On December 27, Beijing time, the final round of the presidential election in Liberia in West African countries ended, and former Golden Globe Mr. George Wea won 12 of the 15 constituencies, defeating the current Vice President of Liberia Joseph Boakai. In the afternoon, the African Football Association officially tweeted congratulations to George Weah on his election as the new president of Liberia. Although the official election results will not be announced until December 29, local time, it is a matter of time before Weah is elected. This means that the president who was born with the first football star in history will be born in Liberia.
George Weah
Weah is a football legend who combines the three highest individual honors of World Footballer of the Year, the Ballon d'Or (i.e. "European Footballer of the Year") and the African Footballer of the Year. Since retiring from the military and entering politics, the 51-year-old has run for president in 2005, and the 51-year-old has run in three general elections, the first two of which have ended in failure.
Footballer's "Presidential Dream"
On September 8, 1996, in the first round of Serie A, AC Milan played versus Verona at home, and in the 85th minute of the game, Verona's corner kick was obtained by the returning George Wea, who ran all the way from his own penalty area, escaped the interception of the other five players in the middle of the way, and entered the opponent's penalty area, scoring with his right foot to help the team win. This feat of Via was hailed in the Chinese media as the longest "single ride in a thousand miles" in history, and it became a scene that old fans talked about.
Just the previous year, in 1995, Wea reached the pinnacle of his personal achievements in Milan, winning the titles of World Footballer of the Year, Ballon d'Or (also known as European Footballer of the Year) and African Footballer of the Year. In both of the first two awards, he became the first African athlete to win.
Weah won the European Footballer of the Year
On the green field, Weah proved himself to the world. Fans who were overwhelmed by Via's superior strength, speed and foot skills on the pitch would never have imagined that 22 years later, the star he loved would have completed another epic "reversal" in his life after saying goodbye to the turf – he became the president of a country.
In 2003, Weah announced his retirement. The day he announced his candidacy for president in November of the following year, thousands of supporters sang and danced in the streets. When Weah and his family returned to Monrovia, Liberia's capital, the whole city boiled over, and people chanted: "When Wea comes, politicians should be troubled." ”
"I ask to serve my beloved country and beloved people," Said Weah, who was at the campaign headquarters of the Congress for Democratic Change Party in Monrovia, "I want to be president, and I think I can do more for my people in this position." ”
Liberians seem to see new hope, but at first many were skeptical of their lack of political experience. In 2005, Liberia held its first presidential election after a 14-year-old civil war, and the 39-year-old Weah threw himself into it as a presidential candidate, winning 40.6% of all the votes, and eventually lost to his opponent, Johnson Sirleaf. The latter became the first democratically elected female president of an African country and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
The first setback did not deter Weah, on the contrary, he thought he had learned "valuable lessons" from it.
In the general election, the educational background became a "handle" for political opponents to attack Weah. Weah once said: "Another candidate criticized me for not having culture. I'm really just a footballer, but I'm able to help you with my career and success. They are highly educated, but they have ruined your lives. What did they do with the state's money? No roads, no schools, no hospitals, not even water and electricity. I was born in a slum and I was able to understand what hunger was, or the pain of going to school barefoot. This situation must change, and you must take control of your own destiny. ”
But after the election failed, Weah quietly went to make up for this shortcoming. He completed high school in 2006 at the age of 40 before entering De rui university in Florida, where he received a bachelor's degree in business administration in 2011 (at the age of 45) and a master's degree in public administration two years later.
In 2011, Viah revived, this time as vice president, but still unsuccessfully. Nonetheless, Weah still enjoys great popularity among Liberians, and his tireless efforts are impressing more and more people. Known to his fellow countrymen as "King George," he shed the blood of Liberia while living abroad for a long time with a clean resume, wea is seen as a key figure in a country torn apart by tribal strife, civil war and disease.
In 2014, Weah was elected to the Liberian Senate, defeating Robert Sirleaf, the son of incumbent president Sirleaf, and laying the groundwork for his own victory in the 2017 presidential race.
In this year's general election, Weah won the first round of voting, but did not get the 50% of the votes needed to win. According to the procedure, he and his second-place rival, Liberian Vice President Boakai, must enter the second round of the showdown. Later, the third-place candidate in the first round accused his opponents of alleged fraud during the voting process, and the second round of voting was repeatedly delayed. It wasn't until Liberia's Supreme Court dismissed the complaint that on December 26, Via's presidential election journey entered its final round. The balance of victory gradually shifted to the end of Via, just one step away from his "presidential dream".
An international superstar emerging from the slums
Born in 1966 in a slum in Monrovia, Liberia's capital, wee was overcrowded, plagued by disease and hunger, with little but poverty.
Little Wea's childhood began here, he fell in love with football at a very young age and began to show his talent for football. Under the guidance of his father, he improved rapidly. The turning point is said to have occurred at the age of 14, when Little Wea was playing football on the street when a football agent discovered his genius and took him to a football club, opening the door for him to enter professional football.
At first, Weah played for some small clubs in the country, and then went abroad to play in Cameroon, a traditional African football powerhouse, but soon the african continent could not tolerate him. In 1987, he joined the French team Monaco and began his career in Europe.
