By: Jallah Crawu | Gbarpolu County Contributing Writer
Bopolu City, Saturday, September 27, 2025 — The Liberia Football Association (LFA) completed a four-day training program for 25 beginner referees in Bopolu on Friday, September 26, 2025, in preparation for the 2025/2026 league season.
The initiative aims to strengthen the pool of qualified referees across the county and ensure fair officiating in all matches.
The training, held in Bopolu City, focused on equipping new referees with essential skills and a solid understanding of the rules of the game.
Experienced referees, including Lamine K. Kamara, led the sessions, delivering practical demonstrations and sharing valuable insights on game management, rule interpretation, and decision-making under pressure.
Other key topics covered included comprehensive game rules and their practical applications, player management and on-field communication.
Handling various match scenarios, from disciplinary actions to incident management ,fair play, positioning, and match control are all part of the topics presented.
Meanwhile, on behalf of the participants, Abigail Ballah, Referee Supervisor in Gbarpolu County, expressed gratitude for the opportunity.
She noted that the four-day training increased confidence and readiness to officiate games within the Gbarpolu County and thanked the LFA but also beneficiaries for pursuing this career for themselves and the society.
Several new referees indicated that the training has prepared them to contribute effectively to the safety and integrity of matches in Gbarpolu County.
LFA County Coordinator Abednego Konyan remarked that the Gbarpolu training is part of a broader strategy to identify, train, and recruit new referees, thereby strengthening the county’s officiating workforce and supporting the growth of Liberian football at the grassroots and league levels.
In closing, Coordinator Konyon thanked the LFA central office and urged the beneficiaries to apply the knowledge gained professionally.
The LFA reaffirmed its commitment to ongoing referee development and fair play across Liberia.
