Published: August 11, 2025
MONROVIA – As Liberia prepares for two crucial FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers, a growing number of fans and analysts believe they have found the national team’s long-term answer at left-back — 20-year-old Emmanuel Fully.
Liberia sits on 10 points in Group H and will travel to North Africa on Sept. 4 to face group leaders Tunisia. The Lone Star could field a backline valued at nearly €10 million, anchored by Samson Dweh of Czech top-tier side FC Viktoria Plzeň (valued at €6.5 million) and Prince Balde of Swedish Division 1 club FC Rosengård.
But it is Fully, a former Real Muja FC standout, who is generating the most excitement. Slavia Prague signed him from the Liberian third division for €100,000, and he made his top-flight debut for the Czech champions on Aug. 9 in a 3-1 league win.
Fully spent last season on loan with Slavia’s B team before sealing a permanent move ahead of the 2025–26 campaign. Versatile enough to play both left-back and center-back, he is widely regarded as a long-term fixture for Liberia’s defense.
The challenge, according to football observers, is ensuring he gets consistent minutes in the left-back role to develop into a specialist before potentially transitioning to center-back later in his career.
Liberia has four international matches remaining in 2025, a window some see as the perfect opportunity to solve the long-standing left-back problem by locking Fully into the position and giving him sustained exposure.
The national team’s broader challenge remains building a balanced starting XI. While more young Liberians are emerging in European football, many are not yet competing in top leagues, slowing their development and limiting options for the coaching staff.
Still, with Fully’s arrival on the scene, there is renewed hope that one of the team’s weakest positions could soon become a source of strength.
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