Liberian National County Meet

National County Sport Meets
Organiser(s)Ministry of Youth and Sport
Founded1956; 70 years ago (1956)
RegionLiberia
Teams15 (2015–Present)
Current championsNimba County
Most championshipsNimba County (7 titles)

The Liberian National County Sports Meet is the top knockout county tournament of the Liberian football inaugurated in 1956.[1] It is an annual sporting festival organised and hosted by the Ministry of Youth and Sports in collaboration with the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The event is primarily a platform intended to forge national unity and reconciliation in Liberia.

The National County Sport Meet is the most watched football tournament across Liberia, with over 1.5 million football fans tuning in to listen over Radio, watching live from different Liberian online football sources, and also visiting the various stadiums in which the games can be played.

Competition format

Beginning in December sometimes January, the competition proceeds with a group stage of 15 teams, divided into four groups, with the first three groups carrying four teams and the last group carrying three. Each team plays every member of its group, and the team with the highest point and the runners-up in each group will then proceed to the next round while the other team will be eliminated.

  • Quarterfinals (New Format): Beginning from the 2025/2026 tournament, the eight quarterfinalist teams are divided into two groups and play in a round-robin format, rather than the traditional single-game knockout, to increase competition opportunities. These matches are centralized in the capital, Monrovia, specifically at the Samuel Kanyon Doe (SKD) Sports Complex.
  • Knockout Stage (Semifinals & Finals): The top teams from the quarterfinal groups advance to the semifinals, which are single-elimination matches. The winners proceed to the grand finale.

List of winners

Previous Finals results
seasons winners Scores Runners-up
1956 Maryland County 0–0 (Maryland won on coin toss) Montserrado County
1969 Grand Cape Mount County 3–1 Montserrado County
1974 Grand Kru County - -
1977 Grand Kru County - -
1978 Nimba County - -
1979 Nimba County - -
1985 Grand Kru County 2–0 Grand Bassa County
1987 Grand Kru County 4–1 Margibi County
1989 Grand Gedeh County (Grand Gedeh won on coin toss) Grand Bassa County
1990 Grand Bassa County 1–0 Nimba County
2004 Gbarpolu County 2–1 Lofa County
2007 Rivercess County 2–0 Grand Gedeh County
2008 Bong County 4–3 Rivercess County
2009 Bomi County 5–2 River Gee County
2010 Nimba County 2–0 Grand Gedeh County
2011 Nimba County 1–0 Margibi County
2012 Margibi County 2–0 Nimba County
2013 Grand Cape Mount County 1–1 (3–1 pen.) Montserrado County
2014 Grand Bassa County 2–1 Nimba County
2015 cancelled due to the Ebola virus epidemic in Liberia
2016 Grand Bassa County 1–1 (3–1 pen.) Montserrado County
2017 Montserrado County 1–1 (3–1 pen.) Maryland County
2018 Montserrado County 2–0 Bong County
2019 Bomi County 1–1 (4–3 pen.) Margibi County
2020 Grand Kru County (Nimba County walked off the pitch) Nimba County
2021 Lofa County 3–1 Montserrado County
2022 Nimba County 2–1 Gbarpolu County
2023 Nimba County 3–2 Lofa County
2024 River Gee County 2–2 (4–1 pen.) Lofa County
2025 Lofa County 2–1 Grand Gedeh County
2026 Nimba County 2-0 Grand Kru County
Highest Carrier
Teams Titles Runner ups
1 Nimba County 7 4
2 Grand Kru County 5 1
3 Grand Bassa County 3 2
4 Grand Cape Mount County 2 0
5 Bomi County 2 0
6 Montserrado County 2 5
7 Lofa County 2 3
8 Maryland County 1 1
9 Grand Gedeh County 1 3
10 Gbarpolu County 1 1
11 Rivercess County 1 1
12 Bong County 1 1
13 Margibi County 1 3
14 River Gee County 1 1

History

In 1970, the Sasstown Territory, which is now part of Grand Kru County, emerged victorious in the county meet, while the Kru Coast Territory claimed the title in 1974. Grand Kru County has won the county meet a total of four times. Notable players from Sasstown during that period included Patrick Arthur, Anthony Wesseh, Tarpeh Roberts, Sylvester Red’ Weah, Michael Tarplah, Anthony Sayon Nagbe, Experience Tony, and Telemu.

