The Liberia national football team, nicknamed the Lone Stars, represents Liberia in men's international football and is controlled by the Liberia Football Association. Although the nation produced the 1995 FIFA World Player of the Year, George Weah, its football team has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup and has qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations just twice—in 1996 and 2002. It is a member of both FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
 | |||
| Nickname(s) | The Lone Stars | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Liberia Football Association | ||
| Confederation | CAF (Africa) | ||
| Sub-confederation | WAFU (West Africa) | ||
| Head coach | Mario Marinică | ||
| Captain | Oscar Dorley | ||
| Most caps | Joe Nagbe (77) | ||
| Top scorer | George Weah (18) | ||
| Home stadium | SKD Stadium | ||
| FIFA code | LBR | ||
| |||
| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 149  6 (24 October 2024)[1] | ||
| Highest | 66 (July 2001) | ||
| Lowest | 164 (October–November 2010) | ||
| First international | |||
 Ivory Coast 0–2 Liberia  (Abidjan, Ivory Coast; unknown date 1954) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
Liberia 5–0 Djibouti  (Monrovia, Liberia; 29 March 2016) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 Ghana 6–0 Liberia (Accra, Ghana; 6 April 1975) | |||
| Africa Cup of Nations | |||
| Appearances | 2 (first in 1996) | ||
| Best result | Group stage (1996 and 2002) | ||
History
editAfrican Cup of Nations
editIn 1965 Liberia played in first campaign 1965 qualification qualifying campaign, losing its first match 0–1 against Ivory Coast. They also won 3–2 against DR Congo however lost both returning fixtures and were eliminated in the first round. In 1967 Liberia played in 1968 qualification qualifying campaign, drawing its first match 2–2 against Guinea. They also drew against Senegal however lost both returning fixtures and were eliminated in the first round. Liberia returned to qualifying in 1976 but lost in the preliminary round to Togo, falling to defeat in both fixtures. After another absence, Liberia again joined AFCON qualifying in 1982 in the preliminary rounds but failed to progress after two draws against Gambia, losing on the away goals rule.
Liberia withdrew from qualifying for the 1984 African Cup of Nations, but the following tournament they managed to secure their first win during qualifying, a 3–1 first-leg victory over Mauritania. They failed to capitalize on this advantage, losing 3–0 in the second leg. Liberia then faced Sierra Leone and Mali during the 1988 qualification and 1990 qualification respectively, but again failed to progress. In 1992, Liberia withdrew from qualifying before playing a match (possibly due to the ongoing First Liberian Civil War), and in 1994, Liberia was put into a group with two participants that withdrew during qualifying (Tanzania and Burkina Faso) however they failed to take advantage of this and finished with zero points, having lost to Ghana twice.
In the 1996 African Cup of Nations qualification, Liberia managed to register three wins (against Togo, Tunisia and Mauritania) and four draws, which saw them finish the group in second place and qualify for their first African Cup of Nations tournament. Following the withdrawal of Nigeria, Liberia was placed in a group with Gabon and Zaire. Liberia opened the tournament with a 2–1 victory over Gabon with goals from Kelvin Sebwe and Mass Sarr Jr. but lost 2–0 to Zaire. This meant that Liberia finished bottom of the group on goal difference and failed to progress to the knock-out stages.
Liberia missed out on returning to the African Cup of Nations in 1998 as they finished one point off of qualification. In 2000, they defeated Niger in the preliminary rounds, but again failed to advance to the main tournament, this time finishing behind Algeria on goal difference.
In 2002 African Cup of Nations qualification, Liberia beat Cape Verde in the preliminary rounds, then they finished top of their group to qualify for the main tournament for the second time in their history. In the 2002 African Cup of Nations, Liberia drew their first game 1–1 with Mali (goal scored by George Weah) and drew their second game 2–2 against Algeria (goals from Prince Daye and Kelvin Sebwe), but in their final group game, needing a win against Nigeria, they lost 1–0.
FIFA World Cup
editLiberia first entered the qualifying process for the FIFA World Cup in 1966, however, they withdrew in protest against the fact that too few places had been reserved for Africa and Asia, along with all fourteen other African nations that had initially entered qualifying.
Liberia next entered qualifying in 1982 against Guinea after receiving a bye in the first round. They lost 1–0 over the two legs and were eliminated. In 1986, Liberia was again eliminated without having scored a goal, falling 4–0 to Nigeria. In 1990, Liberia won its first FIFA qualifying match defeating Ghana to progress to the second round. Despite finishing second in their group, Liberia failed to advance to the final qualification round, ending two points behind group winners Egypt.
In 1998, Liberia beat Gambia in the first qualification round, but finished twelve points adrift of Tunisia in their group. In 2002, Liberia had their strongest qualifying campaign, however, a loss against Ghana in their penultimate group game gave Nigeria the opportunity to overtake them and secure the only qualification spot.
