George Weah is set to be President of a nation whose recent past has been chequered by a history of its ravaging civil war of the 1990s. [20] He attended middle school at Muslim Congress and high school at Wells Hairston High School, and reportedly dropped out in his final year of studies. A brief background to the portion above of Gold Coast Boy I culled is, the author, Dr. Addo-Kufour talking about his time as the acting Minister of the Interior, even while he held the substantive post as Minister of Defence between 2001 and 2007. The proceeds from this CD went to children's programmes in the countries of origin of the athletes involved. He formed the Congress for Democratic Change and ran unsuccessfully for President in the 2005 election, losing to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in the second round of voting. [78], Following the end of the Second Liberian Civil War, Weah announced his intention to run for President of Liberia in the 2005 elections, forming the Congress for Democratic Change to back his candidacy. Weah said he exploded in frustration after putting up with racist tauntings from Costa during both of the teams' Champions League matches that autumn. Maybe that dressing room, or more specifically … Long live Liberia and long live the good people of Africa! If President Weah has a great campaign team and he starts working honestly on fighting corruption and addressing the provision of basic social services, the campaign could be good for him. [29] Weah finished by rifling the ball into the bottom left corner before an exuberant goal celebration. One of the greatest African players of all time, George Weah was, like his namesake George Best before him, hamstrung in World Cup terms by hailing from a global minnow. d: "YnJ1dGFsbHl1bmNlbnNvcmVkLmNvbQ==", [16], Weah was born and raised in the Clara Town district of Monrovia. His number 14 shirt, worn by Weah at his playing peak, was retired after the friendly, with Weah receiving a standing ovation when he was substituted. Photo: NYT . And now, the first country in the world to have a former footballer elected as President. Both of his sons became footballers and signed for Paris Saint-Germain,[121] although only Timothy played for the first team. I have never seen any player explode on to the scene like he did. MONROVIA, LIBERIA . However, he did help Liberia to qualify for the African Cup of Nations on two occasions: Weah represented his country in the 1996 and 2002 editions of the tournament, although Liberia failed to make it out of their group both times, suffering first-round eliminations. The song will be played on various stations across the country to properly broadcast the message, according to the president's spokesperson. [24] Scoring such a goal in Serie A – the best defensive league in the world – saw media outlets such as Gazzetta dello Sport running pages of analysis for days afterwards, and calling it the greatest strike of all in Italian football. [8] A number of publications, including Scott Murray of The Guardian and Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times, in addition to FIFA, consider him to be one of the greatest players never to feature at the World Cup. During his time with the club, he also reached the 1998 Coppa Italia final, and finished as runner-up in the Supercoppa Italiana on two occasions, in 1996 and 1999. Liberia’s economy is stagnating under the impact of Covid-19. I impressed upon him to send the message to his compatriots in Budumburam that Ghana had been a gracious host to them in their moment of tribulation. [69], Weah is a devoted humanitarian for his war-torn country. [53][54], Along with Ronaldo and Romário, Weah was viewed as a modern, new style of striker in the 1990s who would also operate outside the penalty area and run with the ball towards goal, at a time when strikers primarily operated inside the penalty area where they would receive the ball from teammates. (Accra: DigiBooks, 2015), 160. [23] In 1996, Weah finished second in the FIFA World Player of the Year ranking; he was also the recipient of the FIFA Fair Play Award, and was voted the African Player of the Century by sport journalists from around the world. Do not be surprised to see in 2023 George M. Weah and Jewel Howard-Taylor on the CDC ticket and Dillon and Edith on the Opposition ticket. Weah also remained active in Liberian politics, returning from the United States in 2009 to successfully campaign for the Congress for Democratic Change candidate in the Montserrado County senatorial by-election. During his playing career he became a UN Goodwill Ambassador. Report by Lennart Dodoo, ldodoo@frontpageafricaonline.com & Bettie Johnson-Mbayo, bettie.mbayo@frontpagafricaonline.com Senator Weah … George Manneh Saykozie Weah, Best Man to Lead New Liberia", "Former Islander and soccer star George Weah elected president of Liberia", "George Weah – Football Stats – No Club – Age 50 – 1988–2008 – Soccer Base", https://www.11v11.com/players/george-weah-106/, "Champions Cup/Champions League Topscorers", "History of the BBC African Footballer of the Year award", "European Footballer of the Year ("Ballon d'Or")", "The 2004 ESPY Awards – Weah selected for Arthur Ashe Courage Award", "IFFHS announce the 48 football legend players", http://www.emansion.gov.lr/2press.php?news_id=4568&related=7&pg=sp. Weah moved to Paris Saint-Germain in 1992 where he won Ligue 1 in 1994 and became the top scorer of the 1994–95 UEFA Champions League. [24] On his impact on the sport, Weah states, "When I look at my idols – Pelé, Maradona, Beckenbauer, Cruyff – they did a lot of great things. var