Liberia World Cup qualifier took another hit on September 4, 2025, when the lost 3-0 to Tunisia at the Stade Olympique Hammadi Agrebi in Radès. Now, Liberia’s curtain has fallen behind the top two in the Group H and the future is full of questions for coach Thomas Kojo and his players.

The Carthage Eagles wasted little time getting started and struck early. Hazem Mastouri capitalized on Liberia’s uncertainty in defense in just the 5th minute after Mark Pabai hesitated on the clearance. He slotted the ball past Tommy Songo and the script was set. Tunisia would continue to dominate the ball in the first half as they pressed Liberia early and often.

The Lone Stars came in after a hard-fought narrow victory against São Tomé in Monrovia and struggled away from home. Coach Kojo was forced into a substitution at defender Natus Swen succumbed to an injury after suffering a head-to-head collision; he was substituted by Kemoh Kamara. Tunisia continued to push on, and Songo did a good job to keep the score to 1-0 at halftime.

Key Moments from the Tunisia Clash

• 5th minute: Hazem Mastouri scores after defensive mistake.
• 11th minute: Natus Swen stretchered off with injury.
• 66th minute: Tunisia scored to make it 2-0 by Ferjani Sassi from Hannibal Mejbri’s cross from a corner.
• 90+3: Substitute Elias Saad curls in a free kick making it 3-0.

Even though Kojo made a couple of substitutions for energy, including Mamadu Bah and Divine Teah, Liberia didn’t produce much of an attacking threat. Their attacking effort was driven by Ayouba Kosiah’s three shots on target but he was unable to breakthrough.

Liberia’s Away Form: An Ongoing Worry

At home, Liberia have been competitive. But away from Monrovia, the team has struggled to impose themselves. The midfield was disjointed and the defense was unable to cope with the technicality of Tunisia’s play.

Kojo’s side has shown spirit in certain matches, but these away defeats are becoming familiar. The lack of cohesion, especially in midfield transitions, and poor communication at the back cost them again.

What This Means for the Liberia World Cup Qualifiers Campaign

Liberia is still situated in third place in Group H with this loss, and are level on 10 points with Equatorial Guinea. Tunisia have a commanding hold at the top of the table with 19 points from seven matches, and Namibia sit second on 12 points and a game and in hand.

Current Group H Standings:

• Tunisia: 19 points (7 matches)
• Namibia: 12 points (6 matches)
• Liberia: 10 points (7 matches)
• Equatorial Guinea: 10 points (7 matches)
• Malawi: 6 points (6 matches)
• São Tomé and Príncipe: 0 points (7 matches)

Liberia is still mathematically capable of qualifying but they must win their remaining qualifying matches and need Namibia and Equatorial Guinea to independently lose points/matches in their remaining qualifiers.

Liberia’s Qualification Scenarios

To stay in the race:

• Win the next match against Malawi on 8th September.
• Need Namibia to drop points in their next two matches.
• Beat Equatorial Guinea at home in the return leg.
• Increase goal difference to then outweigh in the next opportunity for points on circumstance scenarios.

It’s a difficult task, but not impossible.

Players to Watch Going Forward

• Tommy Songo: Despite the loss, made five saves that kept Liberia in the game.
• Ayouba Kosiah: Liberia’s attacking threat in Radès.
• Mamadu Bah: Showed flashes of quality and could be important for the next match.

What’s Next for Liberia?

Liberia travels to Malawi on a very important fixture on 8th September. They will need to win to keep their qualification hopes alive. It’s a must win situation.

With Luke Swen injured and Liberia’s lack of midfield control in Tunisia, Kojo will likely be forced into changes in the lineup. There will be hope from fans that the Lone Star will respond to a disappointing result and keep their chance alive.

Tactical Breakdown: What Needs to Improve

• Defensive Organization: Too many individual mistakes and lack of communication.
• Midfield Control: Liberia couldn’t get hold of the ball enough and couldn’t control transitions.
• Set Pieces: Defending and attacking from Set Pieces need to improve.
• Finishing: Must make the most of chances when they do come along.

Final Thoughts

The passage to the 2026 World Cup is clear but Liberia may hit some rocky roads in the process. If the Lone Star are aiming to make history and qualify, they need to tighten their defensive unit, improve upon the display of consistency and make the most of any/all opportunities they have in their remaining qualifying fixtures.