MONROVIA โ The Liberia Womenโs National Football Team returned home on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, after a strong showing at the 2025 WAFU Zone A Womenโs Cup in Mauritania, where they secured an impressive third-place finish.
Despite this achievement, the players have yet to receive their full per diem allowanceย a recurring issue rooted in the governmentโs continued failure to adequately support national teams.
According to reports, the players were paid just US$200.00 after playing five consecutive matches during the tournament.
Letโs not forget, in the group stage, Liberiaโs senior womenโs team won one game, drew two, and lost one, finishing second in Group A.
They then went on to defeat Mali in the third-place playoff clinching a bronze medal for Liberia.
This performance deserves recognition, not neglect.
๐จ๐ป๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ป๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐: The issue of unpaid match bonuses raises serious concerns about fairness and respect for female athletes representing the country.
The Government of Liberia and the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MYS) must collaborate with the Liberia Football Association (LFA) to ensure female players receive equal treatment like their male counterparts.
These young women carry the nationโs flag with pride, dignity and dedication.
They deserve more than words; they deserve financial recognition.
Itโs worth recalling that in 2020, former First Lady Clar Marie Weah, wife of President George M. Weah, donated US$15,000 to the team in fulfillment of a US$5,000 per win bonus promise made in February of that year.
That resulted in each player receiving US$400, from the LFA respectively.
๐ฆ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ฟ๐, ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ณ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐, ๐ฆ๐ผ ๐ช๐ต๐ ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ง๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐?
The Ministry of Youth and Sports is mandated to support all national teams: menโs, womenโs, senior, and youth alike.
Yet the menโs teams consistently receive their per diems and bonuses on time and without issue, while the womenโs teams are left waiting or given far less.
๐ช๐ต๐ ๐ฆ๐ต๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ข๐๐ฟ ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ A๐๐ต๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐น๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟย ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐ดย ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ท๐ผ๐ฏ their male counterparts do: ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ?
To be fair, this Administration under President Joseph N. Boakai made an important move.
According to ๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ต๐ฎ ๐. ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ท๐ถ, for the first time, the government provided direct financial support of US$134,000 to send the Womenโs National Team to the WAFU-A Tournament.
This covered travel and logistical expenses an important step, but not a complete solution.
One-time assistance cannot substitute consistent support.
Governmentโs funding must be structured, regular, and fair across all national teams.
๐ง๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ถ๐ป ๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐: Itโs time to eliminate deliberate discrimination and the chronic under- funding of womenโs sports in Liberia.
These young athletes, many of whom are still developing their careers, deserve the same quality of support as their male counterparts.
They are Liberians, too.
They carry the same flag, sing the same anthem, and sweat for the same national pride.
We urge the Boakai-led Administration to change the decades-old narrative of under-support for womenโs football in Liberia.
๐ช๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ปโ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป-๐๐๐ถ๐น๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด: The fight for inclusive womenโs participation must extend beyond politics and business as usual.
It must include sports, a sector that empowers young girls, unites communities, and fosters national pride.
Thereโs no doubt that womenโs football is on the rise, both globally and locally.
The talent, discipline, and determination in Liberiaโs womenโs leagues are undeniable.
Supporting them is not just about promoting gender equality itโs about tapping into an emerging force that contributes to social development, economic growth, and national cohesion.
๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฐ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: Womenโs football in Liberia has come a long way.
But progress must be matched with policy and investment.
Our players deserve equal treatment, equal opportunities, and equal rewards.
Equal representation requires equal support.
Let us make this moment a turning point towards fairness, inclusion, and dignity for every Liberian athlete, regardless of gender.
