Mrs. Doe disclosed how she was neglected by President Weah.
The passing to the celestial realm of former First Lady Doe, and former President Weah showing up at her residence after being told to visit and pay homage to the former First Lady and condolences to the bereaved Doe Family by former Senator Pro-Temp and Ambassador Isaac Nyenabo, Doe’s daughter Veronica Mamie Doe, took exception and branded the former President’s gesture unacceptable and it became a bad public spectacle.
On June 10, appearing on the state-backed and sponsored online show, The Class Reloaded, James Salinsa Debbah, a first cousin of former President Weah and teammate of the Lone Star of Liberia, joined the debate also.
Debbah accused Weah of failing to honor the memory and contributions of former President Samuel K. Doe, whom he (James) credited with launching both their football careers.
The former Liberian national team coach and football legend James Debbah accused his cousin, ex-President Weah, of neglect and disrespect toward the family of former President Doe.
Speaking further on The Class Reloaded Debbah criticized Weah for allegedly mistreating the Doe Family, particularly Doe’s widow, Nancy Bohn Doe, and recalled instances where he himself felt humiliated by his cousin during his time in office.
“He humiliated me like that too. He sent for me, kept me waiting for six hours, and in the end, never saw me,” Debbah said. “Over six years, I sent him about 15 messages he didn’t respond to even one.”
Debbah went further, accusing Weah of failing to honor the memory and contributions of President Samuel K. Doe, whom he credited with launching both their football careers. He noted, “Ingratitude is worst of vices” lamenting that former Weah did not treat the Doe Family right during his presidency having benefitted from them when he was a young footballer.
“After the Ghana game, Doe called us to the Mansion and gave us US$2,000. That was a big deal back then. And Weah could treat Doe’s widow like that?” he wondered.
While Debbah has demanded recognition and gratitude from his cousin, some have questioned his own contributions to the Doe Family. Commenters on social media pointed out that Debbah also benefitted from President Doe’s support, yet has not publicly demonstrated any personal support to the family.
“James Debbah didn’t become president! But he made lots of money from football, what exactly he did for the Doe’s Family to criticize Weah? I am not a Weah’s fan, but James is dare wrong for criticizing him,” Clara Kujuh Mallah, an outspoken Liberian journalist, wrote.
Critics argue that Debbah’s recent comments reflect personal grievances rather than principled concerns. Despite a career that saw him play for major clubs including Union Duala (Cameroon), AS Monaco, PSG, Lyon, Nice (all of France), Anderlecht (Belgium), MKE Ankaragücü (Turkey), Iraklis (Greece) and Al Jazeera (UAE), Debbah returned to Liberia financially constrained. His residence reportedly remained incomplete until 2017; a point often cited as evidence of financial mismanagement.
Debbah’s strained relationship with Weah dates back to the 2005 and 2011 Presidential Elections, during which he campaigned against his cousin, supporting firstly Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine of the Liberty Party in the first round of the elections and Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in the runoff, labeling Weah as “unqualified.”
“He undermined his own cousin to curry favor with the political elite,” a commenter stated on social media. “Now he wants sympathy for being ignored?”
Following Weah’s election victory in 2017, Debbah appeared to reconcile with him, taking to Facebook to write: “We have buried the hatchet and made amends. The President has openly apologized to me. It means a lot. I am optimistic that his apology is sincere and I have embraced him with open arms. Our Lord Jesus Christ said we should forgive 70×7 times.”
However, tensions resurfaced after Debbah was excluded from the 2018 official honoring ceremony for Arsène Wenger, his former coach at Monaco, who was awarded Liberia’s Order of Distinction. Debbah claimed he never received an invitation to the event.
“I was never given an official invitation to the event, but I insisted and went to pay homage to the man Arsène Wenger, who gave me my break in professional football. God is great,” he stated.
Since then, Debbah has once again turned critical of Weah, a move some observers view as a continuation of long-standing resentment.
“You are envious of the success of Weah. The both of you had the opportunity to excel in life but you chose the other way round. He worked hard for what he has achieved today. So please leave Manneh alone and make your own contribution to the Doe Family,” Fayiah J. Borbordee posted on Facebook.
Debbah’s political affiliations have also drawn scrutiny. He has switched alliances multiple times, often supporting critics of Weah. Some commentators allege that he aligns with political actors based on personal benefit.
“Debbah has no consistent ideological base,” a commenter stated. “His criticism often mirrors whoever’s paying him at the moment.”
“You have never supported Weah, you saw the man as a contender, what do you want from him? You’re an Executive of the Liberty Party; you’re a supporter of Nyonblee. What is she doing for you now that they’re in power? We haven’t seen your name on E-Mansion,” added Aaron Kofa Chea.
The Debbah-Weah feud seems to linger on and from all indications there seems it might not end during their life time despite being first cousins. It unknown whether their families will intervene for these two iconic former football legends of Liberian can reunite and be the brothers they were during their playing days for the national team of Liberia, the Lone Star. As the saying goes, “The ball is in their court.”
