Liberia national football team
![]() | |||
Nickname(s) | The Lone Stars | ||
---|---|---|---|
Association | Liberia Football Association | ||
Confederation | CAF (Africa) | ||
Sub-confederation | WAFU (West Africa) | ||
Head coach | Mario Marinica | ||
Captain | Oscar Dorley | ||
Most caps | Joe Nagbe (77) | ||
Top scorer | George Weah (18) | ||
Home stadium | SKD Stadium | ||
FIFA code | LBR | ||
| |||
FIFA ranking | |||
Current | 142 ![]() | ||
Highest | 66 (July 2001) | ||
Lowest | 164 (October–November 2010) | ||
First international | |||
![]() ![]() (Abidjan, Ivory Coast; unknown date 1954) | |||
Biggest win | |||
![]() ![]() (Monrovia, Liberia; 29 March 2016) | |||
Biggest defeat | |||
![]() ![]() (Accra, Ghana; 6 April 1975) | |||
Africa Cup of Nations | |||
Appearances | 2 (first in 1996) | ||
Best result | Group stage (1996 and 2002) |
The Liberia national football team, nicknamed the Lone Stars, represents Liberia in men's international football and is controlled by the Liberia Football Association. Although the nation produced the 1995 FIFA World Player of the Year, George Weah, its football team has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup and has qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations just twice—in 1996 and 2002. It is a member of both FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
History
African Cup of Nations
In 1965 Liberia played in first campaign 1965 qualification qualifying campaign, losing its first match 0–1 against Ivory Coast. They also won 3–2 against DR Congo however lost both returning fixtures and were eliminated in the first round. In 1967 Liberia played in 1968 qualification qualifying campaign, drawing its first match 2–2 against Guinea. They also drew against Senegal however lost both returning fixtures and were eliminated in the first round. Liberia returned to qualifying in 1976 but lost in the preliminary round to Togo, falling to defeat in both fixtures. After another absence, Liberia again joined AFCON qualifying in 1982 in the preliminary rounds but failed to progress after two draws against Gambia, losing on the away goals rule.
Liberia withdrew from qualifying for the 1984 African Cup of Nations, but the following tournament they managed to secure their first win during qualifying, a 3–1 first-leg victory over Mauritania. They failed to capitalize on this advantage, losing 3–0 in the second leg. Liberia then faced Sierra Leone and Mali during the 1988 qualification and 1990 qualification respectively, but again failed to progress. In 1992, Liberia withdrew from qualifying before playing a match (possibly due to the ongoing First Liberian Civil War), and in 1994, Liberia was put into a group with two participants that withdrew during qualifying (Tanzania and Burkina Faso) however they failed to take advantage of this and finished with zero points, having lost to Ghana twice.
In the 1996 African Cup of Nations qualification, Liberia managed to register three wins (against Togo, Tunisia and Mauritania) and four draws, which saw them finish the group in second place and qualify for their first African Cup of Nations tournament. Following the withdrawal of Nigeria, Liberia was placed in a group with Gabon and Zaire. Liberia opened the tournament with a 2–1 victory over Gabon with goals from Kelvin Sebwe and Mass Sarr Jr. but lost 2–0 to Zaire. This meant that Liberia finished bottom of the group on goal difference and failed to progress to the knock-out stages.
Liberia missed out on returning to the African Cup of Nations in 1998 as they finished one point off of qualification. In 2000, they defeated Niger in the preliminary rounds, but again failed to advance to the main tournament, this time finishing behind Algeria on goal difference.
In 2002 African Cup of Nations qualification, Liberia beat Cape Verde in the preliminary rounds, then they finished top of their group to qualify for the main tournament for the second time in their history. In the 2002 African Cup of Nations, Liberia drew their first game 1–1 with Mali (goal scored by George Weah) and drew their second game 2–2 against Algeria (goals from Prince Daye and Kelvin Sebwe), but in their final group game, needing a win against Nigeria, they lost 1–0.
