The Liberia Unification Party was a political party in Liberia .
68-828: The party fielded candidates in the 11 October 2005 elections as part of the four-party Coalition for the Transformation of Liberia (COTOL). In the 19 July 1997 legislative elections , the party was part of the Alliance of Political Parties , which won 2 out of 64 seats in the House of Representatives . While international observers deemed the polls administratively free and transparent, they noted that it had taken place in an atmosphere of intimidation because most voters believed that former rebel leader and National Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate Charles Taylor would return to war if defeated. On 1 April 2009, it merged into
136-555: A UN Goodwill Ambassador . At the 2004 ESPY Awards at the Kodak Theatre , Los Angeles, Weah won the Arthur Ashe Courage Award for his efforts. He has also been named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador , a role which he has suspended in his political career. Off the football pitch, he stood out throughout his career for his initiatives to fight against racism in the game. Weah has tried to use football as
204-471: A switchboard operator . He signed for Cameroonian Premier League club Tonnerre Yaoundé in 1987 after impressing during a match against them, and scored twice on his debut against Canon Yaoundé . Weah's abilities were noticed by the Cameroon national team manager, Claude Le Roy , who recommended him to Arsène Wenger , the manager of French Division 1 club Monaco . Weah signed for Monaco 1988 for
272-543: A transfer fee of £12,000, after Wenger had flown to Africa prior to the signing to see him play. Weah has credited Wenger as an important influence on his career. During his time with Monaco, Weah was named the African Footballer of the Year for the first time in 1989. This was his first major award and he took it back home for the entire country to celebrate. Weah won the 1990–91 Coupe de France , playing in
340-604: A " babe-in-the-woods ", while Sirleaf had served as minister of finance in the William Tolbert administration in the 1970s and had held positions at Citibank , the World Bank and the United Nations. Weah's eligibility to run for presidency was also called into question as it was reported that he had become a French citizen in his footballing career at Paris Saint-Germain, but these complaints were rebuffed by
408-686: A Pro-Poor Agenda for Development and Prosperity, saying that this will benefit not just the poor, but all Liberians. In 2019 inflation went as high as 28%. It made many Liberians to worry which led protests called "Save the State" in Monrovia and in Washington, D.C. In September 2019, Weah attended the National Economic Dialogue (NED), seeking solutions amidst Liberia's economic crisis. A host of organizations rallied to develop
476-427: A beeline for goal, leaving his teammates in his wake. His teammate Zvonimir Boban stated, "It was an incredible run. We were thinking, 'When's he going to stop? When's he going to stop? He's not going to stop! He's never going to stop!'". Weah finished by rifling the ball into the bottom left corner before an exuberant goal celebration . Due to his performances with both Paris Saint-Germain and Milan in 1995, Weah
544-639: A club based in Clara Town, in 1981 at the age of 15. Jason Burke , writing for The Observer , described how Weah scored "two spectacular goals" on his debut, "one hit from such a tight angle that it went in-off having struck both posts". In his three years with Young Survivors, the club earned two promotions , from the fourth level of football in Liberia to the second. He signed for Liberian Premier League club Bong Range United in 1984, where he played for one season, before joining Mighty Barrolle , one of
612-544: A comprehensive program aimed at bolstering Liberia's economy. Weah urged Liberians to use the Dialogue as a national platform to craft strategies and offer workable solutions for the crisis. The forum yielded several recommendations, some of which are listed below: During his second year in office, Weah and his administration witnessed a deterioration in the economy, with inflation reaching 30%. This economic downturn, coupled with payment delays, triggered protests against which
680-423: A free transfer on a two-year contract worth £30,000 a week, declining the offer of a £1 million pay-off from Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi . He played 11 games in all competitions for City, scoring four times, before leaving on 16 October 2000 after becoming dissatisfied with manager Joe Royle for selecting him as a substitute too frequently; he had only played the full 90 minutes in three of his 11 games for
748-479: A global minnow". Widely regarded as one of the greatest African players of all time, Weah was named FIFA World Player of the Year and won the Ballon d'Or in 1995, becoming the first and only player to win these awards while representing an African country internationally. In 1989 and 1995, he was also named the African Footballer of the Year winning the official award twice, and in 1996, he was named African Player of