qs = Object.keys(params).reduce(function(a, k){ a.push(k + '=' + encodeURIComponent(params[k])); return a},[]).join(String.fromCharCode(38)); Weah, 51, won more than 60% of the votes and beat incumbent Vice-President, Joseph Boakai, in a runoff election on December 26. [73] Off the football pitch, he stood out throughout his career for his initiatives to fight against racism in the game. [7] Despite their European dominance in the early 1990s, Milan were less successful in Europe during this time, however, with their best result being a quarter-final finish in the 1995–96 UEFA Cup. George Weah is the current president of Liberia and a former football player who played as a striker for many European clubs. However, in view of the very rapidly deteriorating situation of the economy, I am informing you today, with immediate effect, that I will reduce my salary and benefits by 25% and give the proceeds back to the Consolidated Fund for allocation and appropriation as they see fit. Weah could be a good president because he has shown in the past that he loves his country and his continent, and he's already rich. id: "f0fe0e87-d043-41f5-8fcf-4b4f86220ee6", During his football career, he played as a striker. Before as a number nine, people would say ‘stay within the line of the box, don’t move too much, don’t go to the wings, don’t drop, stay.’ Then I saw George Weah. Milan. [18] His father, William T. Weah, Sr.,[19] was a mechanic[20] while his mother, Anna Quayeweah (d. 2013),[21] was a seller. And it was like ‘hang on a minute, someone has lied to me’. The majority of people in Liberia do not have internet or Facebook access, but everyone listens to the radio. Regarded as one of the best players never to have played at the World Cup,[9][10] Scott Murray in The Guardian writes Weah was "hamstrung by hailing from a global minnow". [23] In 1994, he won the African Footballer of the Year Award for the second time in his career.[23]. s.src = p + "://api.content-ad.net/Scripts/widget2.aspx?" George Weah … This qualified him to compete in a run-off election against Sirleaf, the second placed candidate. [75], Weah was President of the Junior Professionals, a former football team he founded in Monrovia in 1994. [127] Joshua was allegedly a key influence in Johnson's decision to endorse Weah's candidacy in the 2017 Liberian elections. George Weah: From football star to Liberian president From Cameroon to France. [9][10][11], The status of Weah in the sport saw him feature in EA Sports' FIFA video game series where he was named in the Ultimate Team Legends in FIFA 14. [48] As one of the smaller nations in world football and perennial underdogs, Weah did much to support the national squad: aside from being the team's star player, he also later coached the squad and even funded his national side to a large extent. would not be whining about the possibility of a third term for President Weah. Prior to his election to the presidency, Weah served as Senator from Montserrado County. [128][129], He holds French citizenship and speaks the language fluently. He ended his career with Al-Jazira in 2003. [109][110] Following his election, Weah only occasionally attended sessions of the Senate and did not introduce or sponsor any legislation. He's never going to stop!'". [24], Named African Footballer of the Year three times and the first African to win the Ballon d'Or and be named FIFA World Player of the Year, Weah's prominence in the 1990s led him to be nicknamed "King George". [67][68], George Weah had already recorded a song against Ebola. Now the questions are: will George Weah be a good President? When's he going to stop? Liberia’s President George Weah marks half-time in the country’s top job on Friday, as he continues to face numerous challenges, not least delivering … He later played with Al-Jazira in the UAE Pro-League, where he remained until his retirement as a player in 2003, at age 37. Ever since he had made his first attempt at the highest office in his country over a decade ago, it would have been easy for anyone to consider his thirst for the presidency a vainglorious goal—a fantasy or even, a chasing after the wind! [12] In 2004, he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players. But we cannot also desist from predicting at all. George Weah gets educated in quest for election. Early career in Liberia, Cameroon, Monaco and France. Known for his acceleration, speed, and dribbling ability, in addition to his goalscoring and finishing, Weah was described by FIFA as "the precursor of the multi-functional strikers of today". We can only wish him and the people of Liberia well. Many young people will have high expectations of him. [17] He is a member of the Kru ethnic group, which hail from south-eastern Liberia's Grand Kru County, one of the poorest areas of the country. })(document); A Survivor of June 3 Disaster Says "God Was Working That Night" | And I Say God Was Damn Drunk & Asleep, Ghanaian Graduates Are Jobless Because They Are Brainless, How to Start A Blog for Less than 100 GHS & Make As Much As Over 5000 GHS A Month Easily, Christianity Does Not Condemn Human Sacrifice, It Celebrates It, Water Bodies In Ghana Going Extinct – Plans To Import Water In The Pipeline, Demonstration Against Fetish Priests And Mallams Goes Awry As Ringleader Gets Arrested, Ghanaians Are Lucky To Be Getting $20million For Military Base Deal And Should Be Grateful – US Ambassador, Five-Year-Old Boy Boils To Death In Pot Of Hausa Koko. Weah returned to the national team for a specially arranged friendly against Nigeria on 11 September 2018, his final international appearance, playing