FIFA World Cup
Liberia first entered the qualifying process for the FIFA World Cup in 1966, however, they withdrew in protest against the fact that too few places had been reserved for Africa and Asia, along with all fourteen other African nations that had initially entered qualifying.
Liberia next entered qualifying in 1982 against Guinea after receiving a bye in the first round. They lost 1–0 over the two legs and were eliminated. In 1986, Liberia was again eliminated without having scored a goal, falling 4–0 to Nigeria. In 1990, Liberia won its first FIFA qualifying match defeating Ghana to progress to the second round. Despite finishing second in their group, Liberia failed to advance to the final qualification round, ending two points behind group winners Egypt.
In 1998, Liberia beat Gambia in the first qualification round, but finished twelve points adrift of Tunisia in their group. In 2002, Liberia had their strongest qualifying campaign, however, a loss against Ghana in their penultimate group game gave Nigeria the opportunity to overtake them and secure the only qualification spot.
Team image
Kit supplier
Kit provider[3] | Period |
---|---|
![]() | 1990–1993 |
![]() | 1994–1995 |
![]() | 1996–1998 |
![]() | 1999–2001 |
Unknown | 2002 |
![]() | 2003–2004 |
![]() | 2004–2006 |
![]() | 2006–2008 |
![]() | 2008 |
![]() | 2009 |
![]() | 2010–2012 |
![]() | 2012 |
![]() | 2012–2013 |
![]() | 2013–2014[4] |
![]() | 2015–2020 |
![]() | 2021–present |
Results and fixtures
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
Win Draw Loss Fixture
2023
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/19/Flag_of_Ghana.svg/23px-Flag_of_Ghana.svg.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Flag_of_Liberia.svg/23px-Flag_of_Liberia.svg.png)
12 September Friendly | Ghana ![]() | 3–1 | ![]() | Accra, Ghana |
Report |
| Stadium: Accra Sports Stadium Referee: Kouassi Attiogbe (Togo) |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Flag_of_Liberia.svg/23px-Flag_of_Liberia.svg.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/05/Flag_of_Libya.svg/23px-Flag_of_Libya.svg.png)
14 October Friendly | Liberia ![]() | 2–3 | ![]() | Khouribga, Morocco |
19:30 UTC+1 | Report |
| Stadium: Phosphate Stadium Referee: Bouchra Karboubi (Morocco) |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/Flag_of_Morocco.svg/23px-Flag_of_Morocco.svg.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Flag_of_Liberia.svg/23px-Flag_of_Liberia.svg.png)
17 October 2023 AFCON qualification | Morocco ![]() | 3–0 | ![]() | Agadir, Morocco |
20:00 UTC+1 | Report | Stadium: Adrar Stadium Referee: Ahmad Imtehaz Heeralall (Mauritius) | ||
Note: Match postponed from 9 September due to 2023 Marrakesh-Safi earthquake. |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Flag_of_Liberia.svg/23px-Flag_of_Liberia.svg.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d1/Flag_of_Malawi.svg/23px-Flag_of_Malawi.svg.png)
17 November 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Liberia ![]() | 0–1 | ![]() | Paynesville, Liberia |
16:00 UTC±0 | Report |
| Stadium: Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex Referee: Antoine Effa (Cameroon) |
2024
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/Flag_of_Djibouti.svg/23px-Flag_of_Djibouti.svg.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Flag_of_Liberia.svg/23px-Flag_of_Liberia.svg.png)
20 March AFCON 2025 qualification | Djibouti ![]() | 0–2 | ![]() | Marrakech, Morocco |