SECTION 10
#1732782870874816-413: A global minnow. Weah returned to the national team for a specially arranged friendly against Nigeria on 11 September 2018, his final international appearance, playing at the age of 51 while in office as the country's president. His number 14 shirt, worn at his playing peak, was retired after the friendly, with Weah receiving a standing ovation when he was substituted. During his prime in the 1990s, Weah
884-414: A highly prolific and successful period; he also became the top scorer of the 1994–95 UEFA Champions League , with seven goals, after reaching the semi-finals with the club, one of which was a skillful individual "wonder-goal" against Bayern Munich in the group stage, on 23 November 1994. During his time at the club, he also managed to reach the semi-finals of the 1992–93 UEFA Cup , and the semi-finals of
952-620: A list of 22 presidential candidates who were cleared to run; six candidates were rejected, but Weah was cleared to stand despite complaints that he had adopted French citizenship. The Senate seats were contested by 206 candidates and the seats in the lower house were contested by 503 candidates. [1] Campaigning for the elections began on 15 August. In late September, the Supreme Court ruled that two excluded presidential candidates, Marcus Jones and Cornelius Hunter, and an excluded legislative candidate could register to run; this ruling created
1020-402: A multi-functional forward Weah was also a team player who was capable of creating chances and assisting goals for teammates. Along with Ronaldo and Romário , Weah was viewed as a modern, new style of striker in the 1990s who would also operate outside the penalty area and run with the ball towards goal, at a time when strikers primarily operated inside the penalty area where they would receive
1088-400: A multimillion-dollar partnership with Weah in 2016, whereby global football academies would be established to help assist youth in both impoverished and emerging nations. The motivation for the academies is cited as a shared experience between both Tripathi and Weah in how sport can transform lives in their nations of India and Liberia, which both still suffer from severe poverty. Following
1156-551: A nine-year term. The candidate with the second-highest share became the junior senator , elected to a six-year term. This method was chosen in order to reintroduce a staggered electoral system . The following are the results for the 2005 Senate elections from the National Elections Commission . George Weah George Tawlon Manneh Oppong Ousman Weah (born 1 October 1966) is a Liberian politician and former professional footballer who served as
1224-468: A quarter-final finish in the 1995–96 UEFA Cup . Exhibiting skill, athleticism and goalscoring prowess, Weah became famous at Milan for scoring several notable goals, in particular a solo goal against Hellas Verona at the San Siro which saw him deftly control the ball from Verona's corner kick just outside his penalty area, before he set off. With all his teammates back defending the corner Weah made
1292-418: A way to bring happiness and promote education for children in Liberia. In 1998, Weah launched a CD called Lively Up Africa featuring the singer Frisbie Omo Isibor and eight other African football stars. The proceeds from this CD went to children's programs in the countries of origin of the athletes involved. Weah was President of Junior Professional , a former football club he founded in Monrovia in 1994. As
1360-496: A way to encourage young people to remain in school, the club's only requirement for membership was school attendance. Many of the young people, recruited from all over Liberia, went on to play for the Liberian national team. Weah was also actively involved with youth programs in a Liberian enclave on Staten Island , New York, when he resided there for a time. The Diya Group chairman and Indian entrepreneur Nirav Tripathi announced
1428-624: Is not fit to govern: "With all their education and experience, they have governed this nation for hundreds of years. They have never done anything for the nation." He initially claimed to have a BA degree in sport management from Parkwood University in London ; however, this is an unaccredited diploma mill , which awards certificates without requiring study. Weah then pursued a degree in business administration at DeVry University in Miami . Weah also remained active in Liberian politics, returning from
SECTION 20
#17327828708741496-644: The 1993–94 European Cup Winners' Cup ; in total, he scored 16 goals in 25 European games. In 1994, he won the African Footballer of the Year Award for the second time in his career. Weah joined AC Milan in 1995, winning the Italian league in 1996 under Fabio Capello . He played alongside Roberto Baggio and Dejan Savićević in Milan's attack, as well as Marco Simone on occasion, and finished
