-Ahead of WAFU Cup
Danesius Marteh, archie2024@gmail.com
Liberia’s women’s senior national team are stranded in Abidjan, Ivory Coast ahead of the 2025 West African Football Union (WAFU) Zone ‘A’ Cup in Nouakchott, Mauritania. The delegation, which was undisclosed by the Liberia Football Association (LFA) in keeping with what is becoming a normal operating procedure, announced it had left for Nouakchott on 15 May.
The LFA didn’t say the delegation would have transited in Abidjan for certain reasons best known to it.
It has now emerged why the delegation, which is headed by LFA Vice President Jodie Reid-Seton, has been stranded for days and is expected to leave on 19 May.
Multiple sources in WAFU and which have been corroborated in Liberian football circles, say the LFA failed to go through the right channels to obtain visas and never listened to the instructions given by WAFU.
They were stranded at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny international airport upon arrival from Monrovia before being taken to a hotel where they are lodging.
One source said the LFA took a risk by traveling to Nouakchott, having woefully ignored the visa application portal given by WAFU.
And the issue about the chaotic nature of their visa application was confirmed by LFA media manager Anthony Kokoi.
“They are in Abidjan awaiting the completion of the visa processing procedures as all necessary arrangements are being made in coordination with the relevant authorities from WAFU,” Kokoi wrote in a chat room made-up of members of the Sports Writers Association of Liberia (SWAL) on 17 May at 10:27PM.
“So why didn’t the LFA announce that the delegation would have transited in Abidjan due to an administrative blunder in obtaining visas?”
Morale among the players is at an all-time low as the LFA provided US$200 as perdiems.
The 2025 WAFU Cup runs from 18 to 30 May with Liberia drawn in a Group A along with Mauritania, Guinea-Bissau and Mali. Liberia take on Guinea Bissau on 19 May, on the same day they are expected to leave Abidjan. WAFU didn’t announce any postponement of their games due to visa applications as we went to press on 18 May. LFA President Mustapha Raji is a WAFU vice president and a CAF executive committee member.
The full squad
Goalkeepers: Anita Davis and Albertha Pratt
Defenders: Aline J. Capehart, Sangay Moulton, Diamond Dahn, Margaret Stewart, Ditta Langama, Francisca T. Howe and Choice Tokpah
Midfielders: Louise Brown, Bendu Yantay, Jessica Quachie, Wonder Juery, Coslyn Bardy and Christine D. Kouadio Forwards: Lucy Kikey, Miatta Morris, Delphine G. Glao, Makasian Sayon, Mimi Janice Eiden and Cynthia Weah.
