Liberia’s president George Weah played in an international friendly for his country yesterday at the age of 51.

Weah, the first African footballer to win FIFA’s world player of the year award, featured for 79 minutes of a 2-1 home defeat by Nigeria in Monrovia.

Liberia arranged the friendly to retire their number 14 shirt, worn by Weah at his playing peak.

The former ac Milan striker, sworn in as president in January, received a standing ovation as he was substituted.

Nigeria fielded a reasonably strong team, including Leicester’s Wilfred Ndidi and fellow midfielder peter Etebo, of Stoke City. Ndidi’s club-mate Kelechi Iheanacho featured as a second-half substitute.