LFA Official Christian Weah Defends Tarpeh, Calls for Lone Star to Rise Above Politics
The Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex in Monrovia (file photo, 2015). Photo: Bangabandhu, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
After criticism over remarks made following Liberia's AFCON qualifying defeat to Mali, Liberia Football Association Executive Committee member Christian G. Weah Sr. is defending mobilization chief Rev. Dr. J. Luther Tarpeh and calling for the national team to be kept out of partisan politics.
Liberia Football Association Executive Committee member Christian G. Weah Sr. has publicly defended Rev. Dr. J. Luther Tarpeh, chairman of the Lone Star National Mobilization Committee, after Tarpeh faced public criticism over comments made following Liberia's 1-0 defeat to Mali in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
The Mali loss, which followed a 3-1 defeat to Rwanda days earlier, has left the Lone Star winless and pointless after two matches in Group K of the qualifying campaign, intensifying public scrutiny of the team's leadership and preparation.
Weah used the moment to call for Liberians to set political divisions aside when it comes to the national team. "The Lone Star belongs to all of us: Unity Party, CDC, other political parties, and Liberians with no affiliation," he said. "When the Lone Star plays, there should be no CDC, no Unity Party. There should only be Liberia." He added that the football community's "responsibility is to unite around the game, invest in grassroots development, and support our players."
The comments reflect a broader debate in Liberia about how closely the national team's fortunes have become tied to political rivalries, with mobilization efforts, funding drives and criticism of team performance frequently drawn into partisan discussion. Liberia Today will continue to follow reaction to Weah's comments as well as the Lone Star's preparations for their next qualifying fixtures.