LFA History
The Liberia Football Association (LFA) is the governing entity of football in Liberia. Located on Benson Street in Monrovia, the LFA was founded in 1936.
By 1962, the LFA joined the world governing body of football, FIFA. In the same year, the LFA also affiliated with the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Like CAF and FIFA, the local football house is a justifiable member of the West African Football Union or WAFU.
Though the LFA gained its official birth by 1936, football had received some form of recognition far before this year. According to John Howard, who is regarded the father of the LFA, football was being played in Liberia years before the establishment of the LFA, mainly amongst the settlers.
Since its birth, the LFA has had several heads, some known as president and others as chairman; Anthony Barclay could become the first president of the Association in 1936.
The Association is currently headed by Musa Hassan A. Bility as president, with Musa Shannon and Casell Kuoh, Sr. as first and second vice presidents, respectively. Bility succeeded Cllr. Izetta Wesley in 2010 following a well-attended election in Monrovia in March 2010. He than ran unopposed in March 2014 thereby giving him another four-year term to run the affairs of the LFA.
The LFA runs an annual national league comprising all clubs of Liberia. There are five categories in which the clubs are divided: First Division (12 clubs), Second Division (14 clubs), and Women’s Division (7 clubs). The rest of the clubs are in the Sub-Associations and Sub-Committees, making up the Third and Fourth Division categories (the basement of Liberian football).
There are 14 Sub-Associations (all counties of Liberia excluding Montserrado) and eight Sub-Committees. In each Sub-Association, there are 14 clubs in the 3rd division and eight in the 4th division while in each Sub-Committee, there are 22 third division clubs and 14 fourth division clubs throughout the country. There are a total of 36 clubs in each Sub Committee and a total of 22 in each Sub Association.
Administratively, the LFA is headed by a president who is elected along with 12 other officials for a period of four years. The elected body is known as the Executive Committee, which is the highest decision making body in the absence of the Congress.
However, the Association is run by a Secretariat, comprising a Secretary General and several deputies who carry the title of Director. They are appointed by the president with the endorsement of the Executive Committee members. The LFA uses an approved statute in conformity with the laws of its world governing body’s legal instrument.
The new leadership of Musa Bility has brought total independence to LFA following the recent signing of a memorandum of understanding between the LFA and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, government arm on sports. The instrument gives the LFA full authority of all football matters and football facilities in the country. The deal also gave the football house full managerial control of the various national teams of the country.
The LFA runs a transparent administration, with its activities open to its members (clubs and other affiliates). Information dissemination is a key. There are several official outlets of the football house: a website www.liberiafa.com, a magazine “The Liberia Football Today”, a Newspaper “Liberia Football Today”, and a sports radio station “Sports FM 96.9” which was recently launched.
The LFA also has strong presence on social media including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.