Monrovia — On the 1st day of October (Saturday), 2022, the Liberia-based Football Team of America-based Mark George Sandy, younger brother of Presidential Candidate, Rev. Kennedy Sandy, defeated Leicester City Football Club six goals to one. Mark Sandy has named the Team after himself: "Mark Sandy FC".
Mark Sandy FC's six goals came from three player: Christian Momo (2 goals), Christian Whebea (2 goals), King Mark Sandy, biological son of the Team owner, (2 goals)
From the beginning to the end of the match, Mark Sandy FC demonstrated superiority--of ball possession and goals--over their opponent. The match started at 12:00pm.
Mark Sandy FC is being coached by Jackson Thomas.
The Team's match on Saturday was the first in the ongoing "Premier League", named after England's A-1 League, being played at the Kailondo Sports Pitch, located in the Old Road Community, Monrovia. Majority of the participating Teams bear names of Teams in the English Leagues, like 'Leicester City'. However, the Tournament organizing Committee allowed names not in the English Premier League, like 'Mark Sandy FC'.
"During the first tournament, we won the trophy. In the second tournament, we took second place," Mark Sandy FC's Coordinator, Mr. Charles Johnson Gibson, said to this writer during interview for the October 1's match.
The Team was fined five hundred Liberian dollars (equivalent of USD 340), for its two matches, for appearing on the field minutes after the time the Tournament Organizing Committee had announced to all Teams.
"Many of our players came late at the Team's assembly and dressing point at the family's house of the Team's President, Mr. Mark Sandy. They blame their arrival on traffic congestion. Some of them live in Brewerville, outside of Monrovia," the Team's Coordinator, Mr. Mr. Charles Johnson Gibson, told this writer about causes of the fine.
The Team also vomited ten United States dollars (USD10.00) to the Tournament Organizing Authority for two yellow cards splashed on two of the Team's players during the first and second matches--on Saturday and Sunday.
Many of Mark Sandy FC's players are in schools--grade level, universities, Technical colleges, and in some professional associations. One of the players is an employee at the F. Kennedy Memorial Medical Center. His biological son, a Mid-Fielder, King Mark Sandy, is in the 12th grade, to graduate soon.
"I work in the bone repair section of the JFK Medical Center. I'm one of the people responsible for fixing broken bones at JFK," player Samuel Zazay told this writer at the end of the match Mark Sandy FC won by six goals to one.
"I'm a student of the Stella Maris Polytechnic University, to be graduating Friday, October 7, 2022," player William N. Nyenety, a Defender, told this writer at a lunch after the Team's second match (Sunday, October 2)
For the football team, Mark Sandy has two representatives in Liberia. One is his pre-war time teammate, Mr. Charles Johnson, Coordinator of the Team, and National Chairman for Liberia Transformation Party (LTP), the political party founded by Mark's senior brother, Presidential Candidate, Rev. Kennedy Sandy. The other is Mr. Albert Lincoln, his brother-in-law, Secretary General.
"I founded the Team on December 2, 2001, to take young Liberians' attention from dangerous or criminal practices, caused by being idle, and for each player to get small cash. Those who performed outstandingly will be connected to Teams in European Countries or America," Mr. Mark Sandy told this writer via telephone from his current base, USA, four to the start of the October 1's match. "I have plans to support players' personal educational programs. And I'm making contacts with some Football Teams in America and Europe for outstanding players of Mark Sandy FC to play professional football in here," he added.
On question about his relationship with Rev. Kennedy Sande, Founder of the Liberia Transformation Party (LTP), and in the Presidential Race for 2023, the Mark Sandy FC Founder said: "The Reverend is my senior biological brother. As you are aware, he ran in the Presidential race in 2011, and he's in the Presidential race for 2023."
Rev. Kennedy Sandy ran in the Presidential race in 2011, but he was not lucky to be victorious for the Nation's most exalted seat.
Before travelling to America, Mr. Mark Sandy had experienced a refugee's life on Ghana's refugee camp. He had been a member of the volunteer group, supported by the Ghana Red Cross Society, responsible for cleaning around the camp, pitching tents for just-arrived batch of refugees, and assisting the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) or the Catholic Relief Service (CRS) on distribution of relief supplies (foods and clothes) to the refugee community.
He was also popular his on being a footballer, rugged Defender, for the football team of the Voluntary group or during "County Meet"--a tournament for Liberia's 15 Counties represented by refugees.
"During my Country's war, I left on the twelfth day of October, 1990, for Ghana. I lived on the Ghana's refugee camp for ten years, and studied at Kumasi Technical University," he said to this writer from his host Country, America.
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In the United States of America, Mr. Mark Sandy works at a Company named Biovation libs, his position being Production Manager.
Speaking on the general Liberian football environment, the retired US-based Liberian footballer said. "pre-war Liberian football is not respected in Africa and around the World, because the Liberian League is not competitive like that of each of the other African Countries. The Government needs to do more to make the Liberian League competitive. Private Companies should buttress the Government's effort as part of each Company's Corporate Social Responsibility."
He challenged Liberians living abroad to contribute to national development through supporting various "nation-building youths' programs."
On the journalist's question of final return home, Liberia, for his physical presence to carry out his development projects, Mr. Mark Sandy replied: "I'm not too sure of when I will return home to permanently stay. But I will return home."
The President of Mark Sandy FC has four biological children (one male; three females) and two adopted children (two males) of his junior biological sister living in Liberia.
"Three boys and one girl are with me here in America; three girls are in Liberia," he said.