"When I came to Monte Carlo [where the Monaco club is located], I didn't play in the first 6 months. But I'm determined to show my talents and prove to those who came home thinking I was a waste of time coming to Europe – I'm a good player. ”
"I'm just passionate about football and work hard every day. Rather than eating and sleeping, I prefer to train. "Weah's courage to overcome difficulties won the heart of the manager, and he gradually settled on the position of the team's main striker, helping the team win the 1991 French FA Cup and himself the African Footballer of the Year in 1989.
Since then, he has moved to top European league clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, Chelsea, Manchester City and Marseille. In the four years of Milan, Weah shined in front of the world.
In his first year at AC Milan, Weah ushered in the highest period of his career. In 1995, for his outstanding performance on the field, he won the "World Footballer of the Year" and "Ballon d'Or", becoming the first African football player to win both titles. Wea helped Milan win two Serie A titles (1995/96 and 1998/99).
At the national team level, Weah almost single-handedly pushed the Liberian team forward, in addition to attacking the city on the field, sometimes even the team's food, accommodation, travel expenses, and bonuses were paid by him, but the experience of the national team left Weah with regrets. Due to the intrigue of the officials of the domestic Football Association, the lack of funds for the team, and the backward construction, the level of the Liberian team is far behind that of the African team, and he has not been able to realize his desire to lead the team to the final round of the World Cup.
In football, the creed that football is not political is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and Weah did not want to participate in politics at first. But he has always maintained close ties with his country while playing football. He donated to humanitarian aid programs, became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and supported the Boy Scout reduction program. In 1996, Weah also came forward to call on the United Nations to send troops to help Liberia maintain peace, and he tried to change the political ecology of the country by himself, which also involved him in political struggles.
Then Liberian President Samuel Doe loved football, admired Weah, made him captain of the Liberian national team, and spent $100,000 to send Weah and his teammates to Brazil for training when the domestic economy was on the verge of collapse. For Weah, Doe is his benefactor, his patron, just as important as his father. But Doi, who came to power through a military coup, eventually lost the hearts of the people and was ousted from power.
In 1997, Charles Taylor was elected President of Liberia. Taylor was a powerful figure who was always suspicious of Weah's influence in the world. Before he was elected, Taylor had sent people to attack and burn Via's house in Monrovia and rape two of his cousins to send a message to Weah: Kick your ball and don't get involved in politics.
After Taylor was elected, Weah returned to Liberia to take over the Liberian national football team. In 2001, when Weah, the coach, led the team to a fabulous World Cup qualifier, rumors began among his fanatical fans that Weah should become president. Despite Weah's denials, Taylor felt threatened. As soon as Liberia ended the World Cup match, fearing captivity or even assassination, Weah immediately left Liberia and settled in the United States. He said he would never get involved in politics.
Difficulties test the new president
A few years later, Weah returned home. He claimed to have a responsibility to the people of Liberia, and he was encouraged by the father of the Nation of South Africa, former President Mangalla.
After being elected World Footballer of the Year, Weah was received by Mandela. Mandela praised him as "the pride of Africa" and encouraged him to enter politics in the future. Nelson Mandela once told Weah that the best way to serve the country is to first ascend to the presidency and then "bow down" to the welfare of Liberians on a larger scale.
In 2004, he returned to China to participate in the election campaign. Weah said: "I don't like politics. But at the call of thousands of my countrymen, I had no choice. ”
Footballers who have turned to politics are not uncommon, such as Pele, who served as Brazil's sports minister, Karaze, who has just stepped down as Georgia's deputy prime minister, and Shevchenko, the Ukrainian nuclear warhead, who briefly entered politics as a domestic party leader. But Via has charged the top spot from the moment he hung up his boots, believing he can lead Liberia out of the woods there.
Yet, among political opponents, among ordinary people, an eternal question is constantly being asked: How does a footballer lead a country?
Many of Via's friends and family had similar questions and refused to support his candidacy, including his nephews and teammates. Several of his former teammates during his time at the domestic club also formed organizations to declare their support for Viah's rival, Vice President Boakai, believing that he was capable of preserving Liberia's democratic gains.
"I know a lot of people wondering why a former footballer is seeking a position as president of the country, but no one is going to ask a lawyer or businessman why he did it." Weah had argued.
But there is no denying that even more thrilling challenges are still ahead of the election. The question is not "how can a footballer lead a country," but how a new president can govern a country that is in tatters.
From 1989 to 2003, Liberia's socio-economic economy has long since been destroyed by 14 years of devastating civil war, endless ethnic violence and successive sanctions. Although the war subsided, the smoke of war still did not dissipate. Liberia also suffered a severe Ebola outbreak in 2014, with more than 5,000 people dying from Ebola. According to the analysis, from 2014 to 2016, Liberia's economy has experienced a recession, which is undoubtedly worse.
In terms of national governance, the government management system is being rebuilt through the efforts of the previous two governments, but problems such as power corruption and inefficiency still plague the country. It is foreseeable that after being elected, Weah will face far more difficulties than the green field, and it will not be easy for the world footballer of the year to hand over a qualified answer sheet.
(Image from the Internet)
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