Juventus and United States football star Timothy Weah credits his mother, Clar Weah, for teaching him how to play football. But how much do you know about her?
Clar, who hails from Jamaica, is a businesswoman and a philanthropist. She was also previously the First Lady of the Republic of Liberia.
Below is a detailed look at her, from her background to her career, business, family, and impact on her son’s football career.
She Was Born in Kingston, Jamaica
Clar Weah (Clar Marie Duncan) was born in Kingston, Jamaica, on 11 March 1965.
She is the youngest sibling in a family of seven. She spent her childhood in Jamaica but moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, with her family when she was 13.
Timothy Weah’s mother is a Jamaican citizen by birth. However, she became a naturalized American citizen after moving to the United States.
Clar’s husband, who is Liberian, once requested that she be granted a Liberian passport. However, the government denied the request because she was not a Liberian citizen.
Liberia at the time had a law banning dual citizenship. However, this has since been amended to allow for dual citizenship.
She is a Professional Nurse
Clar attended City University of New York, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences and also received a nursing license.
Her education and nursing license would be useful as she worked as a nurse at the Jamaica Hospital. According to Front Page Africa, she has nearly a decade of experience as a nurse.
She is a Successful Businesswoman
Timothy Weah’s mum is also a successful businesswoman. She owns a Caribbean restaurant and a grocery store in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
In addition to her nursing and entrepreneurial careers, Clar worked as a bank customer service representative in New York.
She is Also a Philanthropist
Clar Weah is a philanthropist. She has been involved in several projects to uplift the lives of disadvantaged groups, from women to girls, older adults, orphans, and street children in Liberia.
One of her major projects was the Clar Hope Foundation, which she established in 2014. The foundation aims to offer essential education and healthcare to disadvantaged children, young people, and women in Liberia.
As the First Lady of Liberia, she was also heavily involved with the “She’s You movement.”
The movement aims to promote gender equality and end violent and harmful practices directed against children, girls, and women in Liberia.
Timothy’s mum is also a vocal campaigner of sexual and gender-based violence.
In 2020, she spoke during the launch of the Liberia Anti-SGBV conference on the state of sexual and gender-based violence in the country. She stated:
There is no excuse for rape. All sexual gender-based violence is inhumane and unacceptable.
She also expressed concern at cases of sexual violence against children by stating:
It is sickening to hear children as young as 10 years old are being raped.
She Married Football Legend George Weah
Timothy’s mum is the wife of Liberian football legend George Weah. The two met at Chase Manhattan Bank in New York in the early 1990s.
At the time of the meeting, George Weah had gone to the bank to open an account, where Clar was working as a customer service representative. The couple started dating soon and got married in June 1993.
Clar has been married to her husband for over thirty years and has been very supportive of him. She stood beside him when he was campaigning to become the president of Liberia.
When George Weah was elected president, Clar moved to Liberia, where she assumed the role of First Lady for four years until her husband’s term ended in January 2024.
She is a Huge Football Fan
Clar Weah is also a football fan, and her charity work has focused on the sport. She helped launch a youth soccer program in Queens, New York, and spent nearly 16 years volunteering as a soccer coach.
Timothy Weah’s mother is also a huge supporter of Liberia’s football, especially the women’s team.
As the country’s first lady, she donated money to Liberia’s women’s youth national teams and promised them more engagements to help uplift the sport’s status.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) appointed Clar Weah as Ambassador and Champion of Women’s Football in 2018.
In her new role, she was charged with promoting the sport throughout the continent.
She is a Mother of Three Children
Clar and George Weah have three children: daughter Martha Weah and sons Timothy Weah and George Weah Jr.
Her daughter followed in her footsteps, attending Galen College of Nursing, from which she graduated with an associate degree in 2022.
On the other hand, her sons followed in their father’s footsteps, becoming professional footballers.
Timothy Weah plays for Juventus but has also featured for other clubs, such as PSG, Celtic, and LOSC Lille. He has also played for the United States national team at youth and senior levels.
Timothy’s brother, George Weah Jr, is a former professional footballer who played for clubs like Baden, Wohlen, Tours II, and PSG B.
He also represented the United States U-20 and was an unused substitute for Liberia during the AFCON 2017 qualifications.
She Was Timothy Weah’s First Coach
One would assume that having a football legend as a father pushed Timothy Weah to become a football star.
However, according to Michal Duncan (Clar’s brother and Timothy’s uncle), his mother taught him how to play the sport.
In an interview with The Sun, Michael revealed that Clar was her son’s first coach. He also explained how vital she was to his soccer development from a young age. He stated:
She was involved in every aspect of his soccer development. She guided him every step of the way. She was an avid football fan and could teach him certain things.
However, Michael Duncan also revealed that Timothy is very close to his father, and he (George Weah) would often give him tips and guidance for his football career.
