Tarpeh’s Political Outburst Undermines Liberia’s National-Team Campaign
MONROVIA — Liberia’s campaign to mobilize support for the Lone Star is facing questions over its growing political tone.
At the center of the controversy is Rev. Dr. Luther Tarpeh, chairman of the ruling Unity Party and the Lone Star Mobilization Committee.
Tarpeh was appointed in February 2026 to lead efforts to raise financial and logistical support for Liberia’s national teams. The committee later proposed a US$5 million fundraising target for the Lone Star’s 2027 AFCON campaign.
Tarpeh initially urged Liberians to put political differences aside and unite behind the national team. However, a recent Facebook post appeared to contradict that message.
In the post, he attacked supporters of the opposition Coalition for Democratic Change, calling some “mentally deranged” and referring to “crab mentality CDCians.” He also suggested that, without friends in the CDC, he would campaign to send some of them “somewhere else” so they could “leave our country alone.”
The comments have raised a central question: If the Lone Star is meant to unite Liberians, why is its mobilization chairman using the team’s platform for partisan attacks?
A NATIONAL TEAM WITHOUT A PARTY CARD
The Lone Star belongs to Liberia, not to the Unity Party, the CDC, the LFA or any individual official.
Its supporters include members of every political party, as well as Liberians who support none. The team does not vote, campaign or attend political rallies. Its red, white and blue colors represent the country—not the ruling party.
That is why the chairman of its mobilization committee must be careful not to suggest that supporting the Lone Star is connected to supporting the government.
A national-team official should be building bridges, not deepening political divisions.
CRITICISM IS NOT SABOTAGE
Tarpeh’s post appears to treat criticism of government involvement in football as an attack on the national team. That argument deserves scrutiny.
A citizen can support the Lone Star while questioning government policy. A citizen can want Liberia to qualify for AFCON while demanding accountability for public funds. A citizen can welcome government assistance while asking why players have reportedly faced poor accommodation and unpaid hotel bills.
Tarpeh himself has raised concerns about those problems. He has spoken publicly about outstanding hotel bills, inadequate accommodation and the team’s financial difficulties.
Those concerns did not become partisan simply because they were raised under the current administration. Criticism should not become partisan merely because it comes from CDC supporters.
If critics are wrong, the chairman should provide facts, figures and documentation. Insults do not settle disputes; they only turn policy disagreements into political confrontations.
THE ACCOUNTABILITY QUESTION
Tarpeh has criticized former President George Weah’s record on football. That record can and should be examined.
How much did the previous administration allocate to the national team? What was delivered? What was not delivered?
But the same questions must now be asked of the Boakai administration.
How much public money has been committed to the Lone Star? How much has been disbursed? Who controls the funds? What is the relationship between the LFA, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Executive Mansion and the mobilization committee? Who audits the money?
These are not CDC talking points. They are legitimate questions of public accountability.
The proposed US$5 million fundraising target—and Tarpeh’s later estimate that the campaign could require between US$5 million and US$10 million—makes transparency even more important.
Liberians should receive a clear budget, expenditure reports, procurement information and an independent accounting of funds raised from government, businesses, concessionaires and private citizens.
THE PRESIDENTIAL INITIATIVE
The Ministry of Youth and Sports has also announced a presidential fundraising initiative to support the Lone Star’s AFCON campaign.
Government support is not inherently problematic. But the process must remain national and transparent.
The Lone Star should not become a government publicity vehicle any more than it should become a ruling-party project.
If the government believes it is doing better than previous administrations, it should publish the evidence and allow the public to examine its plans, spending and results.
THE ROLE OF A MOBILIZATION CHAIRMAN
Tarpeh’s position is complicated because he is both a politician and a pastor.
A Unity Party chairman may engage in partisan debate. But the chairman of a national-team mobilization committee has a different responsibility: to bring Liberians together.
He was appointed to the Lone Star Mobilization Committee—not the Unity Party Lone Star Committee.
Mobilization means persuading businesses, opposition supporters, government agencies, the diaspora and ordinary citizens to participate. It does not mean insulting people who disagree with the government.
The language about sending CDC supporters away is especially troubling. Political opponents are Liberians with the same citizenship rights as ruling-party supporters. No official should suggest that citizens leave their country because they criticize government policy.
FOOTBALL’S REAL PROBLEMS
The Lone Star’s real challenges are not political insults. They include coaching stability, player welfare, training facilities, scouting, youth development, financing and institutional coordination.
Liberia’s 3–1 loss to Rwanda in its opening 2027 AFCON qualifying match on September 25, 2026, shows why attention should remain on football development rather than Facebook disputes.
The campaign is still continuing, with Rwanda, Mali and Cape Verde among Liberia’s scheduled Group K opponents. The priority should be preparation, player welfare, tactical development and accountability.
Liberia needs a national team, not a political team.
The Lone Star must outlive every government and every political party. It should not become the “UP Star” or the “CDC Star.” It must remain Liberia’s Lone Star.
Tarpeh’s central message—that the team needs support—is one most Liberians can accept. But that message is weakened when he attacks a major segment of the opposition.
The stronger response would have been to invite critics to examine the budget, records and plans. Transparency would defend the government more effectively than political insults.
When the Lone Star wins, Liberia wins. When it loses, Liberia loses. There is no UP victory and no CDC defeat—only Liberia.