1564-475: The 1996 and 2002 editions of the tournament, although Liberia failed to make it out of their group both times, suffering first-round eliminations. Weah has been named by several media outlets as one of the best players to never play at the World Cup. One of the greatest African players of all time, George Weah was, like his namesake George Best before him, hamstrung in World Cup terms by hailing from
1632-455: The 2005 election , losing to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in the second round of voting. In the 2011 election , he ran unsuccessfully for vice president alongside Winston Tubman . Weah was subsequently elected to the Senate of Liberia for Montserrado County in the 2014 election . Weah was elected President of Liberia in the 2017 election , defeating the incumbent vice president Joseph Boakai , and
1700-563: The 2017 election , standing for the Coalition for Democratic Change . After winning the first round of the 2017 election with 38.4% of the vote, he and Joseph Boakai of the Unity Party went into the second round of the election. In the second round, Weah was elected President of Liberia, winning a run-off against vice president Joseph Boakai with more than 60% of the vote. Weah was sworn in as president on 22 January 2018, making him
1768-579: The Maine Road club. At City, he scored once in the league against Liverpool (as he did at Chelsea), and three times against Gillingham (again as he had at Chelsea), this time in the League Cup ; once in the first leg and twice in the second. Following his time in England, Weah returned to France and had a spell at Marseille, where he remained until May 2001. He later played with Al Jazira in
1836-745: The UAE Football League , where he remained until his retirement as a player in 2003, at age 37. He had planned on joining the New York/New Jersey MetroStars of Major League Soccer but elected to join Al Jazira temporarily. Since making his debut for the Liberia national team against Burkina Faso on 23 February 1986, Weah played 75 games, scoring 18 goals. Representing one of the smaller nations in world football and perennial underdogs, Weah did much to support
1904-501: The final on 8 June in which Monaco beat Marseille 1–0 at the Parc des Princes . He helped Monaco reach the final of the 1991–92 European Cup Winners' Cup , scoring four goals in nine cup appearances. Weah subsequently played for Paris Saint-Germain (1992–1995), with whom he won the Coupe de France in 1993 and 1995 , Division 1 in 1994 , and the Coupe de la Ligue in 1995 during
1972-476: The 1990s led him to be nicknamed "King George". 90min included him in their list of the 50 greatest players of all time. Weah is often hailed as one of the greatest African footballers of all time, being named African Player of the Century in 1996, and often ranked among the three greatest African strikers ever, alongside Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto'o . In 2013, Milan great Franco Baresi named Weah in
2040-451: The 25th president of Liberia from 2018 to 2024. Before his election for the presidency, Weah served as senator from Montserrado County . He played as a striker in his prolific 18-year professional football career which ended in 2003. Weah is the first African former professional footballer to become a head of state, and the only African Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year winner in history, winning both awards in 1995. He won
2108-452: The African Footballer of the Year 3 times and is widely considered one of the greatest strikers of all time. After beginning his career in his native Liberia , Weah spent 14 years playing for clubs in France, Italy, and England. Arsène Wenger brought him to Europe, signing him for Monaco in 1988. Weah moved to Paris Saint-Germain in 1992 where they won Division 1 in 1994 and became
Liberia Unification Party - Misplaced Pages Continue
2176-649: The African Player of the Century by sport journalists from around the world. Weah was banned from six European matches for breaking the nose of the Portuguese defender Jorge Costa on 20 November 1996 in the players' tunnel after Milan's draw at Porto in the Champions League. Weah said he exploded in frustration after putting up with racist tauntings from Costa during both of the team's Champions League matches that autumn. Costa strenuously denied
2244-573: The Century. Known for his acceleration , speed , and dribbling ability, in addition to his goal-scoring, Weah was described by FIFA as "the precursor of the multi-functional strikers of today". In 2004, he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players. Weah became involved in politics in Liberia following his retirement from football. He formed the Congress for Democratic Change and ran unsuccessfully for president in
2312-458: The Congress for Democratic Change chose Weah as its 2011 vice presidential candidate, running with presidential candidate Winston Tubman . The Tubman/ Weah ticket managed to capture 32.7% of the vote in the first round with Sirleaf getting 43.9% of the vote. As neither had a majority the election, following the two-round system , proceeded to the next round. However, in the second round Sirleaf
