Raji Delighted with Influx of Foreign Players in Women’s League

Published: October 3, 2024

MONROVIA — Liberia Football Association (LFA) President Mustapha Raji has expressed his satisfaction with the level of competition in women’s football. In an interview with The Liberian Investigator on Sunday after the LFA Super Cup matches, President Raji said he was thrilled by the display of quality football from Determine Girls and Shaita Angels.

“Seeing the technical abilities of the players, the hard work by the coaches, and, as the president of the football association, I am impressed by the exhibition,” Raji said.

According to him, the emergence of a new challenger to Determine Girls signifies a shift in the growth of women’s football in Liberia.

“The fact that Determine Girls now have a new competitor shows there’s a bit of change in women’s football,” Raji stated. “We want to see this level of competition across all divisions of our league.”

Raji further highlighted the influx of foreign players in the women’s league as a significant indicator of improvement.

“With the influx of foreign players, I believe Liberia’s women’s football has taken on a new dimension,” he said.

The LFA president also pointed out that the increase in prize money for the women’s league has motivated more stakeholders to invest. The winners of the LFA Upper Women’s League now take home US$20,000, compared to the previous prize of 300,000 Liberian dollars.

“Thanks to the stakeholders who are now participating in more competitions, and thanks to the Executive Committee for supporting the vision to increase the incentives. I believe this is part of the progress we’ve made in women’s football, increasing the cash award from L$350K to US$20K,” Raji said.

When Raji became president in 2018, there were only eight women’s football clubs across the country. Today, there are more than 60 women’s teams competing in the Upper and Lower leagues, as well as community leagues nationwide.

The LFA has also established several national teams for women, including U-17, U-20, and the senior national team.