Published: December 5, 2025
MONROVIA — Black Man Warriors have retired their No. 2 jersey in honor of defender Amara Kamara, who died on Jan. 22, 2025, in Ivory Coast while en route to Ghana for medical treatment.
The gesture — believed to be the first official jersey retirement in Liberian football — underscores the club’s esteem for the 18-year-old defender, a rising talent in the Liberia Football Association First Division.
Club officials say the decision was made following consultations with Kamara’s family and the team’s board. In an interview Thursday, Secretary-General George W. Elliott told The Liberian Investigator that the move received the approval of the CEO and Kamara’s relatives.
Elliott confirmed that the jersey has not been worn since Kamara’s death and will remain retired until the midseason break of the 2026–27 league campaign.
“The jersey has been retired for two seasons, and it will be brought back during the midseason of 2026–27,” Elliott said, addressing reports circulating on social media.
Kamara died from injuries sustained during a 3–3 draw against Bea Mountain on Jan. 8, 2025, at the D. Tweh Field on Bushrod Island. He scored Black Man Warriors’ third goal in the 89th minute before leaping for a header and colliding with an opposing player, resulting in a severe spinal injury.
Video footage captured the moment Kamara’s spine twisted in the air. He was first taken to Redemption Hospital and later transferred to John F. Kennedy Medical Center, where he reportedly could not receive the specialized care his condition required.
Doctors at Catholic Hospital later diagnosed a spinal cord injury that needed urgent surgery unavailable in Liberia, prompting efforts to transport him to Ghana. Delays in securing airline tickets forced the club to move him by road. He died during the journey, accompanied by his mother and club representatives.
Kamara, regarded as one of the club’s most promising youth players, represented Black Man Warriors’ U-17 team at the 2024 Helsinki Tournament in Finland, where he drew attention for his talent.
His death has renewed concern over the lack of adequate medical services at LFA National League venues. No ambulance was present at the stadium when he was injured, leaving first responders to move him in a regular vehicle — a gap players and advocates say continues to put athletes at risk.
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