Featured image by LFA Futsal Committee

Futsal, the fast-paced, indoor variation of football (soccer), has made its official debut in Liberia with the launch of the country’s first-ever High School Futsal Cup tournament. On May 14 and 19, eight schools competed for the newest championship title. The event was held at the Samuel Kanyon Doe (SKD) basketball gymnasium with William V.S. Tubman High School walking away as the 2025 High School Futsal Cup champions.

Rules of the game

Futsal is a five versus five game played on a hard indoor surface, with two 20-minute halves and a smaller, low-bounce ball. Unlike regular football, the game emphasizes close ball control, quick passes, and rapid transitions. 

In the 1930s, Juan Carlos Ceriani, an Argentinian YMCA director, created futsal in Uruguay. It quickly became popular throughout South America, and the first federation was established in 1965. Thirteen years later, FIFA recognized it as the official form of indoor soccer — in 1989.

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With limited space and constant action, players must think fast and move even faster. There are no throw-ins, instead the ball is kicked back into play and goalkeepers are heavily involved, acting as both shot-stoppers and playmakers. Positions include goalkeeper, defender, winger, pivot, and universal.

The 2025 Liberia High School Futsal Cup results 

Moja Investment Group organized the tournament, which featured the following eight schools:

  • G.W. Gibson
  • B.W. Harris High School
  • Haywood Mission
  • William V.S. Tubman High School
  • School of Prime Systems (SPS)
  • Len Miller
  • Monrovia College (MC)
  • Wells Hairston
Photo credit: LFA Futsal Committee

The organizers reached out to several high schools in Monrovia to participate in the tournament. Ultimately, out of the eight schools that responded, William V.S. Tubman High School beat out SPS in the final match 12-1.

Tubman High, the 2025 Liberia High School Futsal Cup Champions, received 40,000LD, the championship title, the trophy, and bragging rights. Runners up, SPS, received 20,000LD. HOTT FM, media sponsors for the event, posted the final match on its Facebook page.

Photo credit LFA Futsal Committee (Tubman High champions pose).

While Liberia has not established a futsal federation yet, it operates as a committee under the Liberia Football Association. GTL spoke with committee co-chair, Gbanjah Scott, who shared his reasoning behind hosting this event,

“I want to expand the game of futsal in Liberia,” Scott told GTL. “This particular tournament was also set for us to scout talent to put a team together to contest for the Youth Olympics in Senegal.”

What’s Next

The committee is looking to engage sponsors and host more tournaments in other counties across Liberia. Their ultimate goal is to build an arena to host a futsal league. Currently, the futsal committee is focused on the participating high schools.

Futsal will return to the Youth Olympic Games next year in Dakar. It was first included at the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Games in Argentina. Could Liberia have a futsal team at Dakar 2026? Follow the flame and see.

The event was hosted by  Moja Investment Group, HOTT FM Liberia in partnership with the Liberia Football Association. Sponsored by Nasscorp Liberia, Aqua Life, Lonestar Cell MTN, and Go Team Liberia.

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