Mali Edge Liberia 1-0 in Monrovia as Lone Star Slip to Back-to-Back AFCON Qualifying Defeats
Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex, Monrovia (file photo, 2012). Photo: blk24ga, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Liberia's Lone Star fell 1-0 to Mali at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex, leaving the team bottom of Group K with zero points from two matches as the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign gets off to a difficult start.
Liberia's Lone Star suffered a second straight defeat in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign on Tuesday, falling 1-0 to Mali at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex in Paynesville, Monrovia, in their Group K fixture.
Mali broke the deadlock in the 78th minute after Liberia conceded possession cheaply in their own defensive third, and the visitors held on for the win. Liberia pushed for an equalizer in the closing stages, with forward Oscar Dorley having a shot blocked in the 80th minute, but could not find a way through. Earlier in the match, goalkeeper Ashley Williams produced a crucial save in the 38th minute to keep Liberia level, and midfielder Peter Wilson saw a 66th-minute effort roll just wide of the far post. Mohammed Sangaré picked up a yellow card for Liberia in the 22nd minute.
The result leaves Liberia bottom of Group K with zero points from their opening two matches, following a 3-1 defeat to Rwanda in Kigali last week. Mali tops the group with six points. Under CAF's qualifying format, only the top two teams in each group advance directly to the 2027 tournament finals, co-hosted by Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya, leaving the Lone Star with a steep climb across their four remaining qualifiers.
The match went ahead at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex despite earlier uncertainty over the venue's CAF certification following a US$28 million renovation. Liberia Today will continue to follow the Lone Star's qualifying campaign as it continues.