Published: June 10, 2026
MONROVIA — Businesswoman Telia Urey has been named president of Shaita FC, deepening the Urey family’s growing presence in Liberian football administration.
The appointment, announced Tuesday, comes four years after her younger sister, Benita Urey, entered the game as vice president of Shaita Angels, the club’s Careysburg-based women’s team. Benita later became the women’s club’s president and has overseen its rise into one of the stronger sides in the LFA Women’s Upper League.
Telia Urey joined Shaita FC in 2023 as vice president while the club competed in the third division. Later that year, Shaita acquired a majority stake in then-second division side Tony FC in a deal widely credited to her leadership. Under the agreement, Tony FC founder Anthony Deinukai, a member of the Liberia Football Association Executive Committee, remained president while the new ownership group took operational control.
At a July 2023 news conference, Urey laid out a vision centered on player welfare and long-term sustainability. “We want to maintain our competitive nature as a team while ensuring that players receive the resources necessary to reach their full potential,” she said, adding that the club aimed to build “the infrastructure, networks and resources needed to provide the club with maximum support and help it continue to grow.”
In announcing the appointment Tuesday, Shaita FC described Urey as a leader committed to sports and youth development. “President Urey brings a wealth of leadership experience, strategic vision, and a deep commitment to the advancement of sports and youth development,” the club said, urging supporters, partners and stakeholders to back her.
The club did not say whether Deinukai retains an ownership stake after the change.
Urey has built a reputation as an entrepreneur through several ventures, including the Fusion restaurant and entertainment brand, and is expected to bring a business-minded approach to the role. In a Facebook post, she said she was honored to take it on. “My commitment to this club, its players, staff, supporters, and to the broader development of Liberian football is unwavering,” she wrote, pledging to “pursue excellence on and off the pitch and create opportunities that inspire the next generation of footballers.”
Shaita FC posted one of its strongest seasons in 2025-26, finishing second in the LFA Second Division with 53 points from 30 matches and reaching the LFA Cup final, where it lost 2-1 to Black Man Warrior.
With Benita Urey leading Shaita Angels and Telia Urey now atop Shaita FC, the family has established a significant administrative presence in the sport, backed by their father, businessman Benoni Urey.
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