22:00 UTC±0 | Report | Stadium: Stade de Marrakech Referee: Mehrez Melki (Tunisia) |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Flag_of_Liberia.svg/23px-Flag_of_Liberia.svg.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/Flag_of_Djibouti.svg/23px-Flag_of_Djibouti.svg.png)
26 March AFCON 2025 qualification | Liberia ![]() | 0–0 (2–0 agg.) | ![]() | Paynesville, Liberia |
16:00 UTC±0 | Report | Stadium: Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex Referee: Karim Sabry (Morocco) | ||
Note: Liberia won 2–0 on aggregate. |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Flag_of_Namibia.svg/23px-Flag_of_Namibia.svg.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Flag_of_Liberia.svg/23px-Flag_of_Liberia.svg.png)
5 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Namibia ![]() | 1–1 | ![]() | Johannesburg, South Africa |
18:00 UTC+2 |
| Report |
| Stadium: Orlando Stadium Referee: Messie Jessie Oved Nkounkou Mvoutou (Congo) |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0a/Flag_of_S%C3%A3o_Tom%C3%A9_and_Pr%C3%ADncipe.svg/23px-Flag_of_S%C3%A3o_Tom%C3%A9_and_Pr%C3%ADncipe.svg.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Flag_of_Liberia.svg/23px-Flag_of_Liberia.svg.png)
9 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | São Tomé and Príncipe ![]() | 0–1 | ![]() | Oujda, Morocco |
14:00 UTC+1 | Report |
| Stadium: Stade municipal d'Oujda Referee: Andofetra Rakotojaona (Madagascar) |
Coaching staff[5]
Position | Name |
---|---|
Head coach | ![]() |
Assistant coach | ![]() |
Assistant coach | ![]() |
Goalkeeping coach | ![]() |
Fitness coach | ![]() |
Team manager | ![]() |
Assistant coach | ![]() |
Coaching history
- Caretaker managers are listed in italics
Josiah Johnson (1971–78)
Bert Trautmann (1978–80)
Paulo Campos (1986)
Walter Pelham (1986–1990)
Wilfred Lardner (1990–1998)
Kadalah Kromah (1999–2000)
Philippe Redon (2000–02)
Dominic George Vava (2002)
Kadalah Kromah (2002–04)
Joseph Sayon (2004–06)
Shawky El Din (2006)
Frank Jericho Nagbe (2006–08)
Antoine Hey (2008–09)
Bertalan Bicskei (2010–11)
Roberto Landi (2011–12)
Thomas Kojo (2012)
Kaetu Smith (2012)
Frank Jericho Nagbe (2013)
Thomas Kojo (2013)
James Debbah (2013–17)
Thomas Kojo (2018)
Peter Butler (2019–2022)
Ansu Keita (2022)
Thomas Kojo (2022–2023)
Ansu Keita (2023)
Mario Marinica (2024–present)
Players
Current squad
The following players were called up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Malawi and Equatorial Guinea on 17 and 20 November 2023.[6]
Caps and goals correct as of 17 October 2023, after the match against Morocco.
No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1GK | Boison Wynney | (1996-12-27) 27 December 1996 (age 27) | 6 | 0 | ![]() |
16 | 1GK | Emmanuel Deanneh | (1995-06-20) 20 June 1995 (age 29) | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
23 | 1GK | Ashley Williams | (2000-10-30) 30 October 2000 (age 23) | 17 | 0 | ![]() |
3 | 2DF | Jamal Arago | (1993-08-28) 28 August 1993 (age 30) | 8 | 0 | ![]() |
11 | 2DF | Mark Pabai | (2000-09-30) 30 September 2000 (age 23) | 8 | 0 | ![]() |
13 | 2DF | Joel Johnson | (1992-09-20) 20 September 1992 (age 31) | 8 | 0 | ![]() |
17 | 2DF | Kemoh Kamara | (1995-07-03) 3 July 1995 (age 29) | 14 | 0 | ![]() |
20 | 2DF | Mohammed Sangare | (1998-12-28) 28 December 1998 (age 25) | 12 | 2 | ![]() |
24 | 2DF | Sampson Dweh | (2001-10-10) 10 October 2001 (age 22) | 19 | 0 | ![]() |
2 | 3MF | Tonia Tisdell | (1992-01-02) 2 January 1992 (age 32) | 16 | 1 | ![]() |
4 | 3MF | Nohan Kenneh | (2003-01-10) 10 January 2003 (age 21) | 4 | 0 | ![]() |
6 | 3MF | Saah Moses Jr. | (2007-07-10) 10 July 2007 (age 17) | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
