President Boakai Wants Lone Star in AFCON, as Presidential Fundraising Initiative Sets September 11 for the Fundraising Dinner
President Boakai Wants Lone Star in AFCON, as Presidential Fundraising Initiative Sets September 11 for the Fundraising Dinner
Monrovia, Liberia — August 22, 2026 — Minister of Youth and Sports Atty. Cornelia W. Kruah has disclosed that President Joseph N. Boakai, Sr., Liberia’s Chief Patron of Sports, has expressed his strong desire to see the Lone Star qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), as the government intensifies efforts to mobilize the resources needed to support the national team’s campaign.
Minister Kruah made the disclosure on Friday, August 21, 2026, during the Presidential National Team Resource Mobilization Fundraising meeting at the Executive Mansion, which brought together the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Liberia Football Association (LFA), and the Ministry of State, chaired by Minister of State Without Portfolio Hon. H. Mamaka Bility.
According to Minister Kruah, she met with President Boakai several months ago and asked him directly what he wanted for Liberia as the country prepared for the AFCON qualification campaign.
“I asked him, ‘What do you want as we go into AFCON?’” Minister Kruah recalled, noting that the President’s response was clear: he wants the Lone Star to qualify.
Liberia has not qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations since its last appearance in the continental tournament in 2002. Minister Kruah described the current qualification campaign as a potentially historic turning point for Liberian football and said the President’s commitment has strengthened the government’s resolve to support the national team.
She said the Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Youth and Sports, has intensified collaboration with the LFA, including supporting the recruitment of the Lone Star’s new head coach, Moroccan national Mohammed Adil Erradi.
Minister Kruah disclosed that Coach Erradi has finalized a preliminary list of 35 players and is expected to engage their respective managers while undertaking the necessary technical preparations ahead of the qualification matches.
However, she acknowledged that financing remains one of the major challenges confronting the national team. The Minister said the amount currently indicated by the Ministry of Finance for the national team is below the budget proposed by the LFA, creating a funding gap that the Ministry of Youth and Sports must help address.
“That is where the fundraising committee will have to step in,” Minister Kruah emphasized, pointing to the need for additional support to meet the team’s operational and logistical requirements.
Liberia is scheduled to play six qualification matches—three at home and three away. Minister Kruah said preparations must also account for stadium inspections and other requirements necessary to secure FIFA clearance, as well as the cost of maintaining the artificial turf at the national stadium.
She further highlighted player welfare as a critical component of the campaign. According to the Minister, Liberian national team players have historically received relatively low match compensation. The LFA is therefore proposing an increase in player remuneration from US$1,000 to US$2,500 per game to attract and retain the country’s best available talents.
The proposed support package also includes accommodation and other welfare arrangements to ensure that players can concentrate fully on their performances throughout the six-match campaign.
Speaking earlier, Minister of State Without Portfolio and Chairperson of the Presidential National Team Resource Mobilization Fundraising Initiative, Hon. Hadja Mamaka Bility, presented the concept and structure of the Presidential Fundraising Dinner.
She said the initiative is designed to bring together the President, members of government, the private sector, concessionaires, corporate Liberia, and well-meaning Liberians to mobilize the financial resources required to support the Lone Star’s AFCON qualification campaign.
Hon. Mamaka Bility, named Minister of Youth and Sports, Atty. Cornelia W. Kruah as Secretary of the Presidential National Team Resource Mobilization Fundraising Initiative, entrusting her with a key coordinating role in the committee’s efforts to mobilize the resources needed to support the Lone Star’s AFCON qualification campaign.
The committee has set September 11 as the date for the Presidential National Team Resource Mobilization Fundraising Dinner, which is expected to serve as a major platform for rallying national and private-sector support behind the Lone Star.
Minister Bility emphasized that the initiative is not merely about raising money but about building a collective national commitment around the country's football ambitions.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Lone Star Mobilization Committee, Rev. J. Luther Tarpeh, described Liberia’s qualification for AFCON as a national vision achievable through unity, coordination, and collective commitment.
Rev. Tarpeh acknowledged the ongoing coordination between the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the LFA but noted that stronger triangular coordination involving the mobilization team is necessary.
He assured that the mobilization committee remains committed to supporting the Lone Star’s qualification bid and called on all stakeholders to work together without unnecessary clashes.
He stressed that the ultimate objective is bigger than any individual or institution: to unite Liberia behind the national team and secure qualification for AFCON.
The Lone Star has been drawn into Group K alongside Mali, Cape Verde, and Rwanda, setting the stage for a challenging qualification campaign.
With President Boakai’s stated ambition, government support, the technical leadership of Coach Mohammed Adil Erradi, and the planned presidential fundraising initiative, Liberia is now seeking to build the financial, technical, and national support necessary to end a 24-year wait and return the Lone Star to Africa’s biggest football stage.
