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Liberia women's national football team

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the women's team. For the men's team, see Liberia national football team.

Liberia
AssociationLiberia Football Association
ConfederationCAF (Africa)
Sub-confederationWAFU (West Africa)
Head coachSelam Kebede
FIFA codeLBR
First colors
Second colors
FIFA ranking
Current 165 Steady (16 August 2024)[1]
Highest141 (March – June 2007)
Lowest165 (December 2023 – August 2024)
First international
 Liberia 0–3 Ethiopia 
(Monrovia; 18 February 2007)
Biggest win
 Liberia 4–0 Guinea-Bissau 
(Makeni; 26 February 2020)
Biggest defeat
 Liberia 0–7 Ghana 
(Accra; 27 February 2011)

The Liberia women's national football team represents Liberia in international women's football. It is governed by the Liberia Football Association. It has played in five FIFA recognized matches.

History

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Background and development

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The kind of football we have seen here shows that women [sic] football can no longer be regarded as novelty. I am proud to be a woman, watching these ladies display skill and ability that are even rare to see in the men's game. My call is to governments and big companies in Africa to grant women's football more support. If the men are going anywhere to play, the government will find the money. But when it is the women, you see them talking about lack of funds. When our national U-20 team was to play Algeria in the Fifa World Cup qualifiers, the government said they didn't have any money. But I went to Fifa and got them to fund our trip. But after we beat Algeria and then drew with Nigeria in the first leg of the last round of qualifiers, suddenly everyone wanted to be part of the trip to Nigeria. Suddenly the money became available for government officials to travel to Nigeria. There is a lot of insincerity in the way we deal with the women. That should be stopped.

Izetta Sombo Wesley, female football administrator[2]

Early development of the women's game at the time colonial powers brought football to the continent was limited as colonial powers in the region tended to take make concepts of patriarchy and women's participation in sport with them to local cultures that had similar concepts already embedded in them.[3] The lack of later development of the national team on a wider international level symptomatic of all African teams is a result of several factors, including limited access to education, poverty amongst women in the wider society, and fundamental inequality present in the society that occasionally allows for female specific human rights abuses.[4] When quality female football players are developed, they tend to leave for greater opportunities abroad.[5] Continent wide, funding is also an issue, with most development money coming from FIFA, not the national football association.[5] Future, success for women's football in Africa is dependent on improved facilities and access by women to these facilities. Attempting to commercialize the game and make it commercially viable is not the solution, as demonstrated by the current existence of many youth and women's football camps held throughout the continent.[3]

The national federation, Liberia Football Association, was founded in 1936. It became a FIFA affiliate in 1962.[6] Women's football is represented on the committee by specific constitutional mandate.[7] In 2009, the organization did not have any full-time staff members specifically dedicated to assisting women's football.[7][8] Their kit includes red shirts, white shorts and red socks.[8]

Football is the most popular women's participation sport in the country.[7] A women's football program was first organized by the national federation in the country in 1988.[9] In 2000, there were 264 registered female players in the country. In 2006, there were 277 players.[7] In 2006, there were only two women's only teams available for women to play on while there were 43 teams for men to play on.[7] By 2009, regional and national women's football competitions had been established, but no competition had been organized for UL or schools.[9] Rights to broadcast the 2011 Women's World Cup in the country were bought by the African Union of Broadcasting.[10]

Jamesetta Howard has served as the country's Minister of Youth and Sports. The national football association president was Izetta Sombo Wesley. The country's president was Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. All were women and all supported the women's national team.[5] In 2007, Izetta Wesley was named a member of the FIFA Women's Football Committee and that of FIFA Women's World Cup, with her term starting in 2008. She has also served as the Match Commissioner of CAF and FIFA, and Vice President of the West African Football Union (WAFU).[11]

The team

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In 1985, almost no country in the world had a women's national football team,[12] including Liberia who did not play in their first FIFA recognized match until February 2007[13] though the team played three non-recognized games in 2006.[7][13] National team matches have been played at Antoinette Tubman Stadium.[6]

On 18 February 2007 in a game in Monrovia, Liberia lost to Ethiopia women's national football team 0–3 after having been down 0–1 at the half.[13] On 10 March in a game in Addis Abeba, Liberia lost to Ethiopia 0–2 after being down 0–1 at the half.[13] In 2010, the country did not have a team competing in the African Women's Championships.[14] The country did not have a team competing at the 2011 All Africa Games.[15] On 13 February 2011 in a game in Monrovia, Liberia lost to Ghana by a score of 0–4.[13] On 27 February in a game in Accra, Liberia lost to Ghana 0–7.[13]

Liberia's international ranking improved in the late 2000s before falling in the early 2010s: in 2007, it was ranked 144; in 2008, 117; in 2009, 92; in 2010, 128; in 2011, 136;[16] and in 2012, 130, while holding 35th place in Africa.[17]

