The Great Alphonse Davies

The Budumburam refugee camp in Ghana was a refuge for thousands and thousands refugees from Liberia, who fled the bloody civil war that destroyed the country in the 1990s and early 2000s. The squalid conditions of the camp were better than the utter destruction that the Liberians had fled, and many stayed in the camp for years, even decades, trying on the one hand to move somewhere else, or on the other hand to create a new life in Ghana. 

In 2000 a baby was born in the camp’s basic clinic run by UNHCR. The baby’s parents had fled the violence of Monrovia, and had applied for asylum in North America. The little family nevertheless stayed five year at Budumburum before being able to relocate to Canada and start a new life. 

The little boy, Alphonso Davies, would go on to be the youngest player to sign an MLS contract, the youngest player to debut and score on the Canadian national team, and the scorer of Canada’s first World Cup goal ever. He was signed by mighty Bayern Munich where he became the first Canadian to win the Champions League. Widely hailed as one of the best left-backs in the world, Alphonso Davies life started in the most difficult conditions imaginable, but he brought glory to his adopted country.

A football match lasts 90 minutes

Liberia had good options to qualify for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon. Today they needed to defeat Togo at home in order to only need a tie in the last match in Tunisia to win the group. Eventually, a loss in Tunisia could be enough for Liberia to qualify as one of the best second-placed teams.
And Liberia started well, and were 2-0 up at the 60th minute in the Samuel K. Doe Stadium. But the Liberians seemed to have forgotten that a football match lasts 90 minute as they were celebrating their lead. The experienced Togolese managed to get 2 goals in the last half hour for a 2-2.
The tie is not enough for Togo, but puts the experienced Tunisians in the drivers' seat before the last match in Tunis against Liberia, where the Lone Star will now need a victory to win the group. Liberia defeated Tunisia in Monrovia, but it will be a totally different match in North Africa, and the Liberians cannot afford to be as sloppy as they were today.
I really hope that Liberia makes it; the Liberians deserve it, and it would be a great boost to the country. But it will not be easy, and they will have to remember that the match is 90 minutes!

FC Barcelona fishermen

Football transcends borders, and in the small fishing village of Marshall, in Liberia, I came across a number of fishing boats with football names. Andres Iniesta and Neymar were two of the nicest boats, decorated with FC Barcelona and Brazil colours respectively, paying homage to these two great players.

 

 

One boat also had the Chelsea logo on it. When I called him "Chelsea-man", all the other fishermen started laughing.
Football transcends borders; and so does making fun of Chelsea.

Monrovia traffic warning

Last week, at 7 AM, I was on my way to work in Monrovia. I usually pass by the Antoinette Tubman Stadium, but on this day, at that very early hour, the road was closed, causing an enormous traffic jam as cars were being re-directed around the stadium. The same happened in the afternoon, when closed roads led to more chaotic traffic congestions in the narrow pot-holed streets of downtown Monrovia.
The reason? At 4 PM Liberia were playing their first round World Cup qualifier against Guinea Bissau.
The match ended on a disappointing 1-1 for the Liberian fans, and before the away leg, I almost hoped that Liberia would be eliminated in order to avoid another agonizingly frustrating traffic jam.
But fortunately, there will soon be another traffic jam.
To many people's surprise, Liberia took a 1-3 victory in the away match against Guinea Bissau, with three goals by William Jebor, a 23-year old who is currently in the second Spanish Division club Ponferradina. Five goals in five matches for Liberia is not a bad statistic!
Liberia will now be facing none other than the African champions from Cote d'Ivoire! Also their neighbours, this has all the ingredients to be a dramatic match as the Liberians, highly motivated, will go for the upset!
Do not miss it! And plan for heavy traffic in Monrovia for November 12th!

