Liberia U-15 coach hails CAF African Schools Football Championship for African cultural exchange platform for youth

Liberia U-15 head coach, Barent Kieh Karr has described the CAF African Schools Football Championship WAFU-A Qualifiers as an essential platform for nurturing young talent and shaping the future of Liberian football. 

Speaking to CAFOnline after his team’s participation in The Gambia, Karr highlighted the tournament’s value in providing meaningful exposure and competitive experience for players within the U-15 age bracket.

Karr stressed that beyond results, Liberia’s primary objective was to give its young players a rare opportunity to showcase their abilities on zonal stage. 

He noted that CAF and WAFU-A’s commitment to youth football have opened doors for countries like Liberia to present their emerging talent and gain recognition through structured, high-level competition.

"The importance of the tournament for Liberia is to ensure that our case appeared on a platform given an opportunity that has been provided by CAF and WAFU-A so that they can showcase talent," Karr told CAFOnline.

The coach also underscored the importance of cultural exchange and interaction among teams from across West Africa. 

He said the tournament allows Liberian players to connect with their peers, build friendships and broaden their understanding of the game through shared experiences, both on and off the pitch.

He expressed confidence that the lessons learned in The Gambia will contribute not only to building better footballers, but also to building responsible young African men and women who can contribute positively to the growth of the sport in Liberia and the continent.

The young Lone Stars were eliminated in the group stage of the competition after losing to Senegal and Guinea respectively.