Deputy skipper Mimi Eiden is confident that the Liberia Women's National Team will advance to the semifinals of the ongoing West African Football Union (WAFU) Zone A Women's Cup taking place in Mauritania.
Liberia settled for a disappointing 1-1 draw with host nation Mauritania over the weekend in their second match of the tournament. The result means the Lone Star will need at least a draw against group leaders Mali to progress.
In a post-match interview, Eiden, who captained the team during the match, said the players gave everything against Mauritania but were unlucky not to secure the win.
"I think the effort was there. I'm proud of the team; everybody really worked hard," she said. "We gave our all, we created several chances--including a penalty, which we missed--but it's soccer, anything can happen. We will keep our heads up for the next game."
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After two matches, Liberia sit second in Group A with four points--behind Mali (6 points) and ahead of Mauritania (1 point) and Guinea-Bissau (0 points). The Lone Star will face Mali on Monday and need a draw to qualify with five points.
Coach Selam Kadebe's side could still qualify even with a defeat, but only if Mauritania fail to beat Guinea-Bissau by more than four goals.
With this in mind, striker Eiden remains confident that Liberia have a strong chance of advancing to the semifinals.
Kadebe made four changes to the squad that started against Guinea-Bissau. Captain Margret Stewart, fullbacks Diamond Dahn and Francisca Howe, and striker Delphine Glao were all dropped to the bench, while Eiden led the team with the armband.
Mimi Eiden: Brief Profile
Eiden, 26, scored a brace in Liberia's 3-1 comeback win over Guinea-Bissau, marking her first international goals in five appearances.
The forward received her first senior call-up in October 2021 for Liberia's 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Senegal, making her debut in a narrow 2-1 home loss.
She currently plays for Icelandic third-tier side Vestri, having previously played collegiate soccer in the United States for three seasons with the North Dakota Fighting Hawks before transferring to the Montana Lady Griz, where she competed in NCAA Division I under the Summit League.
In February 2022, she signed her first professional contract with Icelandic second-tier club Grindavík. In May 2024, she returned to Iceland to join Vestri FC.
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Born in Liberia, Eiden was adopted by a family in Minnesota along with her four siblings. She began playing football at just six years old.
