Monrovia, Liberia – The Liberia Football Association (LFA) has declared that all players competing in the nation’s First Division League will be required to undergo compulsory drug testing beginning with the 2025-26 season.
In a press conference held on Tuesday, August 12, in Congo Town, LFA President Mustapha I. Raji revealed the new policy aimed at curbing substance abuse among footballers. The tests, to be conducted on game days by the association’s medical committee, are part of a larger campaign to address the rising concerns about drug use in Liberian sports.
“We have gathered information that players are now consuming different kinds of products for performance enhancement,” Raji said. “As a result, the association is working with its medical committee to begin conducting tests in the upcoming season.”
He warned that any player found to have banned substances in their system will face disciplinary sanctions.
Highlighting the wider impact of drug abuse, Raji described it as a national crisis that extends beyond sports, affecting schools and communities across Liberia. “Drugs have destroyed great talents from this country, so as an institution, we need to join hands to avoid it,” he added.
To further raise awareness, the LFA plans to install anti-drug billboards in stadiums and introduce a symbolic campaign during league matches, where players will walk onto the pitch holding signs that read “Say No to Drugs” – a symbolic red card against substance abuse.
The announcement comes shortly after a peaceful demonstration in Monrovia on August 7, 2024, where hundreds of citizens, including youth groups and elderly women, rallied for stronger measures against drug trafficking and abuse. Protesters criticized certain lawmakers and law enforcement officers for allegedly protecting traffickers and hindering enforcement efforts.
The LFA’s new drug-testing initiative is viewed as a timely step in reinforcing discipline within Liberian football and supporting national efforts to combat the drug crisis.
