Africa-Press – Liberia. The Liberia Football Coaches Association (LIFOCA) has launched a nationwide audit of coaching credentials across all levels of the game, an ambitious step aimed at raising professional standards and restoring credibility within Liberian football.
The initiative was officially announced by LIFOCA President Barent Karr during a one-day retreat held on Saturday at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex in Paynesville.
Karr said the audit is already underway, starting from the grassroots level and extending to national divisions.
“We’ve initiated the process from the bottom up,” Karr said. “From grassroots to the national level, we want to ensure our coaches are qualified and capable.”
According to Karr, the move was triggered by growing concerns about discrepancies and inconsistencies in coaching credentials, which have sometimes led to the undervaluing of qualified coaches and the promotion of unqualified ones.
“Anyone caught in the findings of this process will be reprimanded,” Karr stressed. “We believe coaches deserve better, and that begins with holding ourselves to the highest standards.”
The retreat, held under the theme: “The Role and Importance of Coaches in the Development of Football in Liberia,” served as a prelude to the 2025–26 domestic league season.
Coaches from across the country attended the event, which included technical workshops and a friendly football match.
Representing the Liberia Football Association (LFA), Technical Director Doco Wesseh praised LIFOCA for taking decisive steps to strengthen the profession. He called for adherence to educational and licensing requirements to ensure coaches advance based on merit and competence.
“The improper advancement of coaches from one level to another can result in a lack of knowledge at the top,” Wesseh cautioned. “We must ensure that coaches at every stage are properly trained and certified.”
Wesseh described coaches as the “backbone of football development,” stressing the need for a stronger partnership between the LFA and LIFOCA to improve technical capacity across the sport.
“Without the Coaches Association, there will be no football,” he said. “The Association must serve as the foundation for developing our game from grassroots to the national team.”
He also underscored the importance of psychology and age-appropriate training in developing young players, warning that many promising talents are lost due to poorly structured coaching methods.
The LFA, according to Wesseh, is working closely with FIFA to expand international training opportunities for Liberian coaches.
Beginning this season, Wesseh announced, coaches will be subject to pre-match inspections to ensure they meet the required licensing standards.
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