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ARSENE WENGER LANDS IN LIBERIA FOR HONOUR FROM PRESIDENT WEAH

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Former Arsenal coach, Arsene Wenger, has landed on Wednesday evening in Monrovia; Liberia is to receive the highest honour in Liberia on Friday.

He will be inducted into Liberia’s Order of Distinction as a Knight Grand Commander of the Humane Order of African Redemption.

Arsene Wenger is being received by Liberia’s minister of Youth and Sports after landing in Monrovia on Wednesday.

The former long-standing coach of heavily supported Arsenal is being honoured by the Liberian President for the role the coach played in bring him to Europe to begin a career that flourished to the point that George Wean became the first player to be named footballer of the year thrice in one season.

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In 1995, the now statesman was World Footballer of the Year, Europe Footballer of the Year and African Footballer of the Year.

He remains the only African to have won the World Footballer of the Year and that of Europe.

He made his road to Europe after former Cameroon coach, Claude Le Roy, a Frenchman recommended Weah who was playing for Tonnerre Kalara to Wenger who was then handling Monaco. For that role too, President Weah is also honouring Claude Le Roy, with a national award.

Wenger was received by the Liberian Sports Minister at the airport in Monrovia. According to British Daily Mail, Wenger described Weah as a ‘miracle’.

 Ground workers at the airport besiege the former Arsenal coach.

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“I remember when I saw him the first time at Monaco, coming in a bit lost, not knowing anybody, not being rated by anybody as a player and becoming the best player in the world in 1995 and today becoming the president of his country”.

Weah retired from football 15 years ago and ventured into politics. Last year. He was elected as president.

According to Daily Mail, President Weah was quoted as saying that Wenger shaped his destiny, claiming he ‘took care of me like his son’ when he went to Monaco, adding that ‘besides God, I think that without Arsene, there was no way I would have made it in Europe’.

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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