Team image

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Other national teams

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U17 team

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In 2006, there was no FIFA recognized youth national team.[7] They participated in the African Women U-17 Championship 2008. In the preliminary round, they were supposed to play Benin but Benin withdrew from the competition. In the first round, they were supposed to play Nigeria but they withdrew from the competition.[18][19]

U19/U20 team

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In 2006, there was no FIFA recognized youth national team.[7] Between 2002–2010 in the FIFA Women U19/U20 World Cup, a U19 event up until 2006 when it became U20, the country participated in the qualifying tournament.[20]

The country participated in the African Women U-20 Championship 2006. They were supposed to play Guinea in Round 1 but Guinea withdrew from the tournament. In Round 2, they played their first match in Algeria, where they won 3–2. Algeria withdrew from the tournament before playing in the return match in Liberia. They met Nigeria in the quarterfinals, tying 1–1 in one match, before losing 1–9 in the second.[21]

Homeless World Cup team

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In 2008, a national team represented the country at the Homeless World Cup. In the opening round robin round where they finished second, they beat Cameroon 16–1, beat Colombia 8–5, lost to Zambia 1–4, beat Paraguay 4–1, beat Uganda 7–2, beat Kyrgyzstan 7–3, and beat Australia 14–3. In the semi-final, they tied Colombia 1–1, and won 1–0 in penalty kicks. They lost to Zambia 1–7 in the final.[22]

Amputee football team

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A woman's team from the country competed at the 2011 Cup of African Nations for Amputee Football. In that year, they played Ghana in a friendly in Monrovia, Liberia in the lead up to the competition.[23]

Results and fixtures

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Main article: Liberia women's national football team results
See also: 2022 in association football, 2022 in sports, and FIFA International Match Calendar

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   Lose   Fixture

Their first draw was achieved in 2014.

Date Location Home team Score Away team Source
18 February 2007 Monrovia Liberia Liberia 0–3 (0–1) Ethiopia Ethiopia [13]
10 March 2007 Addis Ababa Ethiopia Ethiopia 2–0 (1–0) Liberia Liberia [13]
13 February 2011 Monrovia Liberia Liberia 0–4 Ghana Ghana [13]
27 February 2011 Accra Ghana Ghana 7–0 Liberia Liberia [13]
8 March 2014 Makeni  Sierra Leone 0–0 Liberia Liberia [13]

2023

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22 September 2023 (2023-09-22) 2024 AFWCON qualification First round 1st leg Cape Verde  3–0  Liberia Praia, Cape Verde
16:00 UTC−1
Report (FCF) Stadium: Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde
26 September 2023 (2023-09-26) 2024 AFWCON qualification First round 2nd leg Liberia  2–3
(2–6 agg.)		  Cape Verde Monrovia, Liberia
15:30 UTC±0
Report (FCF)
Stadium: Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex
Note: Cape Verde won 6–2 on aggregate.

Coaching staff

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Current coaching staff

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As of 6 August 2021
Position Name Ref.
Head coach Ethiopia Selam Kebede

Manager history

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Players

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See also: Category:Liberia women's international footballers

Current squad

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  • The following players were named in December 2023 to face Sierra Leone on two friendlies from 26–30 December.[24]
  • Caps and goals accurate up to and including 30 October 2021.
No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
– 1GK Jackie Touah (2004-04-17) April 17, 2004 (age 20) Liberia Determine Girls
– 1GK Aminata Dicko Liberia Real Muja
– 1GK Olive Wolo Liberia Senior Female Professionals
– 2DF Lucy Massaquoi Liberia Determine Girls
– 2DF Jennie Tisdell (2000-11-11) November 11, 2000 (age 23) Liberia Determine Girls
– 2DF Marthaline Moore (2001-07-21) July 21, 2001 (age 23) Liberia Determine Girls
– 2DF Blessing Nagbe Liberia Real Muja
– 2DF Oretha Togba Liberia Real Muja
– 2DF Aline Capehart Liberia Ambassadors FC
– 2DF Makasian Saryon Liberia Ravia Angels
– 2DF Esther Massaley Liberia Nimba Girls
– 3MF Hawa Kpan Liberia World Girls
– 3MF Hawa Fatomah Liberia World Girls
– 3MF Louise Brown Liberia Determine Girls
– 3MF Zeta Kromah Liberia LEAD Monrovia Academy
– 3MF Christine Kouadio Liberia DC Shooters
– 3MF Jessica Quachie Liberia Real Muja
– 3MF Yassah Gwaikolo Liberia Dolakeh FC
– 3MF Wonder Juery Liberia Soccer Ambassadors
– 4FW Miatta Morris Liberia Shaita Angels
– 4FW Cynthia Weah Liberia Shaita Angels
– 4FW Lucy Kikeh Liberia FC Kallon
– 4FW Elizabeth Tamba (2000-10-31) October 31, 2000 (age 24) Liberia Determine Girls
– 4FW Dalphine Glao Liberia Soccer Ambassadors
– 4FW Lisa Sarwee Liberia Real Muja

Recent call-ups

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The following players have been called up to a Liberia squad in the past 12 months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up


Records

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*Active players in bold, statistics correct as of 6 August 2021.

