Published: September 3, 2025
MONROVIA — Liberian First Division champion FC Fassell has mounted what analysts call the most ambitious club-level preparation in the nation’s football history, investing more than $511,000 ahead of its CAF Champions League preliminary-round clash with Algeria’s MC Algiers on Sept. 20.
The two-month campaign, which ran from July through August, featured international travel, high-profile signings and competitive friendlies. Club officials said the spending included $160,000 for accommodation, meals, friendly matches and delegate tours in Egypt; $78,000 for airfare and travel logistics; and $273,000 for the signing of 10 new players and two coaches.
The outlay represents the largest financial commitment by a Liberian club in more than three decades.
This is not Fassell’s first international preseason. In 2024, the club took more than 60 personnel to Egypt for a monthlong camp after returning to the domestic league from years of absence. That comeback culminated in a dominant run to the 2024–25 First Division title with two matches to spare, securing $20,000 in prize money and a berth in continental competition.
CAF has confirmed that clubs advancing to the Champions League group stage will receive $700,000 in preparation funding — an incentive Fassell appears determined to chase.
Club CEO Cassell A. Kuoh, who is also a candidate in the 2026 Liberia Football Association presidential election, said on Freedom FM over the weekend that the investment is bigger than one club.
“I’m not spending this money for Fassell alone,” Kuoh said. “I want to see a Liberian club make history — qualify for the group stage and go beyond. Come out in your numbers on Sept. 20. We’ll be representing Liberia, so let’s wave the flag together.”
Fassell’s recent 1-1 draw against Samba SC, finalists of the 2024–25 CAF Confederation Cup and ranked among Africa’s top four clubs, has further fueled optimism that the Liberian champions are evolving from domestic powerhouse to a rising force in West African football.
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