Former World Footballer of the Year, George Weah, has thanked Liberians for voting for him in his country’s presidential run-off election.
Even with the official unannounced as at Wednesday, Weah had taken to Twitter to thank all his supporters, saying that he plans to liberate the country.
It is with deep emotion that I want to thank you, the Liberian people, for honoring me with your vote today. It is a great hope. #Liberia #Liberia2017
— George Weah (@GeorgeWeahOff) December 26, 2017
If declared winner, the former AC Milan and Chelsea striker will become the 25th president of the country.
His opponent is 73-year-old Joseph Boakai – who has been the country’s vice president for the last 12 years.
The two are contending to replace Africa’s first elected female president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, whose 12-year rule cemented peace in Liberia after the civil war ended in 2003.
After failing in two attempts to be his country’s number 1 citizen, Weah was elected Senator in 2014 under the Congress for Democratic Change.
Yet, his eyes were firmly fixed on the top job.
Election magistrates, in a football stadium outside the capital Monrovia, on Wednesday began compiling vote totals from the country’s 15 counties after Tuesday’s run-off.
But, Weah’s camp said its own tallies based on results from individual polling stations showed him winning with about 70 percent of the vote.
Unofficial partial results announced on local radio stations also showed Weah in the lead.
The election commission said people should wait for official counts. A news conference which had been expected to announce early results on Wednesday morning was postponed until the afternoon, with final results due on Thursday.
Moving to Europe in 1988, Weah spent 14 remarkable years playing for Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan before short stints at Chelsea and Manchester City, finishing his European career in Marseille.
It was during his five years at the Rossoneri from 1995 to 2000 that he confirmed his reputation as one of the world’s most fearsome strikers, winning the Ballon d’Or in 1995 and FIFA World Player of the Year in 1996.
No other African has managed to achieve that feat 22 years on.
