George Weah | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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George Weah in 2016
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Senator of Liberia from Montserrado County |
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Assumed office 14 January 2015 Serving with Geraldine Doe-Sherif |
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Preceded by | Joyce Musu Freeman-Sumo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born |
George Tawlon Manneh Oppong Ousman Weah 1 October 1966 Monrovia, Liberia |
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Nationality | Liberian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Political party | Congress for Democratic Change | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Relations | Christopher Wreh (cousin) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Children | George Jr., Tita, Timothy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Education | Muslim Congress Wells Hairston High School |
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Occupation |
Footballer (retired) Politician Humanitarian |
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Association football career
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Playing position | Striker | ||
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Youth career | |||
1981–1984 | Young Survivors Claratown | ||
1984–1985 | Bongrange Company | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1985–1986 | Mighty Barrolle | 10 | (7) |
1986–1987 | Invincible Eleven | 23 | (24) |
1987 | Africa Sports | 2 | (1) |
1987–1988 | Tonnerre Yaoundé | 18 | (14) |
1988–1992 | Monaco | 103 | (47) |
1992–1995 | Paris Saint-Germain | 96 | (32) |
1995–2000 | Milan | 114 | (46) |
2000 | → Chelsea (loan) | 11 | (3) |
2000 | Manchester City | 7 | (1) |
2000–2001 | Marseille | 19 | (5) |
2001–2003 | Al-Jazira | 8 | (13) |
Total | 411 | (193) | |
National team | |||
1987–2003 | Liberia | 60 | (22) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
George Tawlon Manneh Oppong Ousman Weah (born 1 October 1966) is a Liberian humanitarian, politician, and retired professional footballer who played as a striker. Regarded as one of the greatest African players of all time and as one of the best forwards of his generation, in 1995 he was named FIFA World Player of the Year and won the Ballon d'Or, becoming the first African player to win these awards. In 1989, 1994 and 1995 he was named the African Footballer of the Year, and in 1996, he was named African Player of the Century. Known for his acceleration and dribbling ability in addition to his finishing, Weah was described by FIFA as "the precursor of the multi-functional strikers of today". In 2004, he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.
After starting his career in his home country Liberia, Weah spent fourteen years of his professional football career playing for clubs in France, Italy, and England. Arsène Wenger brought him to Europe when he signed for Monaco in 1988. Weah moved to Paris Saint Germain in 1992 where he won Ligue 1 in 1994 and became the top scorer of the UEFA Champions League 1994–95. He signed for A.C. Milan in 1995 where he spent four successful seasons, and won the Italian Serie A twice. His most notable goal in Italy saw him run the length of the field against Verona. He moved to the English Premier League towards the end of his career and had spells at Chelsea and Manchester City, before returning to France to play for Marseille in 2001, and subsequently ending his career with Al-Jazira in 2003. At international level, he represented Liberia at the African Cup of Nations on two occasions.