Team image
editKit supplier
edit| Kit provider[3] | Period |
|---|---|
| 1990–1993 | |
| 1994–1995 | |
| 1996–1998 | |
| 1999–2001 | |
| Unknown | 2002 |
| 2003–2004 | |
| 2004–2006 | |
| 2006–2008 | |
| 2008 | |
| 2009 | |
| 2010–2012 | |
| 2012 | |
| 2012–2013 | |
| 2013–2014[4] | |
| 2015–2020 | |
| 2021–present |
Results and fixtures
editThe following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
Win Draw Loss Fixture
2024
edit| 20 March AFCON 2025 qualification | Djibouti | 0–2 | | Marrakech, Morocco |
| 22:00 UTC±0 | Report | Stadium: Stade de Marrakech Referee: Mehrez Melki (Tunisia) |
| 26 March AFCON 2025 qualification | Liberia | 0–0 (2–0 agg.) | | Paynesville, Liberia |
| 16:00 UTC±0 | Report | Stadium: Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex Referee: Karim Sabry (Morocco) | ||
| Note: Liberia won 2–0 on aggregate. | ||||
| 5 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Namibia | 1–1 | | Johannesburg, South Africa |
| 18:00 UTC+2 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Orlando Stadium Referee: Messie Jessie Oved Nkounkou Mvoutou (Congo) |
| 9 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | São Tomé and Príncipe | 0–1 | | Oujda, Morocco |
| 14:00 UTC+1 | Report |
|
Stadium: Stade municipal d'Oujda Referee: Andofetra Rakotojaona (Madagascar) |
| 6 September 2025 AFCON qualification | Togo | 1–1 | | Lomé, Togo |
| 16:00 UTC±0 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Stade de Kégué Referee: Godfrey Nkhakananga (Malawi) |
| 10 September 2025 AFCON qualification | Liberia | 0–3 | | Monrovia, Liberia |
| 16:00 UTC±0 | Report | Stadium: Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex |
| 11 October 2025 AFCON qualification | Equatorial Guinea | 1–0 | | Malabo, Equatorial Guinea |
| 14:00 UTC+1 | Report | Stadium: Estadio de Malabo Referee: Ahmed Arajiga (Tanzania) |
| 14 October 2025 AFCON qualification | Liberia | 1–2 | | Monrovia, Liberia |
| 16:00 UTC±0 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex Referee: Brahamou Sadou Ali (Niger) |
| 27 October 2024 African Nations Championship qualification | Sierra Leone | 1-2 | | Monrovia, Liberia |
| 16:00 UTC±0 |
|
Report | Stadium: Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex |
| 1 November 2024 African Nations Championship qualification | Liberia | 1–1 (3-2 agg.) | | Monrovia, Liberia |
| 16:00 UTC±0 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex |
| Note: Liberia won 3–2 on aggregate. | ||||
| 13 November 2025 AFCON qualification | Liberia | 1-0 | | Monrovia, Liberia |
| 15:00 UTC±0 | Report | Stadium: Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex Attendance: 8,543 Referee: Mohamed Athoumani (Comoros) |
| 17 November 2025 AFCON qualification | Algeria | 5–1 | | Tizi Ouzou, Algeria |
| 16:00 UTC+1 | Report |
|
Stadium: Hocine Aït Ahmed Stadium Referee: Tanguy Mebiame (Gabon) |
Coaching staff
editAs of February 2024[update][5]
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | |
| Assistant coach | |
| Assistant coach | |
| Goalkeeping coach | |
| Fitness coach |
Coaching history
edit- Caretaker managers are listed in italics
Josiah Johnson (1971–78)
Bert Trautmann (1978–80)
Paulo Campos (1986)
Philippe Redon (2000–02)
Shawky El Din (2006)
Bertalan Bicskei (2010–11)
Roberto Landi (2011–12)
Peter Butler (2019–2022)
Mario Marinica (2024–present)
Players
editCurrent squad
editThe following players were called up for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches against Togo and Equatorial Guinea on 6 and 9 September 2024.[6]
Caps and goals correct as of 9 September 2024, after the match against Equatorial Guinea.
Recent call-ups
editThe following players have been called up for the team in the last 12 months.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Emmanuel Deanneh | 20 June 1995 | 1 | 0 | v. | |
| GK | Ashley Williams | 30 October 2000 | 19 | 0 | v. | |
| GK | Boison Wynney | 27 December 1996 | 7 | 0 | v. | |
| DF | Mark Pabai | 30 September 2000 | 10 | 0 | v. | |
| DF | Joachim Adukor | 2 May 1993 | 6 | 0 | v. | |
| DF | Jamal Arago | 28 August 1993 | 11 | 0 | v. | |
| DF | Joel Johnson | 20 September 1992 | 10 | 0 | v. | |
| DF | Seth Hellberg | 19 August 1995 | 12 | 0 | v. | |
| MF | Sheikh Sesay | 24 October 2002 | 1 | 1 | v. | |
| MF | Marcus Macauley | 27 October 1991 | 28 | 5 | v. | |
| MF | Edward Ledlum | 15 June 1999 | 10 | 0 | v. | |
| MF | Tonia Tisdell | 2 January 1992 | 18 | 1 | v. | |
| MF | Brem Soumaoro | 8 August 1996 | 12 | 0 | v. | |
| MF | Albert Korvah | 2 February 1999 | 5 | 0 | v. | |
| MF | Mohammed Kamara | 31 October 1997 | 4 | 1 | v. | |
| MF | Prince Saydee | 20 February 1996 | 3 | 0 | v. | |
| MF | Saah Moses Jr. | 10 July 2007 | 2 | 0 | v. | |
| FW | William Jebor | 10 November 1991 | 27 | 13 | v. | |
| FW | Kpah Sherman | 3 February 1992 | 22 | 3 | v. | |
| FW | Sylvanus Nimely | 4 September 1998 | 12 | 0 | v. | |
| FW | Abu Kamara | 1 April 1997 | 9 | 0 | v. | |
Records
edit- As of 14 October 2024[7]
- Players in bold are still active with Liberia.
