Published: December 23, 2024
MONROVIA — Lone Star Head Coach Thomas Kojo expressed frustration after conflicting age records prevented two key players from participating in Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Senegal at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium in Paynesville.
The match marked the first leg of the final preliminary round of the African Nations Championship (CHAN), a competition organized by CAF for players who compete in domestic leagues across the continent.
Midfielder Lawrence Kumeh, a standout performer for the senior national team, and Watanga FC’s Daniel Nyumah, who recently earned a crucial penalty in Liberia’s 1-0 victory over Togo in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, were sidelined due to discrepancies in their official ages.
The age discrepancies reportedly arose because the players’ details in the FIFA Connect system did not align with the ages listed on their passports. During a post-match press conference, Coach Kojo revealed that the inconsistencies were flagged by Senegalese officials during pre-match inspections.
“I don’t know how these people are running their football clubs and the national team,” Kojo vented. “In competition, you cannot play with two different ages.”
The FIFA Connect system is used to verify the ages of players in domestic leagues, a requirement for participation in CHAN.
This incident highlights a recurring issue in Liberian football. In 2022, Liberia’s U-17 men’s national team was disqualified from the 2023 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers after two players failed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, a method used to verify age. That disqualification caused significant embarrassment and raised questions about the credibility of Liberia’s age verification processes.
Calls for stricter regulations and reliable age verification methods have grown louder as age cheating incidents continue to undermine the integrity of Liberian football. The Liberia Football Association (LFA) and other stakeholders now face mounting pressure to address these issues decisively.
In Sunday’s match, Senegal took the lead with a first-half goal, but Liberia equalized few minutes later. Substitute Yaya Bility, recently crowned Most Valuable Player on the local scene, scored the equalizer. Defender Eugene Swen launched a long ball toward striker William Gibson, who was dispossessed. The ball then fell to midfielder Josiah Cea, who lifted it toward in-form forward Emmanuel Flomo. The LISCR FC and Liberia U-20 striker attempted an overhead kick but missed, leaving the ball to Bility, who slotted it home with a left-footed strike.
Liberia will need at least a 2-2 draw to advance to the next stage, as any win for Senegal will see them progress.
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