MARGIBI COUNTY, — Liberia’s senior women’s national football team returned home to a rousing welcome after clinching third place at the 2025 West Africa Football Union (WAFU) Zone A Women’s Cup held in Mauritania.
The homecoming ceremony at Roberts International Airport was led by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, through its Deputy Minister for Sports, Andy Quamie, in collaboration with the Liberia Football Association (LFA). The arrival of the squad was marked by cultural performances from the National Cultural Troupe, as fans and supporters gathered to celebrate their bronze-medal finish.
Liberia defeated Mali 1–0 on Saturday, May 31, to secure third place in the eight-nation regional tournament. The win capped off an impressive campaign that began amid significant logistical hurdles.
A Challenging Journey
The team faced delays in visa processing and was stranded in a hotel in Ivory Coast for nearly four days. The travel issues didn’t only affect Liberia—tournament champions Sierra Leone and Guinea experienced similar delays. The complications forced organizers to postpone the tournament’s original start date from May 19, 2025.
Despite the setbacks, Head Coach Selam Zeray Kadebe and her squad got off to a strong start, defeating Guinea-Bissau 3–1 in their opening match. The team then drew its next two games before falling 1–0 to Senegal in the semifinal, a match marred by a controversial penalty decision in favor of the Senegalese.
Liberia’s standout individual performances included four Woman of the Match awards: Jessica Quachie, Louise Brown, Bendu Yantay, and Delphine Glao were all recognized for their brilliance during the tournament.
Does Third Place Justify the Investment?
While the government and the LFA, through President Mustapha I. Raji, praised Coach Kadebe and her team for earning the bronze medal, some critics believe the level of investment in women’s football warrants more than a third-place finish.
In 2023, the LFA made headlines by hiring Ethiopian coach Selam Zeray Kadebe—the first foreign coach for the women’s national team. Kadebe reportedly earns an annual salary of US$50,000, plus additional benefits, making her one of the highest-paid coaches in the LFA system.
This investment has drawn scrutiny. Critics compare her compensation to the treatment of Liberian coaches, such as Robert Lartey, who led the team to a third-place finish during the inaugural WAFU Zone A Women’s Cup in 2022. Lartey and many other local coaches have worked under uncertain, often inconsistent contractual arrangements.
President Raji, in previous media engagements, defended the hiring of Coach Kadebe, noting that her role extends beyond coaching the senior national team. “She is also here to enhance our technical programs, including coach education,” he said.
A Broader Impact
Kadebe, who also serves as a senior instructor with both CAF and FIFA, has already made notable contributions beyond the pitch. She was instrumental in securing a partnership with WANAW, an Ethiopian sportswear brand, which now supplies Liberia’s national teams with replica kits.
The LFA’s broader investment in women’s football has been reflected in structural changes as well. Prize money for both the men’s First Division and the women’s Upper League now stands equally at US$20,000, up from the previous L$300,000 for women’s champions. This has significantly increased competition and participation.
When Raji took over in 2018, Liberia had only eight registered women’s clubs. Today, there are over 60 women’s teams competing across Upper and Lower leagues, as well as in various community tournaments nationwide. The LFA has also established age-category national teams including U-17 and U-20 girls’ squads.
Mixed Reactions
Madam Rochelle Woodson, president of Earth Angels FC and a vocal supporter of the Raji administration, said the team’s bronze medal should not be seen as a disappointment. Rather, she argued, it reflects the growing strength and potential of women’s football in Liberia.
“Women’s football in Liberia is on an exhilarating path of growth,” Woodson said. “Our finishing third should not be the yardstick to measure that progress.”
Woodson also expressed dissatisfaction with the semifinal match against Senegal, suggesting Liberia was unfairly denied a place in the final.
“Everyone knows we were robbed of the chance to be champions or finish second,” she told The Liberian Investigator. “We should celebrate our third-place finish because it shows we were a strong side held back by poor officiating.”
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