2380-535: The United States in 2009 to successfully campaign for the Congress for Democratic Change candidate in the Montserrado County senatorial by-election. Some analysts saw these moves as preparation for a repeat run for the presidency in 2011, and Weah did indeed later announce his intention to challenge Sirleaf in the 2011 election . After a series of failed alliances with other opposition parties,
2448-437: The accusations of racism and was not charged by UEFA as no witnesses could verify Weah's allegations, not even his Milan teammates. Weah later attempted to apologise to Costa but this was rebuffed by the Portuguese, who considered the charges of racist insults levelled against him to be defamatory and took Weah to court. The incident led to Costa undergoing facial surgery and he was subsequently sidelined for three weeks. Despite
2516-528: The ball from teammates. Among the next generation of strikers who were inspired, Thierry Henry states, "George Weah, Romário, and Ronaldo changed the game for me. It was the first time as a striker I saw players that could score on their own. Pick the ball up anywhere and score. Before as a number nine, people would say ' Stay within the line of the box, don't move too much, don't go to the wings, don't drop, stay.' Then I saw George Weah. And then I saw Ronaldo. And I saw Romário differently before those two. And it
2584-723: The best players never to win the UEFA Champions League . Weah represented Liberia at the international level, winning 75 caps and scoring 18 goals for his country and playing at the African Cup of Nations on two occasions. He also played in a friendly in 2018, where his number 14 jersey was retired. Regarded as one of the best players never to have played at the FIFA World Cup , Scott Murray in The Guardian refers to Weah as "hamstrung by hailing from
2652-539: The biggest clubs in Liberia. Weah was not a regular starter for Mighty Barrolle despite scoring regularly, which prompted a move to their rivals, Invincible Eleven , in 1986. He helped the club win the 1987 Liberian Premier League title, was the league's top scorer, and was named as the league's player of the season. Before his football career allowed him to move abroad, Weah worked for the Liberia Telecommunications Corporation as
2720-496: The chairwoman of the National Elections Commission (NEC), announced the 11 October date on 7 February 2005. Elections were scheduled for all 64 seats in the House of Representatives , with each of Liberia's 15 counties having at least two seats and the remaining seats allotted proportionally based on voter registration. The Senate had 30 seats up for elections, with two from each county. Prior to
2788-516: The election, former football star George Weah was considered by many to be the favorite, due at least partially to widespread dissatisfaction with Liberia's politicians. Weah, who had been the subject of a petition published in September 2004 urging him to run, announced his candidacy in mid-November 2004 and received a hero's welcome when he arrived in Monrovia later in the month. Weah won
Liberia Unification Party - Misplaced Pages Continue
2856-506: The electoral commission in court and Weah was allowed to proceed. Weah obtained a plurality of votes in the first round of voting on 11 October, garnering 28.3% of the vote. This qualified him to compete in a run-off election against Sirleaf, the second placed candidate. However, he lost the run-off to Sirleaf on 8 November, garnering only 40.6% to 59.4% for Sirleaf. Weah alleged that the election had been rigged through voter intimidation and ballot tampering, and many of his supporters protested
2924-549: The end of the Second Liberian Civil War , Weah announced his intention to run for President of Liberia in the 2005 election , forming the Congress for Democratic Change to back his candidacy. While Weah was a popular figure in Liberia, opponents cited his lack of formal education as a handicap to his ability to lead the country, in contrast with his Harvard -educated opponent, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf . Analysts also noted Weah's lack of experience, calling him
2992-565: The first held since 1997 and marked the end of the political transition following the second civil war , having been stipulated in the Accra Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2003 . Ellen Johnson Sirleaf , former World Bank employee and Liberian finance minister, won the presidential contest and became the first democratically elected female African head of state in January 2006. Frances Johnson-Morris,
3060-411: The first native female African head of state since Empress Zauditu , who ruled Ethiopia from 1916 to 1930. As no Senate existed prior to the elections, each voter was eligible to cast two ballots for different candidates. The two candidates with the highest number of votes in each county were elected. The candidate with the highest share of votes became the senior senator for the county, elected to
