Published: November 2, 2026
MONROVIA — Watanga FC head coach Theophilus Geekor has demanded answers from the Liberia Football Association (LFA), expressing deep frustration over the club’s failure to participate in the 2026-27 CAF Champions League, three months after the administrative lapse that denied Liberia continental representation.
Geekor, who guided Watanga to the 2025-26 Liberia Football Association First Division League title, said his long-held dream of coaching in Africa’s premier club competition was shattered after the LFA failed to register the club with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) before the July deadline.
In an emotional statement posted on social media, Geekor reflected on his more than 20 years as a refugee and the personal journey that made the prospect of coaching in the Champions League particularly meaningful.
“Folks, I spent over 20 years of my life as a refugee, praying and hoping for a chance to stand on the touchlines in the CAF Champions League one day. A dream that we at Watanga Football Club worked so hard to achieve last season, 2025-26,” he wrote.
The coach questioned why, four matches into the 2026-27 domestic season, the club had not yet received a clear explanation for its exclusion.
“Today, we are four matches down the road in the 2026-27 football season with no actual information on how this dream collapsed. This is very painful. This is heartbreaking. This is too hard to take personally,” Geekor said.
He also questioned whether the failure was deliberate, asking what he and his players had done to deserve such a setback.
“Was this a plan to kill a dream that has been nurtured for over 20 years? Did these people really think about all the struggles we went through? What did my players and I do to someone so much?” he added.
Geekor described the situation as a personal betrayal and suggested he was struggling to come to terms with the disappointment.
“To those responsible, I swear, this is not a stab in the back. It’s a deliberate stab in someone’s chest while looking directly in their eyes. It hurts. It really hurts. God, please don’t forget all my efforts,” he wrote.
Liberia has been left without representation in this season’s CAF interclub competitions after the LFA failed to register its two qualified clubs before the continental governing body’s deadline.
Watanga qualified for the CAF Champions League as First Division champions, while Black Man Warrior FC earned a place in the CAF Confederation Cup after winning the Orange Cup.
The administrative failure denied both clubs the opportunity to compete on the continent, along with the CAF participation and solidarity payments associated with the competitions.
Sources familiar with the matter previously told The Liberian Investigator that CAF sent at least two reminders to the LFA Secretariat in July, urging the association to submit its representatives. The final reminder, sent July 25, reportedly gave the LFA until 9 p.m. Egypt time to complete the registration process.
However, neither club was entered into CAF’s Competitions Management System before the deadline expired.
The LFA subsequently established a three-member investigative panel chaired by Third Vice President Jodie Reid Seton, with Executive Committee members Elvis Sirleaf and Ousman Tall serving as members.
The panel was tasked with investigating the circumstances surrounding the registration failure, identifying administrative shortcomings, determining responsibility and recommending measures to prevent a recurrence.
Following the investigation, the committee recommended disciplinary measures against the LFA Competitions Manager and the General Secretary, Emmett Crayton.
In a statement following the incident, the association expressed regret over Liberia’s absence from the 2026-27 competitions and acknowledged the disappointment caused to the affected clubs, their supporters and the wider football community.
However, no action has been taken against anyone since the findings was released.
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