Emma Jarnyneh, a player manager and passionate football lover, believes it’s time for Liberians to see football as a business and not just entertainment. She wants to see her country’s flag flying high in the world and believes there are raw talents in Liberia that can compete with other countries around the world. Speaking to FrontPage Africa Sports desk, Emma said that if Liberians take football as a business, there will be improvement in the sector.
As a female sports representative with a deference for African talents and how they develop progressively from grassroots to become top professionals for club and partners, Emma believes that players deserve security and spotlight. Through her organization, she will provide players with the right management structure and representation at all levels.
Emma’s involvement with football is related to her father, who is a former football player and coach in the Liberia division league. She has gained knowledge of the game and how the business of football is oriented over the years, having worked with players from all parts of the world.
Emma has worked as a player manager and representative with some good quality players and through her intermediary, she has been able to drive them to a successful path in their careers. She has managed several players, including former Juventus midfielder Ransford Selasi who currently plays in Spain, former Nigerian international goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi and Liberian international Edward Ledlum, just to mention a few.
Emma considers herself as result-driven and has defeated several challenges, not letting gender difference stimulate her efforts. She disclosed that her team is working on a profiling project that will incorporate top-quality talents at all age categories. Emma has been committedly engaged with grassroots football, giving equipment and financial support, and discovering young talents through her projects. Her goal is to see players reach the top level in their career.
Emma is currently managing 30 plus players, including 5 Liberian players, two with the senior national team, specifically Jonathan Freeman and Edward Ledlum, one South Sudanese national team player, one Mauritania under 20 national team player, three Kenyan national team players, three others that had opportunities with the national team, and a few Nigerian players. She is based in Ghana and has over 20 Ghanaian players with the junior team. She has also managed four top Ghanaian players that played top-level football, including Maxwell Abbey Quaye, who currently plays in Serbia.
Liberian football is a bit stagnant right now because it does not have a current market value, according to Emma. She believes that there are several factors, such as a lack of branding, marketing, and low to no profiles for players. Emma wants to see how they can polish these natural talents to put them into the professional category.
Emma decided to get engaged with football because she played football at a very young age, and when she moved to the US, she played in high school. As she traveled to Europe, she realized there is a huge demand for African talents in the European market. During one of these travels, she met James Wood of Rainbow Sports Management, owner of Club Deportivo Leganes, and began her journey. When she visited Ghana, the system made it flexible to start a business there, and hence, her need to expand to Liberia and Kenya. Liberia is home, so she is doing her best to slowly involve as many players as possible.
Emma is hoping to raise a team in June that will participate in a scouting tournament and bring them to Ghana by August 2023. She has a team in Cote D’Ivoire and Togo that will be participating in that tournament. Currently, she works with partners licensed by FIFA, and her dealings have been with persons within the Ghana FA.