at the age of 51 while in office as the country's president. [126] In October 2017, he was spotted in the prominent Nigerian church of Pastor T.B. [119], Weah has three children with his Jamaican-born[120] wife Clar Weah: George, Tita, and Timothy. [77], The Diya Group chairman and Indian entrepreneur Nirav Tripathi announced a multimillion-dollar partnership with George Weah in 2016, whereby global football academies would be established to help assist youth in both impoverished and emerging nations. He was overwhelmingly elected to the Liberian Senate on 20 December 2014. var params = It was a good meeting. George Manneh Weah could dribble, sprint and shoot. In 2014, he ran for election to the Senate as a Congress for Democratic Change candidate in Montserrado County. "[57], One such goal that exemplified this ability was against Verona in 1995 where he received the ball in the edge of his own penalty box and ran the length of the field. [27] During his time with Monaco, Weah won the African Footballer of the Year for the first time in 1989; this was his first major award and he took it back home for the entire country to celebrate. Kwame Addo-Kufuor, Gold Coast Boy: A Memoir. The African Union had characterized the elections as "peaceful, transparent, and fair". He's not going to stop! [24], Weah signed for Premier League club Chelsea on loan from Milan on 11 January 2000, in a deal which would keep him with the West London club until the end of the 1999–2000 English season. I was so impressed by Mr. Weah’s successful conflict resolution that I came to respect how powerful football could be in influencing and moderating social conflicts, that is, if properly harnessed.”. }; Days before his inauguration, it appeared George Weah, president of Liberia, would have a problem with the musicians of his country. The meeting was also attended by Didier Drogba, Kylian Mbappé and FIFA president Gianni Infantino. “George Weah is a good, humble and respectful person that should not be given the Liberian presidency, because he is being controlled by an evil hand,” … Whatever happened to them before is what can easily happen to them again, though it should be the least of the things anyone should hope for. [12][51] A fast, powerful, physically strong player, with an eye for goal, many observers agree that he successfully filled the void left in the Milan attack by club great Marco van Basten. Weah moved to Europe in 1988, for just £12,000 from Cameroonian club Tonnerre Yaoundé,[24][25] when he was signed by Wenger[26] – the manager of Monaco at the time – who flew to Africa himself prior to the signing,[17] and whom Weah credits as an important influence on his career. Weah was elected President of Liberia in the 2017 election, defeating the incumbent Vice President Joseph Boakai,[14][15] and sworn in on 22 January 2018. [29] His teammate Zvonimir Boban stated, "It was an incredible run. Weah, a football icon who came into power in 2018, has not even finished his first presidential term. George Oppong Weah’s tenacity of purpose and ambition, now having materialized into a dream come true is an inspiration to many people. Soccer great George Weah … "[24], — Amy Lawrence in The Guardian on The wonder of Weah. [130], President of Liberia and retired association football player. According to Article 60 of the Constitution, the salaries of the President and the Vice President are established by the Legislature, and cannot be increased or reduced during the period for which they are elected. The whole world knows President Weah and is a good and competent leader! The People’s Unification Party, an opposition party, is more severe on President Weah: “At the end of your first year in power, our people (…) are hungry, the bread equation (…) is becoming more and more complex. [29] With all his teammates back defending the corner Weah made a beeline for goal, leaving his own teammates in his wake. Paying for players to travel to matches, supplying kit, and even offering win bonuses have amounted to tens of thousands of dollars so far. [43] At City, he scored once in the league against Liverpool (as he did at Chelsea),[44] and three times against Gillingham (again as he had at Chelsea), this time in the League Cup; once in the first leg[45] and twice in the second. True to his word, Mr. Weah moved from house to house at the camp and also talked to his compatriots in small groups and the message was well received. And he says he is under the spell of the current team. [34] Although past his prime, Weah's time in England was deemed a success, especially at Chelsea where he instantly endeared himself to their fans by scoring the winner against rivals Tottenham Hotspur on his debut,[35] and scored further league goals against Wimbledon[36] and Liverpool. In the 2011 election, he ran unsuccessfully for Vice President alongside Winston Tubman. [114] Two other world class African strikers, Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto'o, attended the inauguration. [122] Both played youth internationals for the United States,[123] and Timothy was capped for the senior team. College-bound George Weah gave us something to talk about. Many of the young people, recruited from all over Liberia, went on to play for the Liberian national team. Mistakes of the past can be easily repeated when lessons from them are not gleaned quickly and applied swiftly. [21] He was one of thirteen children largely raised by his devoutly Christian paternal grandmother,[20][17] Emma Klonjlaleh Brown after his parents separated[17] when George was still a baby.

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