LFA signs two-year partnership with national high school sports

Published: June 6, 2025

MONROVIA — In a major step toward grassroots football development and combating age-cheating in youth competitions, the Liberia Football Association (LFA) on Thursday signed a two-year partnership agreement with National High School Sports (NHSS).

The partnership aims to integrate primary school leagues into Liberia’s broader football development framework. Under the agreement, NHSS will organize a nationwide primary school league under the guidance and technical support of the LFA.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, NHSS Executive Director Dionysius Sebwe pledged his organization’s commitment to advancing youth football in Liberia.

“We are delighted to collaborate with the LFA to create a framework that supports the development of youth football in Liberia,” said Sebwe, a former Lone Star defender. “This partnership is expected to have a far-reaching impact on future players, especially those participating in LFA-sanctioned leagues.”

Sebwe emphasized that the initiative will help curb the longstanding issue of age-cheating, which has led to Liberia’s disqualification from regional and international youth tournaments in the past.

“This unprecedented collaboration with the LFA will restore credibility in our youth teams’ selection process and provide tools to effectively track players’ ages,” he said. “NHSS, which uses sports as a platform to promote school enrollment, is ready to support football development in schools across Liberia.”

Sebwe, a former deputy minister at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, also pledged to work closely with the LFA Executive Committee and thanked LFA President Mustapha Raji and Executive Committee member Ivan Brown for facilitating the agreement.

LFA Deputy Secretary-General Muhammed Sheriff signed the agreement on behalf of the association and said the NHSS initiative aligns closely with the LFA’s broader youth development agenda.

“This agreement, which is subject to renewal, is a significant step toward enhancing football development at all levels,” Sheriff said.

He reiterated President Raji’s commitment to collaborating with all football stakeholders — particularly former national players — to drive long-term growth of the sport across the country.