Published: October 2, 2026
Rev. Luther Tarpeh is right about one central issue: Liberia must not abandon the Lone Star because of another painful defeat. Building a competitive national team requires patience, funding, preparation and a long-term development plan.
The large turnout on Tuesday showed that Liberians still care about the team. Supporters came expecting victory, but their presence also demonstrated that football remains one of the few forces capable of bringing the country together. That unity must be protected from the political divisions growing in Monrovia.
By Omari Jackson, Contributing Writer
Some opposition supporters believe Tarpeh’s appointment as chairman of the Lone Star Mobilization Committee is wrong simply because he is a leading member of the ruling Unity Party. Many CDCians suspect that the government is using the national team for political advantage.
Such concerns should not be dismissed without examination. Any government-supported committee must be transparent and accountable. But political affiliation alone should not disqualify a Liberian from serving the national team.
Tarpeh must be judged by his work.
Did he help bring the team’s problems before the Legislature and Executive? Has he encouraged the government to provide better financial and logistical support? Has he helped improve the players’ welfare? Has the committee mobilized citizens behind the Lone Star?
If the answers are positive, then rejecting his service only because he belongs to the Unity Party is unfair and harmful to Liberian football.
There is a troubling pattern in Liberian politics. Some opposition supporters, particularly within the CDC, appear prepared to reject almost every positive action taken by the Unity Party government. A road, public program or national initiative is sometimes judged first by the political identity of those leading it, instead of its benefit to the country.
If this behavior continues, political discontent will become the automatic response to everything done in Liberia. That would make national cooperation almost impossible. Today it is the Lone Star Mobilization Committee. Tomorrow it could be education, health, infrastructure or national security.
However, Tarpeh also weakened his argument by attacking CDCians with insulting language. Calling opponents “mentally deranged,” questioning their reasoning capacity and suggesting that they should be donated to another country will not unite supporters behind the Lone Star.
As chairman of a national committee, he must speak to all Liberians, including those who disagree with him. He should answer criticism with facts, records and results.
Liberians have a right to ask how much money the committee has raised, how it has been used and what problems have been solved. Accountability should not be confused with political sabotage. At the same time, partisan hostility should not be disguised as concern for the national team.
The Lone Star belongs neither to the Unity Party nor the CDC. It belongs to Liberia.
Tarpeh should continue mobilizing support, but he must rise above partisan exchanges. CDCians should also recognize that supporting a useful government initiative does not mean abandoning the opposition. Liberia cannot build a competitive national team while every patriotic effort is dragged into political warfare.
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