7 | 3MF | Mohammed Kamara | (1997-10-31) 31 October 1997 (age 26) | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
8 | 3MF | Marcus Macauley | (1991-10-27) 27 October 1991 (age 32) | 25 | 5 | ![]() |
12 | 3MF | Albert Korvah | (1999-02-02) 2 February 1999 (age 25) | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
15 | 3MF | Brem Soumaoro | (1996-08-08) 8 August 1996 (age 28) | 11 | 0 | ![]() |
18 | 3MF | Divine Teah | (2006-04-19) 19 April 2006 (age 18) | 9 | 2 | ![]() |
19 | 3MF | Oscar Dorley (captain) | (1998-07-19) 19 July 1998 (age 26) | 33 | 1 | ![]() |
22 | 3MF | Edward Ledlum | (1999-06-15) 15 June 1999 (age 25) | 8 | 0 | ![]() |
25 | 3MF | Daniel Toe | (2000-07-15) 15 July 2000 (age 24) | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
14 | 3MF | Prince Saydee | (1996-02-20) 20 February 1996 (age 28) | 3 | 0 | ![]() |
9 | 4FW | Kpah Sherman | (1992-02-03) 3 February 1992 (age 32) | 20 | 3 | ![]() |
10 | 4FW | William Jebor | (1991-11-10) 10 November 1991 (age 32) | 24 | 13 | ![]() |
21 | 4FW | Abu Kamara | (1997-04-01) 1 April 1997 (age 27) | 8 | 0 | ![]() |
5 | 4FW | Sylvanus Nimely | (1998-09-04) 4 September 1998 (age 25) | 12 | 0 | ![]() |
Recent call-ups
The following players have been called up for the team in the last 12 months.
Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DF | Seth Hellberg | (1995-08-19) 19 August 1995 (age 29) | 11 | 0 | ![]() | v. ![]() |
DF | Jeremy Saygbe | (2001-06-01) 1 June 2001 (age 23) | 13 | 0 | ![]() | v. ![]() |
FW | Ketu Jerbo | (1998-06-20) 20 June 1998 (age 26) | 5 | 0 | ![]() | v. ![]() |
Records
- As of 20 November 2023[7]
- Players in bold are still active with Liberia.
Most appearances
Rank | Name | Caps | Goals | Career |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Joe Nagbe[a] | 77 | 0 | 1986–2011 |
2 | George Weah[b] | 75 | 18 | 1986–2018 |
3 | Kelvin Sebwe | 62 | 10 | 1988–2008 |
4 | James Debbah[c] | 58 | 13 | 1986–2018 |
5 | George Gebro | 48 | 1 | 1997–2012 |
6 | Anthony Laffor | 46 | 5 | 2004–2018 |
7 | Teah Dennis Jr. | 44 | 1 | 2011–2019 |
8 | Varmah Kpoto | 40 | 1 | 1997–2008 |
9 | Fallah Johnson | 37 | 0 | 1995–2004 |
Zizi Roberts | 37 | 9 | 1995–2003 |
Top goalscorers
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/68/Coppa_UEFA_1992-93_-_Napoli_vs_PSG_-_George_Weah.jpg/200px-Coppa_UEFA_1992-93_-_Napoli_vs_PSG_-_George_Weah.jpg)
Rank | Name | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | George Weah[b] | 18 | 75 | 0.24 | 1986–2018 |
2 | William Jebor | 13 | 27 | 0.48 | 2011–present |
James Debbah[c] | 13 | 58 | 0.22 | 1986–2018 | |
4 | Kelvin Sebwe | 10 | 62 | 0.16 | 1988–2008 |
5 | Zizi Roberts | 9 | 37 | 0.24 | 1995–2003 |
6 | Oliver Makor | 8 | 32 | 0.25 | 1995–2008 |
7 | Prince Daye | 7 | 25 | 0.28 | 1996–2004 |
Jonathan Sogbie | 7 | 27 | 0.26 | 1988–1998 | |
9 | Zah Rahan | 6 | 35 | 0.17 | 2006–2017 |
10 | Francis Doe | 5 | 22 | 0.23 | 2004–2016 |
Isaac Tondo | 5 | 22 | 0.23 | 2000–2005 | |
Dioh Williams | 5 | 24 | 0.21 | 2004–2016 | |
Marcus Macauley | 5 | 27 | 0.19 | 2011–present | |
Anthony Laffor | 5 | 46 | 0.11 | 2004–2018 |
Competitive record
FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
![]() ![]() | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | |||||||||||||
![]() | Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||
![]() ![]() | Did not enter | Declined participation | |||||||||||||
![]() | Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||
![]() | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | |||||||||
![]() | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | |||||||||
![]() | Withdrew during qualifying | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||
