Weah denies bribery charge, lashes out at critics

MONROVIA, July 7 (AFP) - Liberia's former world player of the year George Weah Saturday angrily dismissed corruption accusations levelled against him following the 2-1 World Cup defeat to Ghana.

The Liberian sporting legend told AFP in an interview that while he had brought glory to his country, he had received brickbats in return and reiterated that he would not play for the national side again.

He described as "nonsense" allegations made by the Ghanaian side that he had tried to bribe players to allow Liberia to win in Sunday's match against the Ghanaian team.

The 2-1 defeat ended Liberian hopes of playing in next year's World Cup.

"Which of the players will say that George Weah came to our hotel or came to me in the dressing room and offered me money to win. Which one of them, let they come up and say," Weah said angrily.

"The propaganda started before the Ghana game when people went on the internet to say that Nigeria claimed that I tried to bribe Ghana so that they can lose the game to us, and now Ghana is saying that I tried to buy the game from them."

Fred Osam-Duodu, coach of Ghana's Black Stars claimed that Weah, the most successful African player of his generation having played with European sides AC Milan, Paris St Germain and Marseille, had offered his players 5,000 dollars each if they let Liberia win the match.

"If actually I bribed the Ghanaian players I don't think they would have played the way they played so it's complete nonsense," Weah said.

The Ghanaian coach had said some of his players, including defenders Princeton Owusu-Ansah, Kofi Amaoko and goalkeeper James Nanor said Weah had offered them the bribe about 10 minutes before the match ended.

Weah also said he would start legal proceedings against the Ghana coach.

The footballer, a legend in his native country who overcame childhood poverty to become one of the country's best-known celebrities, said he would never play for the national side again.

"Liberia got nothing for me. I did everything and brought everything to Liberia. I brought things and they destroyed them. I am still coming and trying to repair what has been destroyed," he said.

Weah, came under fire from angry fans after Sunday's defeat, some of whom apparently insulted his mother.

A group of more than 200 people stormed the 1995 world player of the year's home with the intention of burning it down, prompting an anti-terrorist squad to fire in the air to restore calm.

Weah said some of the allegations bordered on the ludicrous like a suggestion he purposely lost the match "because I don't want Liberian President Charles Taylor to be a famous man."

Weah said there were allegations that he was "trying to provoke Taylor's regime because going to the World Cup will promote Charles Taylor's regime," unpopular in the West for Taylor's alleged support to Sierra Leonean rebels.

"Liberians are accusing me of selling their game while at the same time Ghanaians are accusing me of trying to bribe them; so I don't know which one is true. The whole thing is just a bunch of nonsense."

He said decency and fair play in football seemed to be a thing of the past.

"Everybody is running their public relations for the game to be in their favor. But for me no, because I started this competition with fair play. I won the fair play trophy and I worked for FIFA and would not let anybody tarnish mine or the reputation of FIFA," he said.