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Nobody gets too close to President Weah after the ball
Liberian President George Weah has already been an international footballer and still plays occasionally on Saturdays, as Mike Thomson of the BBC discovered when he was invited to witness a kick played. by players who seemed reluctant to attack the leader.
The call that arrived in the early morning was unexpected. "The president's car is on the outside," it was said, "she's waiting to take you to the football match of her excellence".
I do not often get invitations to watch heads of state hit balloons, but it was not a surprise in itself on this occasion. George Weah, former president of Liberia, was supposed to be in Madagascar. Obviously, the plans had changed.
After a mouthful of toast, we wandered through a Monrovia still awake before arriving at the Ministry of Defense.
Did the driver get lost, I asked myself? But we crossed the security barriers behind an austere gray building and it was a big football field.
The Weah All Stars have never lost a match
One of the first players I met was a tall, middle-aged man wearing a black shorts and a number 14 blue shirt.
"I'm the best dribbler"
After comings and goings, without seeming to sweat, he waved to a member of his team.
A few seconds later, a commentator shouted on the sound system: "His excellence is on the ball … he's aiming for the goal … oh, what a pbad!"
So yes, it was the former star of AC Milan, Chelsea and Monaco, who became the leader of Liberia.
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But why, I wondered, as I watched his team, the Weah All Stars, compete against another local team of former professional players, no one was trying to attack George Weah now less than skinny?
At halftime, I went to the presidential canoe and asked the man himself if this resulted in some kind of presidential decree.
"No, no, no," he replied quickly.
"They are scared to score me because I am the best dribbler and they try, they will dislocate a part of their body.I am very clbady."
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A few minutes later, the coach of his team, former Arsenal player Christopher Wreh, offered a rather different explanation.
Footballers are often seen on the spectacular beaches of Monrovia
After saying proudly that the President's team had never, ever lost a match, he added:
"Nobody attacks it, we advise the team not to get into a tackle with the president, you avoid contact – no contact with the president."
This can help explain why even at the age of 52, George Weah remains the team's top scorer. His team won 3-1 that day.
Rent a crowd?
My next meeting with the president, to discuss his first year in office, was 11:30 am local time, four days later.
Although 11:30 am soon became 12:30, then 13:30 slipped in 14:30 and still no sign from the president.
Eventually, dressed in a white tunic and pants, Mr. Weah walked into the room saying, "Gentlemen, it's lunch time."
A crowd praised the president in front of a restaurant where he went to lunch
At this point, my normally intrepid cameraman, Phil Darley, seemed nervous. Although not about the interview. The problem was that his return flight to London was to take place in less than three hours.
But he kept this to himself as we boarded in the middle of a convoy of 10 vehicles and were flying at full speed, flashing blue lights, up to the restaurant chosen by the president.
We roared through the capital, sending the local drivers back to the side of the road, pbading our motorcade.
A statue of George Weah was erected near a new road in Clara Town …
… a slum in the capital, Monrovia, where the president grew up
A few minutes after arriving in a rather modest location near downtown, a crowd of adoring fans had gathered outside, chanting the president's praise.
Was there any kind of monstrous rent or solid proof, a year later, of the president's enduring popularity? It was difficult to be sure.
About an hour and a half later, after lunch, our long procession of cars pbaded through the city.
And, after a brief discussion of the delights of the Liberian cuisine, my interview with the President finally began.
Presidential Escort
How, I asked him, was he considering his first year in office, why did not many of his ministers still declare their holdings, and what happened with more than $ 100 million? dollars (75 million pounds sterling) of public funds seemingly gone?
The president seemed to answer these questions of indigestion.
Seven things about George Weah:
Copyright of the image
AFP
- Born October 1, 1966, grew up in a slum in the Liberian capital
- Signed by Arsene Wenger in Monaco of the Cameroonian club Tonnerre Yaoundé
- Made his Monaco debut in 1987, then played for AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.
- Only African to win FIFA World Player title
- First presidential candidate in 2005, lost to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
- Graduate in Commerce from an American University after being accused of lack of education
- Inaugurated as President in January 2018
Read more: The George Weah dashboard after a year
When all was over, he asked when we would go home. The cameraman Phil, in a state of imminent panic, replied: "In less than an hour".
"The man needs a car, right now," barked the president.
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And, while one of his officials was calling the airline, Phil was quickly bundled up in another safety car and rushed to the airport, flashing headlights once again.
It is often said that everything is fine and that everything ends well.
But you will not hear that from Phil.
Despite his high speed, sirenant, screaming for the plane, he missed his flight after all.
So even for the legendary George Weah, the powers of a president are obviously limited.
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