By Daniel Garteh
A 28-man Liberia Football Association (LFA) under 20 delegation has arrived in Dakar, Senegal to participate in the 2019 West African Football Union (Wafu) Nations Cup final.
According to a communication from LFA, the delegation is headed by Freeport FC President Tickly Monkoney, left Liberia at 4:00AM on board Royal Air Moroc.
Others include head coach Robert Lartey, deputy coach Mouctarr Fofana, goalkeeper trainer Robertson Warner, administrative manager Ebenezer Barclay, medic Melvin Jerry and kitman Ezekiel Doekpa.
Liberia will take on Sierra Leone on Sunday following the withdrawal of guest side Morocco at the 16-team tournament.
Sierra Leone were left out of the draw in May due to a Fifa ban, which was later lifted in June.
There will be eight first round matches with the losers going to the plate while the winners go to the cup.
Sierra Leone will surely be up for revenge, having been eliminated by Liberia 3-2 on aggregate in the preliminary round of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
Nimba United striker Varney Dukuly and LPRC Oilers forward Terry Sackor make-up the 21-man squad.
Dukuly and Sackor were part of the squad that lost to Senegal 3-1 on aggregate in the first round qualifiers of the 2020 African Nations Championship (CHAN) in August.
Dukuly, who didn’t feature over the two legs, was joined by top scorer on 17 goals with LISCR FC striker Christopher Jackson in the 2019 Orange-sponsored LFA first division league.
Sackor, who played in both legs, finished third behind Jackson and Dukuly with 14 goals.
Mark Karley, who was also leveled on 18 goals with Mark Yallah of Muscat FC in the second division, is also in the final squad, which was named on 12 September.
Karley joined LISCR from Pags FC, who were relegated to the third division at the end of the season.
He featured in the 2019/2020 Caf Confederation Cup for LISCR in their 3-0 defeat to Togo’s Maranatha FC.
At the same time Barrack Young Controllers (BYC) goalkeeper Alpha Jalloh, another unused member of the CHAN squad, will be hoping to be first choice, having been understudy to Ashley Williams, Tommy Songo and Prince Wlame.
The full squad
Goalkeepers: Alpha Jalloh (BYC),
Emmanuel Deanneh (Nimba United) and
Reuben King (Nimba Kwado)
Defenders: William Seigbeh and Mehnpaine Dolo (BYC-II); Karleo Anderson and Daniel Paye (Bea Mountain);
Benjamin Doe (LISCR FC), Madison Gaye (Muscat FC), Henry Sakama (Watanga FC) and Josephus Mantor (Nimba Kwado).
Midfielders: Rufus Padmore (BYC-II), Theo Nimely (Watanga FC), Varney Sando (LPRC Oilers) and Wurie Barie (Mighty Blue Angels)
Strikers: Varney Dukuly (Nimba United), Terry Sackor (LPRC Oilers), Christian Doe (BYC-II), Kelvin Potis (BYC), Mark Yallah (Muscat FC) and Mark Karley (LISCR FC)
