Liberia election run-off: Ex-footballer versus vice-president

Vote counting is under way in Liberia in a run-off presidential election between Vice-President Joseph Boakai and ex-football star George Weah.

Mr Weah, 51, won the first round, but did not secure the required 50% of the vote for an outright victory.

Legal challenges delayed the vote to replace Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first elected female president.

Turnout seems to have been low, but the result is expected to lead to the first smooth transfer of power in 73 years.

More than two million people were eligible to cast their ballots in the nation of 4.6 million people, founded by freed US slaves in the 19th Century.

The final result is expected later in the week.

Who is the favourite?

Mr Weah, the former AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain player, defeated Ms Johnson Sirleaf in the first round in 2005 but lost to her in the subsequent run-off.

In the following election’s run-off, in 2011, when he ran as a running mate to the opposition candidate, his coalition boycotted the vote, citing irregularities.

This time, the mood at the headquarters of Mr Weah’s Congress for Democratic Change party is ecstatic, with his supporters predicting victory as unofficial partial results come in.

“We know our result from our war room,” Eddie Tarawali, a supporter of Mr Weah, told the BBC.

Can Liberia’s deputy leader succeed his boss?

Ex-football star’s rags-to-riches tale

In contrast, the few people at the offices of Mr Boakai’s United Party have long faces, reports BBC Africa’s Umaru Fofana from the capital, Monrovia.

However, the party’s youth leader, Whroway Bryant, said there was “absolutely” no doubt that the 73-year-old vice-president was winning.  BBC