Most appearances
edit| Rank | Name | Caps | Goals | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joe Nagbe[a] | 77 | 0 | 1986–2011 |
| 2 | George Weah[b] | 75 | 18 | 1986–2018 |
| 3 | Kelvin Sebwe | 62 | 10 | 1988–2008 |
| 4 | James Debbah[c] | 58 | 13 | 1986–2018 |
| 5 | George Gebro | 48 | 1 | 1997–2012 |
| 6 | Anthony Laffor | 46 | 5 | 2004–2018 |
| 7 | Teah Dennis Jr. | 44 | 1 | 2011–2019 |
| Oscar Dorley | 44 | 3 | 2015–present | |
| 9 | Varmah Kpoto | 40 | 1 | 1997–2008 |
| 10 | Fallah Johnson | 37 | 0 | 1995–2004 |
| Zizi Roberts | 37 | 9 | 1995–2003 |
Top goalscorers
edit| Rank | Name | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Weah[b] | 18 | 75 | 0.24 | 1986–2018 |
| 2 | William Jebor | 13 | 27 | 0.48 | 2011–present |
| James Debbah[c] | 13 | 58 | 0.22 | 1986–2018 | |
| 4 | Kelvin Sebwe | 10 | 62 | 0.16 | 1988–2008 |
| 5 | Zizi Roberts | 9 | 37 | 0.24 | 1995–2003 |
| 6 | Oliver Makor | 8 | 32 | 0.25 | 1995–2008 |
| 7 | Prince Daye | 7 | 25 | 0.28 | 1996–2004 |
| Jonathan Sogbie | 7 | 27 | 0.26 | 1988–1998 | |
| 9 | Zah Rahan | 6 | 35 | 0.17 | 2006–2017 |
| 10 | Francis Doe | 5 | 22 | 0.23 | 2004–2016 |
| Isaac Tondo | 5 | 22 | 0.23 | 2000–2005 | |
| Dioh Williams | 5 | 24 | 0.21 | 2004–2016 | |
| Marcus Macauley | 5 | 28 | 0.18 | 2011–present | |
| Anthony Laffor | 5 | 46 | 0.11 | 2004–2018 |
Competitive record
editFIFA World Cup
edit| FIFA World Cup record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | ||||||||||||||
| Withdrew | Withdrew | ||||||||||||||
| Did not enter | Declined participation | ||||||||||||||
| Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | ||||||||||
| 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | ||||||||||
| Withdrew during qualifying | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | |||||||||
| Did not qualify | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 12 | |||||||||
| 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 12 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 29 | ||||||||||
| 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 12 | ||||||||||
| 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 9 | ||||||||||
| 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 10 | ||||||||||
| To be determined | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | |||||||||
| To be determined | |||||||||||||||
| Total | — | 0/15 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 72 | 20 | 14 | 38 | 54 | 94 | |
Africa Cup of Nations
edit| Africa Cup of Nations record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appearances: 2 | ||||||||
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| Not affiliated to CAF | ||||||||
| Did not enter | ||||||||
| Did not qualify | ||||||||
| Did not enter | ||||||||
| Did not qualify | ||||||||
| Did not enter | ||||||||
| Did not qualify | ||||||||
| Withdrew | ||||||||
| Did not qualify | ||||||||
| Withdrew | ||||||||
| Did not qualify | ||||||||
| Group stage | 13th | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Did not qualify | ||||||||
| Group stage | 9th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| Did not qualify | ||||||||
| To be determined | ||||||||
| Total | Group stage | 2/34 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 7 |
Honors
editRegional
edit- WAFU Nations Cup
- Third place (1): 2011
- West African Nations Cup
- Runners-up (1): 1987
- CEDEAO Cup
- Runners-up (1): 1987
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". FIFA. October 24, 2024. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
- ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. November 21, 2024. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
- ^ "Liberia Kit History". Football Kit Archive. Archived from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
- ^ Molaposc (July 21, 2014). "Molapo Sports Centre: A good win for Lesotho, but there is still work to do". Molapo Sports Centre. Archived from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
- ^ "Liberia Football Association LFA Unveils Marinica as men's senior national team head coach". Facebook. Liberia Football Association. February 19, 2024.
- ^ "Squad List". Instagram. Liberian FA.
- ^ "Liberia". National Football Teams.