By Ibrahim Karim Bangura (Tanko)

George quickly navigated difficult situations; he had incredible speed, and even Roberto Baggio admired his work with the ball. 1995 was the brightest year in George Weah’s football career.

That season, he showed great performance for PSG and, together with David Ginola and Rai Souza Vieira de Oliveira, reached the Champions League semi-finals, where they lost to Milan. Then, the Liberian, with seven goals, became the tournament’s top scorer.

That same year, France Football awarded the Ballon d’Or to a Liberian footballer for the first time. Weah was voted ahead of Jurgen Klinsmann and Jari Litmanen and remains the only African to receive this prize.

These success stories once again prove that sport in Africa is growing rapidly and will one day become not only the cradle for sporting talents but also the epicenter of world-class events.