Liberia’s national football team struggles to secure accommodation and cover expenses for recent and upcoming games as payments remain overdue.
Liberia’s national football team, the Lone Star, is facing significant financial difficulties following delayed payments to hotels that have hosted the team during crucial international matches. The issue first arose in March, when the government failed to settle bills at the RLJ Hotel, where the team stayed ahead of their match against Djibouti.
To avoid further embarrassment, team officials negotiated with Colony Hotel to accommodate the squad on credit for the June and September fixtures, in hopes of paying the amount later. However, as of now, no payments have been made, leaving the team in an increasingly precarious situation.
This weekend, the Lone Star is set to return from Equatorial Guinea, but they will not be returning to the Colony Hotel, as the Ivory Coast national football team—who are playing Sierra Leone in Liberia—has already secured their accommodation at the hotel, with full payment in advance. Colony has made it clear that they now require immediate payment from Liberia’s Football Association (FA), rejecting any further promises of future payment, or as they put it, “audio money that can’t arrive.”
The Lone Star is now left with no choice but to return to the RLJ Hotel, despite still owing for their stay in March. RLJ has insisted that any future bookings will require upfront payment. A source within the FA has revealed that part of the requested funds for the Equatorial Guinea match have been received, which will cover two days’ stay at RLJ while the previous balance remains outstanding.
Compounding the issue, the FA had submitted a budget for the upcoming games as early as the first week of August. However, the government only released a portion of the funds two days ago, leaving a shortfall of over $20,000. The FA had requested that airfare fees be paid directly to the ticket agency, but the government’s disbursement was insufficient to cover all expenses.
As of now, no member of the delegation—including team photographers and content creators—left Liberia with any funds. Anthony Kokoi, one of the team’s prominent content creators, has been working tirelessly, producing visuals without upfront payment, further highlighting the dire financial situation the team faces.
Despite these ongoing struggles, there remains a sense of determination within the team. Supporters joke about “better days ahead” and express their hope that the Lone Star will eventually qualify for major tournaments—even if it takes them to Pluto.
