By Victor Kanayo
Timothy Weah, son of Africa’s football great and Liberia’s incumbent President, George Weah on Monday night scored the only goal for United States of America against Wales in their 2022 World Cup opener in Qatar.
The match later ended 1-1 with Gareth Bale equalising via a penalty for the European side lately in the encounter.
Tim as he is mostly known, latched on to Christian Pulisic’s perfectly-weighted pass after getting ahead of his marker and finishing the move with a delicate flick from the outside of his right boot.
It was Tim’s fourth goal for USA in the international stage and his first in a World Cup.
His first-half opener gave the United States a deserved lead at the break, but the halftime introduction of Kieffer Moore up front for Wales changed the game in their favor and pinned the former back for long stretches of the second half.
Born in New York, the 22-year-old has French nationality and Liberian ancestry and plays as a striker for Lille in France.
Spending his entire life being compared to his Ballon d’Or winning father George Weah, his goal against Wales enabled him to do something his father, was never able to manage – play and score at a World Cup.
Timothy, whose mother is Jamaican-American, has earlier played for USA in the 2017 U-17 World Cup, which was held in India.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest African players of all time, George Weah represented Liberia at international level, winning 75 caps and scoring 18 goals and playing at the African Cup of Nations on two occasions.
George was named FIFA World Player of the Year and won the Ballon d’Or in 1995, becoming the first and only player to win these awards while representing an African country internationally.
