Published: March 19, 2025
MONROVIA – Liberia will kick off their first international match of the year against a familiar but formidable opponent this Wednesday at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex. Kickoff is at 4 GMT.
This fixture marks the fifth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, with Tunisia returning to Monrovia for the first time since 2015, when they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Liberia in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. The lone goal in that historic encounter came from Francis Forkey Doe, sealing Liberia’s only victory over the North African side.
To strengthen his technical staff, head coach Thomas Kojo, popularly known as Kojo, has brought in Englishman Clwyd Jones. The Liberia Football Association (LFA) announced Jones’ appointment to the backroom staff, reuniting him with the national team after previously serving as an assistant coach under former head coach Mario Marinică, who stepped down last year. However, at a pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Kojo was hesitant to confirm whether he had personally recommended Jones for the role.
The Lone Star currently sits third in Group H with seven points from two wins, one draw, and a defeat. Tunisia, meanwhile, leads the group with 10 points, having recorded three victories and one stalemate. A win for Liberia would see them draw level with Tunisia before facing São Tomé and Príncipe five days later.
Liberia has benefited from a FIFA ruling against Equatorial Guinea, which overturned a 1-0 defeat and awarded them a 3-0 victory after the Central African nation fielded an ineligible player. The Lone Star began their campaign with a narrow 1-0 loss to Malawi and a contentious 1-0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea before the ruling reversed that result in their favor. They later secured a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Namibia and clinched a crucial 1-0 win over São Tomé & Príncipe, reviving their hopes of securing a maiden World Cup appearance.
With this international window featuring a double-header, Liberia, ranked 145th in the latest FIFA World Rankings, faces a daunting challenge against Tunisia, who sit 93 places above them. After Wednesday’s clash, the Lone Star will turn their focus to Group H’s bottom side, São Tomé.
Tunisia, having already booked their spot in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after finishing second in Group A, are looking to maintain their dominance in World Cup qualifying under newly reappointed head coach Sami Trabelsi. Trabelsi, who previously managed the team from 2011 to 2013, was brought back on February 10 to continue their strong campaign.
Before the qualifiers paused in June, the Eagles of Carthage recorded convincing results, thrashing São Tomé 4-0 and securing back-to-back 1-0 wins over Malawi and Equatorial Guinea. Their last outing, however, ended in a goalless draw with Namibia. Tunisia remains unbeaten in their recent competitive away matches, having won three and drawn three, and they will be eager to extend that streak on Wednesday as they aim to tighten their grip at the top of Group H.
Liberia now has a full squad following the late arrival of Czech Republic-based Devine Teah and Sampson Dweh, along with Ayoub Kosiah, on Tuesday.
The winner of Group H will qualify directly for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Meanwhile, four of the nine group runners-up will advance to a playoff to determine Africa’s representative in the intercontinental qualifying playoff.
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