Monrovia Football Academy will be the first Liberian girls’ team to play in USA CUP

For the first time, USA CUP 2019 will welcome a girls’ team from Liberia. The 15U girls’ team from the Monrovia Football Academy has a unique and important story.  

The Monrovia Football Academy is the first institution to provide Liberian girls with the opportunity to play organized soccer (MFA photo).

The Academy is the flagship of LEAD Africa, a network of progressive leadership academies empowering Africa’s future leaders through education and sport. The Academy opened in 2015 as the first school in Liberia to combine high-quality education with elite soccer training, and it is the first institution to provide Liberian girls with the opportunity to play organized soccer. Gender equality is one of the Academy’s six pillars – alongside education, football, nutrition, health care, and life skills.

The Academy’s commitment to education is so strong that it doesn’t use the term “players.” Rather, they are “student-athletes.”

(Photo courtesy of Monrovia Football Academy via Facebook).

Monrovia FC’s participation in USA CUP was facilitated by Minnesota United FC, who invited the team and is supporting their participation. The team will play in the Weeklong Tournament, July 16-20.

Monrovia FC’s delegation will include 14 student-athletes and three staff members. As part of its itinerary in Minnesota, the MFA women’s team will visit the Mall of America, the Weisman Art Museum, and other landmarks around the Twin Cities.