PAYNESVILLE, Montserrado—The Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex Stadium was a celebration hub on Sunday, May 19, when the Liberia women’s U17 football team beat the odds to advance to the fourth round of the 2024 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
The youth national team went against all odds to eliminate favorites Senegal from the qualifiers to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the main event that will be hosted in the Dominican Republic from October 16 to November 3.
Liberia appeared to be out of the competition after a disappointing result in the first leg away from home. Liberia had lost 3-1 at the Stade lat-Dior in Thies on May 11. Winning 2-0 at home against a well-structured Senegalese side was an uphill task for the girls. However, Head Coach Sekou Dgeorges Manubah was optimistic about making it to the next round. Manubah praised his opponents for their physicality but acknowledged his side’s coordination despite the loss.
“It was a good one, and you could see that the Senegalese team was very physical, and the intensity was good,” Manubah told the press after Liberia’s defeat in the first leg. “You could also see from my squad the high level of coordination, and I am very impressed with the game. I am impressed with my squad and am very optimistic about a positive result at home. No disrespect to Senegal, but I am confident.”
Coach Sekou Manubah speaks to his team. Photo: T. Kla Wesley, Jr.
On a sunny evening on May 19, Manubah’s girls surprised Liberians by eliminating Senegal to advance to the fourth round. A goal in each half by Louise Brown and Dalphine Glao sealed the win at home to take Liberia to the final qualifying round.
Manubah was full of praise for his girls after the win against Senegal: “Every Liberian is feeling like I am right now. I am super excited. We remain positive and hopeful. From the game in Senegal, we knew we were good enough to get today’s result. We had some small mistakes in Dakar which we worked on.”
Liberia’s opponent in the fourth qualifying round is Nigeria, the 2024 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup bronze medalists. Nigeria beat Germany in post-match penalties to finish third at the last women’s U17 World Cup, which was held in India in 2022. The Flamingoes, as the Nigeria women’s U17 team is called, has qualified for six of the seven women’s U17 World Cups that have been held. Nigeria reached the quarterfinal thrice and finished third once.
Manubah knows he has a more enormous task than when he faced Senegal. With Nigeria being a powerhouse in women’s youth football, he called on Liberians to remain supportive.
“The task is big, and that is true,” he acknowledged. “In the wake of good preparations, I am positive that we will be at the World Cup in the Dominican Republic. I am asking every Liberian to be a part of this now.”
Nigeria beat Burkina Faso 7-1 on aggregate to reach the fourth qualifying round. Nigeria’s U17 has only failed to qualify for one U17 World Cup – the 2018 edition, when Cameroon eliminated them in the second qualifying round.
Featured photo by T. Kla Wesley, Jr.
