The LFA-Tubman University partnership was established on May 1, 2025, and opens the door for football educational opportunities at Tubman University. As Liberia seeks to enhance the quality of its local coaching and sports science medicine learning endeavors, this partnership could provide renewed partnership and structure to efforts within the national football sphere.

A Shared Vision for Football Development

The partnership was brokered between Tubman University President Dr. Olu Q. Menjay and LFA President Mustapha I. Raji; the two main people forged a tie that many are calling a mutually beneficial partnership. These two leaders met and discussed the potential for educational programs that support the expansive football community.
This includes:

• Coaching certification
• Sports medicine/physiotherapy
• Sports administration and management

The LFA partnership with Tubman University is not merely a collegiate endeavor. This is a comprehensive plan to fill vacancies with qualified personnel from the grassroots up to the professional levels in Liberia.

Why Tubman University?

Tubman University is one of Liberia’s most prominent institutions of higher learning, located in Maryland County. Its caliber of academic success and capacity for the region makes it the perfect home for a champion of such a life-changing football program.

As Dr. Menjay says, “This is more than a game. This is career development, youth empowerment, and a system that provides everything needed to get football off the ground and running in Liberia.”

What the Partnership Includes

The partnership between LFA and Tubman University includes the following:

1. Courses Offered

There will be opportunities for certification and degrees as programs to render flexibility for the students. These courses will include (but are not limited to):

• One-year certifications in coaching
• Two-year diplomas in sports management
• Full bachelor degrees in Athletic Training or Sports Science

2. Technical Faculty/Instructor Support

The Liberia Football Association will provide assistance in obtaining necessary and informed instructors for the courses, which include former footballers, FIFA certified soccer coaches, and trained medical professionals.

3. On-Campus Football Lab

There are plans to create a football pitch and medical lab/fields on Tubman University’s campus that will be used as a research and practical application-learning center.

Long Term Success of the Partnership

This partnership is sustainable and designed for effectiveness for the near future.

• A pool of successfully trained coaches will be certified in football both technically and theoretically.
• A generation of sports medicine specialists will be trained on-site.
• Ex-footballers and young talents will have new educational/professional prospects.
• In-country schooling will ensure Liberia has enough educated talent to compete at regional and international levels.

How The Program Will Be Established

A working group is already in place to assess potential course structure, duration, and syllabus for the required first round of classes, aiming for admissions to open in line with the 2025/26 school year.

In Liberia, this model is new, but abroad it has already been established across the continent.

Recently, regions that implemented similar foundations include Ghana and Nigeria, which have successfully provided football as part of a school curriculum.

• More local coaches with CAF and FIFA accreditation
• Medical support staff educated locally
• Soccer academies scientifically supported by university professionals

Liberia is just falling in line with a similar opportunity but with its own flair.

Potential for International Interest

Should this collaboration offer the potential for international interest, it would be from:

• CAF (Confederation of African Football)
• FIFA development programs
• Foreign universities and sports medicine labs

Tubman could even host regional soccer educational conferences for all of West Africa.

Conclusion

The collaboration between LFA and Tubman University shows that Liberia does not underestimate football as a game or career path. With appropriate academic learning, hands-on experience, and the possibility of the collaboration lasting for years to come, this historic collaboration could be just what the country needs to raise the new wave of coaches, doctors, and administrators.