Competitive record

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FIFA Women's World Cup

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FIFA Women's World Cup record
Year Result GP W D* L GF GA GD
China 1991 Did not enter
Sweden 1995
United States 1999
United States 2003
China 2007
Germany 2011
Canada 2015
France 2019 Did not qualify
AustraliaNew Zealand 2023 Did not qualify
Brazil 2027 To be determined
Total 0/10 - - - - - - -
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

Olympic Games

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Summer Olympics record
Year Result Pld W D* L GS GA GD
United States 1996 did not qualify
Australia 2000
Greece 2004
China 2008
United Kingdom 2012
Brazil 2016
Japan 2020
France 2024
Total 0/8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

Africa Women Cup of Nations

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Africa Women Cup of Nations record
Year Round GP W D* L GS GA GD
1991 to Nigeria 2006 did not exist
Equatorial Guinea 2008 to Ghana 2018 did not enter
2020 Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
Morocco 2022 did not qualify
Morocco 2024 Did not qualify
Total 0/7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

African Games

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African Games record
Year Result Matches Wins Draws Losses GF GA
Nigeria 2003 Did not enter
Algeria 2007
Mozambique 2011 Did not qualify
Republic of the Congo 2015
Morocco 2019
Ghana 2023 Did not enter
Total 0/4 0 0 0 0 0 0

WAFU Women's Cup record

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WAFU Zone A Women's Cup
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA
Sierra Leone 2020 Third 3rd 5 3 0 2 8 6
Cape Verde 2023 did not enter
Total Group Stage 1/2 3 0 0 3 1 17

Honors

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References

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  1. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Women's World Ranking". FIFA. 16 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  2. ^ Olajire, Ademola (5 November 2006). "AAGM: Wesley Canvasses Greater Support for Women [sic] Football". Vanguard. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
  3. ^ a b Alegi, Peter (2 March 2010). African Soccerscapes: How a Continent Changed the World's Game. Ohio University Press. ISBN 978-0-89680-278-0. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  4. ^ Williams, Jean (15 December 2007). A Beautiful Game: International Perspectives on Women's Football. Berg. p. 186. ISBN 978-1-84520-674-1. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  5. ^ a b c Kuhn, Gabriel (24 February 2011). Soccer Vs. the State: Tackling Football and Radical Politics. PM Press. p. 34. ISBN 978-1-60486-053-5. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  6. ^ a b "Goal! Football: Liberia" (PDF). FIFA. 21 April 2009. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 May 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h FIFA (2006). "Women's Football Today" (PDF): 115. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 August 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2012. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. ^ a b Pickering, David (1994). The Cassell soccer companion : history, facts, anecdotes. London: Cassell. p. 182. ISBN 0304342319. OCLC 59851970.
  9. ^ a b "Goal! Football: Liberia" (PDF). FIFA. 21 April 2009. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 May 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
  10. ^ "FIFA Women's World Cup Germany 2011TM Media Rights Licensees" (PDF). FIFA. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  11. ^ Johnson, Julu M. (24 September 2007). "The News (Nigeria) – AAGM: LFA Boss Gets International Posts". The News. Nigeria. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
  12. ^ McDougall, Chrös (1 January 2012). Soccer. ABDO. p. 45. ISBN 978-1-61783-146-1. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Liberia: Fixtures and Results". Archived from the original on 31 January 2010. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  14. ^ "Fixtures — African Women Championship 2010". Cafonline.com. Archived from the original on 14 April 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  15. ^ "Groups & standings — All Africa Games women 2011 – CAF". Cafonline.com. Archived from the original on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  16. ^ "Liberia: FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 31 October 2007. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
  17. ^ "The FIFA Women's World Ranking". FIFA.com. 25 September 2009. Archived from the original on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  18. ^ "African Women U-17 Championship 2008". Rsssf.com. 25 February 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  19. ^ "Regulations — CAN U-17 women 2010". Cafonline.com. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  20. ^ "Women U-19/U-20 World Cup". Rsssf.com. 21 January 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  21. ^ "African Women U-20 Championship 2006". Rsssf.com. 22 August 2008. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  22. ^ "Homeless Football World Cup". Rsssf.com. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  23. ^ "The Feminine Side Of Amputee Football | Soccer News 13 April 2012". Ghanaweb.com. 30 November 2001. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
  24. ^ "Liberia to play Malema Queens in two women's friendly internationals". Liberia Football Association. 19 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
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