Monrovia — Visiting executives of an international sporting firm, Sports World Africa & Europa S.L, have frowned at the level of Liberian football and want more to be done to improve the country's most popular sport. Ibrahim Traore, the Chief Executive Officer of Sports World Africa Europa S.L and General Manager Abi Haidala, who are currently in the country on a 10-day mission to meet with the Chief Patron of Sports, Dr. George M. Weah, and football stakeholders in the country to discuss the way forward for Liberian football, say it's a shame that a country that produced the only African to have won the world's best player has been out of the Nations Cup for the past 20 years.
According to Traore, Liberian football is not improving and can only improve when the right people are put in place and professional people are engaged. Speaking to the media in Monrovia, the Sports World Africa Europa S.L CEO said he is in the country to have discussions with key stakeholders to bring about change to Liberian football in the eyes of the world. Traore, who is based in Spain, told the media that if given the opportunity, he will work with his partners to once more put Liberian football on the map.
Traore and Abi Haidala revealed that they have plans to work with the Liberia Football Association (LFA) to develop football in the country and help create links between the local clubs, coaches, and players with international clubs and agents. They believe that their contribution will set a better platform to expose Liberian players to European leagues and will help strengthen the local league and the national team.
"I decided to come down to Liberia try to discuss with the LFA and see what we can do for the country. This is my professional view that I am not seeing Liberia football advancing. We are going down every day, and I think it's not good for the country. Our president is the only person from Africa, but where are we now?" Traore said.
"I want to bring a sponsor that will put the Liberian league up and a coach that will try to put Liberian football up. Liberian football needs someone like me with contacts in Europe that can convince players of Liberian heritage to come to play for the national team," he added.
Traore explained that discussions he had with LFA President Mustapha Raji were fruitful and is hoping they can collaborate well for the good of Liberian football. He asserted that many Liberian players don't want to accept calls from the national team because they don't have an interest, but he will be able to convince them to play for the Liberian national team, the "Lone Star." He also added that those currently working at the FA are not open to the international world, but he thinks if they connect more with international partners, that's the only way the country will improve.
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"I am not seeing anyone who organized Liberia's national team friendly matches with big countries in Europe and Africa, it's something we really need. We need the world to know that Liberia's president was a big footballer and the only African to win the World Best Player, and Liberia cannot be in football in this level," Traore disclosed that he has communicated with scouts in Europe and coaches that Liberia is the best place to scout for players because there are talented players in Liberia. The Sports World Africa Europa S.L executives assert that they have players from France, Ghana, Ivory Coast and are now in Liberia to take talented Liberian players out of Liberia.
"I am telling you from my heart Liberia has talents more than the big countries in Africa because our league is not up to task but when we promote the league we will have players in some of the big leagues," he told the media. Liberian clubs need to start advancing in the CAF Champions league and Confederation Cup, which will attract more scouts to Liberia.
Sports World Africa & Europa S.L manages several African and non-African players. Their focus is on discovering promising young players and future stars for potential signings, training of coaches, technical staff, and also evaluating the talent of footballers and flying them to Europe for try-outs with the possibility of signing for clubs. CEO Ibrahim Traore was born in Liberia; he departed the country as a teenager to the Ivory Coast during the country's civil war, later moving on to Europe.