Records and Statistics

Championship Records

  • Most Titles: Nimba County holds the record for the most championships with seventitles (1978, 1979, 2010, 2011, 2022, 2023, 2026).
  • Back-to-Back Wins: Nimba County is the only team to have won consecutive titles on three occasions.
  • Undefeated finals: Grand Kru County County holds the unique distinction of never having lost a grand final appearance, with five championship wins.
  • Most Finals Appearances: Nimba County has appeared in the most grand finals, with 11 appearances
  • Most Finals Lost: Montserrado County has lost the most finals, with five defeats.
  • First Winner: Maryland County was the first county to win the tournament in 1956, defeating Montserrado County on a coin toss.
  • Never Won: Sinoe County is the only county that has yet to win the championship.

Player and tournament records

  • Highest Scoring Final: The 2009 final saw the most goals scored when Bomi County defeated River Gee County 5–2, for a total of 7 goals.
  • Scored in Three Finals: James Tarpeh holds the unique record of being the first player to score in three different finals of the tournament.

References

  1. ^ "National County Meet Fixtures Released". liberiansoccer.com. 31 December 2012. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013.
  2. ^ "Liberia: A Look At the National County Meet". allafrica.com. 18 January 2016.
  3. ^ "Cape Mount Claims Emphatic 3-1 Victory Over Montserrado to Clinch County Meet Crown". liberiansoccer.com. 29 January 2013. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013.
  4. ^ "County Meet: Full Lists Of Groups". liberiansoccer.com. 23 September 2015.
  5. ^ "County Meet: Full Lists Of Groups". liberiansoccer.com. 23 September 2015.
  6. ^ "County Meet: Full Lists Of Groups". liberiansoccer.com. 23 September 2015.
  7. ^ "County Meet: Full Lists Of Groups". liberiansoccer.com. 23 September 2015.
  8. ^ "Grand Kru County Appeals to Citizens in the Diaspora". liberiansoccer.com. 19 March 2004. Archived from the original on 19 December 2013.
  9. ^ "After Receiving 1997 Championship Trophy". liberiansoccer.com. 19 March 2004. Archived from the original on 19 December 2013.
  10. ^ "Grand Bassa County Gets Though Group in National County Meet Draw". liberiansoccer.com. 13 September 2016.
  11. ^ "Gbarpolu & Sinoe Celebrate Gold". liberiansoccer.com. 6 April 2004. Archived from the original on 6 May 2006.
  12. ^ "Rivercess wins county meet in grand style". liberiansoccer.com. 23 January 2007. Archived from the original on 18 December 2010.
  13. ^ "Bong wins county meet". liberiansoccer.com. 18 February 2008. Archived from the original on 17 December 2010.
  14. ^ "Bomi captures football trophy". liberiansoccer.com. 15 January 2009. Archived from the original on 18 December 2010.
  15. ^ "Nimba Wins County Meet!". liberiansoccer.com. 18 January 2010. Archived from the original on 17 December 2010.
  16. ^ "Margibi County wins County Meet". liberiansoccer.com. 9 January 2012. Archived from the original on 25 August 2012.
  17. ^ "Cape Mount Claims Emphatic 3-1 Victory Over Montserrado to Clinch County Meet Crown". liberiansoccer.com. 29 January 2013. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013.
  18. ^ "Grand Bassa Wins 2014 Liberian County competition in Soccer". cmiliberia.org. 20 January 2014.
  19. ^ "Bassa Conquers County Meet". liberiansoccer.com. 18 January 2016.
  20. ^ "Liberia: National County Meet". 18 January 2023.
  21. ^ "Liberia: National County Meet". 18 January 2023.
  22. ^ "Liberia: National County Meet". 18 January 2023.
  23. ^ "Liberia: National County Meet". 18 January 2023.
  24. ^ "Liberia: National County Meet". 18 January 2023.
  25. ^ "Liberia: National County Meet". 18 January 2023.
  26. ^ "Liberia: National County Meet". 18 January 2023.
  27. ^ "Liberia: National County Meet". 18 January 2023.
  28. ^ "Liberia: National County Meet". 18 January 2023.
  29. ^ "Liberia: National County Meet". 18 January 2023.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberian_National_County_Meet