It was not the first time George Weah had packed out a football stadium, but perhaps it was the most significant. “People believe George Weah has the magic wand,” said the Liberian political analyst Ibrahim al-Bakri Nyei. They see in George someone who is close to their life situations as he came from a slum community.”In his first speech as president, Weah played to the gallery on corruption. Weah and Sirleaf chatted together, but she appeared not to say a word to Boakai, whose presidential campaign she refused to support. “Doe took over through the barrel of a gun – but George worked his way through from a soccer career,” he said.

Source: The Irish Times January 22, 2018 15:22 UTC