Monrovia — A high-level French sports executive has arrived in Liberia to advance discussions on a proposed multi-million dollar football academy project.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports has hailed the arrival as the first tangible outcome of Minister Cornelia Wonkerleh Kruah's diplomatic engagements with European sports stakeholders earlier this year.
According to an official release issued by the Ministry, Mr. Farid Adjaoud, Managing Partner of Adjaoud Consulting and lead representative of the proposed Cluj Academy Liberia initiative arrived at the Roberts International Airport (RIA) on Sunday, June 21, 2026.
He was accompanied by Mr. Mohammed Diallo, a Liberian scout who serves as the Sports Advisor to the Embassy of Liberia in France.
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
From Paris to Monrovia: Validating Diplomatic Outreach
The visit directly follows Minister Kruah's April 2026 working mission to Paris, France. During that tour, she held a series of strategic meetings with European sports institutions, elite club executives, and potential investors at the Embassy of Liberia in France.
The Ministry described Adjaoud as the first major partner from those Paris engagements to touch down in Liberia to assess infrastructural and talent opportunities firsthand.
"The visit carries dual significance, it advances a concrete sports infrastructure and youth development investment opportunity for Liberia, and it validates the strategic outcomes of Minister Kruah's Paris engagement demonstrating that the Ministry's diplomatic outreach is translating into real partnerships and ground-level action," the official Ministry statement noted.
Eastern European Elite Connection
Established in France in 2018, Adjaoud Consulting specializes in global sports strategy and player management.
The firm already boasts active footprints across the African continent, managing successful football academy projects in Kenya and Rwanda, with another initiative currently underway in Burkina Faso.
For the Liberian venture, the company is serving as the strategic coordinator for the Cluj Academy Liberia project.
This private youth football and education center is structurally linked to Romania's CFR 1907 Cluj.
CFR 1907 CLUJ Founded: 1907 play in the Romanian Liga I.
The club has won the domestic league 8-Times and isa regular competitors in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League group stages
The club aims to establish a direct pipeline for elite Liberian youth talent into the competitive European football market while prioritizing academic development.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
During his intensive four-day working visit, Adjaoud is scheduled to hold series of closed-door meetings with Minister Kruah and senior officials of the Ministry of Youth and Sports to hammer out the proposed academy's structural framework.
The visiting delegation will also hold talks with the Liberia Football Association on governance and regulatory issues.
Additionally, the team will conduct a nationwide scouting exercise to assess local talent and determine the feasibility of establishing the academy in Liberia.
The Ministry emphasized that Adjaoud's presence represents far more than a routine scouting exercise; it is a definitive step toward attracting sustainable sports infrastructure investment and expanding life-changing opportunities for Liberian youth.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Youth and Sports extended its appreciation to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Liberia's Ambassador to France, His Excellency Teeko Tozay Yorlay, and Mr. Diallo for their collaborative diplomatic roles in facilitating the historic engagement the official release signed and authorized by P. Oxford Brown Sr., Director of Public Affairs at the Ministry of Youth and Sports added.
