George Weah: Liberia's Football Hero Turned Politician

The only African to ever win FIFA’s prestigious Ballon d’Or award for the world’s best footballer, to say that George Weah is a national hero in his home country of Liberia is an understatement.

The retired striker receives almost universal adoration in the West African nation, whe-re he has reinvented himself as a capable politician and a presidential candidate in the 2005 election, in which he ultimately finished runner-up in a closely-fought run-off with incumbent Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

Weah, 49, announced in April his intention to run for Liberia’s presidency in the 2017 election to swathes of diehard fans, clothed and in some cases painted in the blue color of his Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) party, which the footballer founded.

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“Like many of you, I have been a victim of poverty,” said Weah in his announcement to supporters in the capital Monrovia. “Our gathering here today is about the future of our country and our people.”

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