3128-400: The first round of voting but lost in the 8 November 2005 run-off. He initially filed formal fraud charges, but subsequently dropped his allegations, citing the interests of peace. The chairman of the transitional government, Gyude Bryant , and other members of the transitional government did not run, according to the terms of the peace deal. On 13 August, the election commission published
3196-452: The fourth youngest-serving president in Africa, marking Liberia's first democratic transition in 74 years. He cited fighting corruption, reforming the economy, combating illiteracy and improving life conditions as the main targets of his presidency. Two other world class African strikers, Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto'o, attended the inauguration. After winning 2017 election, Weah promised
3264-641: The greatest XI he has ever played with. FourFourTwo magazine named Weah one of the best players never to win the UEFA Champions League . A number of publications, including Scott Murray of The Guardian and Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times , in addition to FIFA, consider him to be one of the greatest players never to feature at the World Cup. The status of Weah in the sport saw him feature in EA Sports' FIFA video game series where he
3332-400: The greatest strike of all in Italian football. On his impact on the sport, Weah states, "When I look at my idols – Pelé , Maradona , Beckenbauer , Cruyff – they did a lot of great things. I came into the game and made history too." Named African Footballer of the Year three times and the first African to win the Ballon d'Or and be named FIFA World Player of the Year, Weah's prominence in
3400-549: The incident, Weah still received the FIFA Fair Play Award in 1996. Weah signed for English Premier League club Chelsea on loan from Milan on 11 January 2000, in a deal which would keep him with the West London club until the end of the 1999–2000 season . Although past his prime, Weah's time in England was deemed a success, especially at Chelsea where he instantly endeared himself to their fans by scoring
3468-476: The legislature. He won a landslide victory, receiving 99,226 votes, which represented 78.0% of the total votes from the 141 polling centers, while Sirleaf, his closest rival received 13,692 votes, which is nearly 11% in the election marred only by a low turnout. Following his election, Weah only occasionally attended sessions of the Senate and did not introduce or sponsor any legislation. In April 2016, Weah announced his intention to run for President of Liberia in
SECTION 50
#17327828708743536-435: The national squad: aside from being the team's star player, he also later coached the squad and even funded his national side to a large extent. Despite his efforts, he was unsuccessful in helping Liberia qualify for a single FIFA World Cup , falling just a point short in qualifying for the 2002 tournament . However, he did help Liberia to qualify for the African Cup of Nations on two occasions: Weah represented his country in
3604-505: The possibility that the elections would have to be postponed in order to reprint ballot papers. However, these candidates later withdrew their bids, so the elections went ahead on schedule on 11 October. Voting took place in two rounds 11 October and 8 November. Twenty-two people contested the presidential race in the first round. George Weah , former soccer star and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf , former World Bank employee and finance minister finished first and second, respectively and advanced to
3672-490: The press that Weah has 72 hours to bring evidence of wrongdoing to her campaign according to Liberian law, calling the accusations "lies" and stating that Weah's supporters "just don't want a woman to be President in Africa." On 22 December 2005, Weah withdrew his protests, and in January, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became the first democratically elected female Head of State in the history of the African Continent, and
3740-416: The results in the streets of Monrovia. However, after assurances that the vote was fair, several prominent African leaders called on Weah's supporters to accept the result with grace and dignity, and Sirleaf became president. The African Union had characterised the election as "peaceful, transparent, and fair". Weah's lack of education became a campaign issue. He has been highly critical of those who say he
3808-475: The ruling Unity Party . This article about a political party in Liberia is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Liberia elections, 2005 Gyude Bryant LAP Ellen Johnson Sirleaf UP General elections were held in Liberia on 11 October 2005, with a runoff election for the presidency held on 8 November. The presidency and all seats in the House of Representatives and Senate were up for election. The elections were
3876-579: The season as Milan's top goalscorer. He won the Serie A title once again in 1999 . During his time with the club, he also reached the 1998 Coppa Italia final , and finished as runner-up in the Supercoppa Italiana on two occasions, in 1996 and 1999 . Despite their European dominance in the early 1990s, Milan was less successful in Europe during this time, however, with their best result being