Liberian chaos and delight

Every country I have lived in has done well in football while I am there, so I have expectations that this would happen to Liberia as well. And yesterday they were playing the first home match since the Ebola outbreak; a qualifier for the Africa Cup of Nations against Tunisia.
The match was not played at the main stadium, SKD, which is under renovation, but at the much smaller Antoinette Tubman stadium. Despite the never-ending rain I had bought myself a ticket for 50 USD, in the "around VIP" section. But when I got to the stadium one hour before the match it was complete chaos: people pushing through to get in whatever entrance; riot police that controlled nothing; and nowhere were there any Football Association assistants or ticket controllers to be seen. At some points it was outright scary, and at 4:30 PM (half an hour after match start) I gave up, as other Liberians with 50-USD tickets were loudly complaining that the Liberian Football Association would never refund the hundreds and hundreds of tickets that they probably have oversold.
It is sad for Liberia that their Football Association cannot even organize a football match...

Fortunately there are the Liberian footballers, normal Liberian guys who fight for their country, who managed to give them a not-entirely-expected 1-0 victory against Tunisia. I did not watch the match, but amid the chaos and heavy rain, I cannot imagine it was a good match, but who cares? Liberia are alive in the qualification: they lost their first match to Togo, but are still to face them and the underdogs from Djibouti at home, as well as what will be a difficult match in Tunisia.
That said, it is great that Liberia got some happiness for this fantastic victory!

 

Real Madrid Fan Club in Liberia

I am not a Real Madrid fan. But yesterday a friend invited me a long to the "Yellow Bar" in Monrovia to watch the match between Real Madrid and Juventus among the recently created Real Madrid Fan Club of Liberia. This is the first fan club of its kind in Liberia.
There was a good atmosphere in the bar, in spite of loud annoying music playing during the match. And the fans were lively and with good knowledge of the match. Although Real Madrid won 2-1, it was nevertheless not the best evening to be a Madrid fan: the team is playing poorly under Carlo Ancelotti. There is lack of creativity, speed and pressure on the opponent, and yesterday they were indeed helped by a referee who gave a thin (although defensible) penalty and an outrageous red card to Giorgio Chiellini. One had to feel sorry for a Juventus side that during the first half largely outplayed Real Madrid.
Real Madrid is nevertheless looking solid to win the group where Copenhagen again lost, this time to Galatasaray. In spite of this, Real Madrid fans have to expect more from their team that what they saw last night (the referees will not always be helpful).

Amputee football in Liberia

It was a nice Sunday in Monrovia. The second Monrovia marathon took place in the morning, and I was among the runners for the 10 Km "baby" run. The real marathon was won by a Kenyan runner. It was perhaps an announcement of things to come when on Sunday afternoon Liberia were facing Kenya in a friendly match of amputee football.
Amputee is played on teams of 7 players. And these are amazingly strong players, who play in crutches for almost an hour, managing to do things with the ball that most two-legged people cannot do. It is fantastic to see these guys whose strength is not only physical, but most of all mental and spiritual; an example of people who have come a long way with more difficulties than most of us will ever face.
These guys deserve nothing but respect.
Liberia are in fact defending African champions in amputee football, and in spite of a meager showing at the amputee football World Cup last year (won by Uzbekistan) they continue, with Ghana, to be the strongest African side. This showed in yesterday's match against Kenya, where the Liberians had great ability in moving the ball around against a defensive Kenya side. The second goal for Liberia was in fact the result of an excellent combination and a beautiful curved shot. Liberia won the friendly match 2-0, and continues to build up for next year's amputee World Cup in Mexico.
I will surely be cheering for Liberia there!

From Venezuela to Liberia

My time in Venezuela has ended. During my stay there Venezuela climbed in the world rankings, made it to their first Copa America semifinal ever, and still have a chance of qualifying to their first world cup ever. It was interesting to follow the "Vintotinto" in this time of change of hope. I will not support them, but I hope for all the wonderful people that I met in Venezuela that they make it far.
If anything, Venezuelans deserve it.
My new destination is a country that in football terms is known for one player: the splendid George Weah; best player in the world in 1995 he stunned audiences in Europe while playing for AC Milan. Since then, Liberia has not figured at all on the football stage. Torn apart by civil strife and instability the country has not been able to take advantage of the huge passion for football that exists here, and I have no doubt that unexploited talent exists as well. But they have a long way to go. Their last participation in an Africa Cups of Nations was in 2002, and they have no chance of qualifying for the world cup in its group with Senegal, Uganda and Angola.
Still, it will be interesting to see what happens while I am here. I have a good football mojo!