George Weah, in full George Oppong Weah, (born October 1, 1966, Monrovia, Liberia), Liberian football (soccer) player and politician. He was named African, European, and World Player of the Year in 1995—an unprecedented achievement. His talents on the field were equaled by his activism on behalf of his homeland, where he worked to bring an end to a long civil war and then became active in politics. Weah was elected to a Senate seat in 2014. He has served as president of Liberia since January 2018.
Athletic Career
Weah realized his soccer on the dusty streets of Monrovia earlier than enjoying for Invincible Eleven, Mighty Barolle, Bongrange Bonguine, and Young Survivors of Claretown. After main Young Survivors, a group with no coach, into the primary division, Weah signed a three-year semiprofessional contract with high Cameroonian membership Tonnerre of Yaoundé, which gained its league in his first season (1987) with the group. Shortly thereafter, the promising 22-year-old striker was signed by AS Monaco of the French first division. In his 5 seasons with Monaco (1987–92), he scored 57 objectives, and the group gained the French Cup in 1991. His distinctive dribbling and taking pictures expertise made him a crowd favorite, and his uncompromising work ethic and technical capability landed Weah a profitable contract with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). In his most acclaimed season, he led PSG to the French Cup, to the league title, and to the semifinals of the 1995 European Champions League. Subsequently he transferred to AC Milan (1995–2000) in Italy’s Serie A, serving to the membership win the 1996 and 1999 league titles. In January 2000 AC Milan loaned him to Chelsea of London, the place he made an vital contribution to that group’s Football Association Cup triumph. At the tip of his profession, he performed briefly with Manchester City and Marseille in France. Weah scored extra objectives and performed in additional matches than every other African skilled in Europe.
Though Weah established a brand new residence for his household in New York City, he maintained shut ties to Liberia, the place he is named “King George” and enjoys appreciable reputation. Liberia, wracked by poverty and civil conflict within the Nineties, was capable of maintain the Lone Star—the nationwide group—solely with the help of Weah, who performed for, coached, and to a big extent financed the group. In 2002, after the Lone Star practically certified for the World Cup after which carried out poorly on the African Cup of Nations, Weah retired from soccer.
Political Aspirations
Following the ouster of Pres. Charles Taylor in 2003, Weah returned to Liberia as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations. In 2005 he ran for president of the nation as a member of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) celebration. After profitable the primary spherical of voting, he was defeated by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of the Unity Party (UP) within the runoff election in November 2005. Weah initially challenged the election leads to court docket, however he dropped his case the next month.
Weah confronted Johnson Sirleaf once more within the October 2011 presidential election, however this time as a vice presidential candidate operating on the CDC ticket with presidential candidate Winston Tubman. Johnson Sirleaf and Tubman emerged with probably the most votes, however—as neither garnered a majority—a runoff election was held on November 8. Less than every week earlier than the runoff, nonetheless, Tubman cited CDC complaints about irregularities within the first spherical of voting and withdrew from the race. He additionally urged his supporters to boycott the election. International observers, who had beforehand declared the primary spherical of voting to be free and honest, mentioned his allegations have been unsubstantiated. Johnson Sirleaf was reelected by a large margin, though her victory was clouded by the withdrawal of the Tubman-Weah ticket from the race and by low voter turnout.
In December 2014 Weah ran for the place of senator of Montserrado county underneath the banner of the CDC. He handily defeated his nearest opponent, Robert Sirleaf (one of many president’s sons), taking 78 p.c of the vote to Sirleaf’s virtually 11 p.c. Two years later, in an effort to consolidate opposition energy in preparation for the 2017 elections, Weah’s CDC merged with two different events to kind the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC). Weah was the CDC’s candidate within the October 2017 presidential election, with Jewel Howard Taylor, senator for Bong county and former spouse of the ousted president Taylor, as his operating mate.
Weah was the highest vote getter within the first spherical of voting, profitable about 38 p.c within the October 10 ballot. He and his nearest challenger, Vice President Joseph Boakai, who represented the UP and acquired about 29 p.c of the vote, superior to the November 7 runoff election. The election was indefinitely postponed, nonetheless, after the Supreme Court dominated on November 6 that the electoral fee couldn't maintain the ballot till the fee had completed investigating allegations of fraud and incompetence filed by the third-place winner, Charles Brumskine, and his Liberty Party (LP). The LP’s complaints had the assist of different political events, together with the UP. Furthermore, the UP alleged that Johnson Sirleaf had interfered within the electoral course of to Weah’s profit—a cost which she denied. After the electoral fee concluded its investigation and dismissed the LP’s allegations, on December 7 the Supreme Court dismissed an enchantment filed by the UP and LP and ordered the runoff election to be held. The election was held on December 26, and Weah gained a straightforward victory, garnering greater than 60 p.c of the vote. He was inaugurated on January 22, 2018, which marked the primary switch of energy between two democratically elected leaders in Liberia since 1944.