![]() | Did not qualify | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 12 | ||||||||
![]() ![]() | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 2 | |||||||||
![]() | 12 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 29 | |||||||||
![]() | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 12 | |||||||||
![]() | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 9 | |||||||||
![]() | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | |||||||||
![]() | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 10 | |||||||||
![]() ![]() ![]() | To be determined | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | ||||||||
![]() ![]() ![]() | To be determined | ||||||||||||||
![]() | |||||||||||||||
Total | — | 0/15 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 72 | 20 | 14 | 38 | 54 | 94 |
Africa Cup of Nations
Africa Cup of Nations record | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Appearances: 2 | ||||||||
Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
![]() | Not affiliated to CAF | |||||||
![]() | ||||||||
![]() | ||||||||
![]() | Did not enter | |||||||
![]() | Did not qualify | |||||||
![]() | ||||||||
![]() | Did not enter | |||||||
![]() | ||||||||
![]() | ||||||||
![]() | Did not qualify | |||||||
![]() | Did not enter | |||||||
![]() | ||||||||
![]() | Did not qualify | |||||||
![]() | Withdrew | |||||||
![]() | Did not qualify | |||||||
![]() | ||||||||
![]() | ||||||||
![]() | Withdrew | |||||||
![]() | Did not qualify | |||||||
![]() | Group stage | 13th | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
![]() | Did not qualify | |||||||
![]() ![]() | ||||||||
![]() | Group stage | 9th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
![]() | Did not qualify | |||||||
![]() | ||||||||
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![]() | ||||||||
![]() | To be determined | |||||||
![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||||||
Total | Group stage | 2/34 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 7 |
Honours
- West African Nations Cup
- Runners-up (1): 1987
- CEDEAO Cup
Notes
- ^ Nagbe retired from international duty in 2001 but later played two farewell matches in 2011.
- ^ a b Weah retired from international duty in 2002 but later played a farewell match in 2018.
- ^ a b Debbah retired from international duty in 2004 but later played a farewell match in 2018.
References
- ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". FIFA. July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
- ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. July 15, 2024. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
- ^ "Liberia Kit History". Football Kit Archive. Archived from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
- ^ Molaposc (July 21, 2014). "Molapo Sports Centre: A good win for Lesotho, but there is still work to do". Molapo Sports Centre. Archived from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
- ^ "Liberia Football Association LFA Unveils Marinica as men's senior national team head coach". Facebook. Liberia Football Association. February 19, 2024.
- ^ "Final Squad". Twitter. Liberia Football Association. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
- ^ Mamrud, Roberto. "Liberia - Record International Players". RSSSF. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Official Website
- Liberia at CAF
- Liberia at FIFA
- Liberian-Soccer.com fan site
- Liberia national football team
- v
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- Liberia Football Association
- History
- Managers
- Records
- Results
- 2020–present