LBA warns: Only certified coaches will be allowed in league

Published: September 10, 2025

MONROVIA — Liberia Basketball Association (LBA) president Abraham Samukai has warned that beginning next season, only certified and licensed coaches will be allowed to lead teams in the first division.

Samukai said Liberia has been running its league for years without a single certified coach since the resignation of Bah Corvah, the country’s only licensed coach, who left the sport many years ago.

He made the remarks Tuesday in Paynesville at the launch of a six-day Class A certification program for Liberian coaches, organized by FIBA in collaboration with Olympic Solidarity.

“This certification is globally recognized and allows coaches to work in any league worldwide,” Samukai told participants. “We fought hard to secure this training package so that you can elevate yourselves.”

Liberia National Olympic Committee president Cllr. Sylvester Rennie praised the initiative, describing it as the first of many training programs aimed at boosting coaching standards across Liberian federations.
“All around the world, this certificate is accepted and respected,” Rennie said. “I urge you to take the training seriously—it’s for your own benefit.”

The course is led by FIBA instructor Ronald Awino of Kenya, who said the sessions will run nine hours a day over six days. He cautioned that any participant missing a single day would be disqualified.
“We are going to use 396 pages from the basketball manual,” Awino said. “You must be ready for the task ahead to be a certified coach in Liberia.”