3944-866: The second round run-off , which Johnson-Sirleaf won 59%-41%, according to the National Electoral Commission. Weah claimed election fraud , stating elections officials were stuffing ballot boxes in Johnson-Sirleaf's favor. Most elections observers , including those from the United Nations , the European Union and the Economic Community of West African States , say that the election was clean and transparent. The Carter Center observed "minor irregularities" but no major problems. Johnson-Sirleaf reminded
4012-532: The top scorer of the 1994–95 UEFA Champions League . He signed for AC Milan in 1995 where he spent four successful seasons, winning the Serie A twice. Later in his career, he joined Premier League having spells at Chelsea and Manchester City , winning the FA Cup with Chelsea, before returning to France to play for Marseille in 2001. He ended his career with Al Jazira in 2003. FourFourTwo named Weah one of
4080-572: The winner against rivals Tottenham Hotspur on his debut, and scored further league goals against Wimbledon and Liverpool. He also scored twice in Chelsea's victorious 1999–2000 FA Cup netting crucial goals against Leicester City and Gillingham . This led to him starting in the final , which Chelsea won 1–0. Chelsea manager Gianluca Vialli did not make Weah's move permanent, and, on 1 August 2000, he officially left Milan, and signed for newly promoted Premier League side Manchester City on
4148-505: Was a mechanic while his mother, Anna Quaye Weah (d. 2013), was a merchant. He has three brothers, William, Moses, and Wolo. He was one of thirteen children largely raised by his devoutly Christian paternal grandmother, Emma Klonjlaleh Brown after his parents separated when Weah was still a baby. He attended middle school at Muslim Congress and high school at Wells Hairston High School and reportedly dropped out in his final year of studies. Weah began to play football for Young Survivors,
SECTION 60
#17327828708744216-405: Was like 'hang on a minute, someone has lied to me'." One such goal that exemplified this ability was against Verona in 1995 where he received the ball in the edge of his penalty box and ran the length of the field. Scoring such a goal in Serie A – the best defensive league in the world – saw media outlets such as Gazzetta dello Sport running pages of analysis for days afterward, and calling it
4284-650: Was named in the Ultimate Team Legends in FIFA 14 . During his playing career Weah was sponsored by sportswear company Diadora , and he became famous for his red Diadora boots while playing for AC Milan. Mighty Barrolle Invincible Eleven Monaco Paris Saint-Germain AC Milan Chelsea Liberia Individual Weah is a devoted humanitarian for his war-torn country. During his playing career he became
4352-647: Was re-elected, with the Tubman / Weah ticket receiving only 9.3% of the vote. In 2014, he ran for election to the Senate of Liberia as a Congress for Democratic Change candidate in Montserrado County. He was elected to the Liberian Senate on 20 December 2014. Weah defeated Robert Sirleaf, the son of President Sirleaf, becoming the first Liberian international athlete elected to represent a county in
4420-525: Was regarded as one of the best strikers in the world. He was lauded for his speed, work rate, stamina, and attacking instincts, as well as his physical and athletic attributes, which he combined with his finishing, technical ability, and creativity. A fast, powerful, physically strong player, with an eye for goal, many observers agree that he successfully filled the void left in the Milan attack by club great Marco van Basten . In addition to his pace, acceleration, dribbling skills, and goalscoring ability, as
4488-525: Was sworn in on 22 January 2018. Weah was defeated in a rematch with Boakai in the 2023 election . George Manneh Oppong Weah was born on 1 October 1966 in Monrovia , the capital city of Liberia, and was raised in Clara Town , a slum in the city. He is a member of the Kru ethnic group, which hails from south-eastern part of Liberia, one of the poorest areas of the country. His father, William T. Weah Sr.,
4556-646: Was thanks to him that he was able to develop into a world-class player. That year, Weah also won the African Player of the Year Award for the third time in his career, and was named to the Onze de Onze by the French football magazine Onze Mondial . In 1996, Weah finished second in the FIFA World Player of the Year ranking; he was also the recipient of the FIFA Fair Play Award , and was voted
4624-455: Was the recipient of several individual awards: he won the Ballon d'Or , the Onze d'Or , and was named FIFA World Player of the Year , becoming the first and, currently, only African player (by FIFA nationality) to win these awards, and second African-born player to do so after Eusébio . Weah dedicated his FIFA World Player of the Year victory to his former manager, Arsène Wenger, stating that it
#873126