Liberia is heading for a run-off election next month after the initial round of voting resulted in a close race between President George Weah and his main rival, Joseph Boakai.

In the first round held on October 10, Weah secured 43.83% of the vote, while Boakai, a former vice-president, received 43.44%. This election marks the closest presidential contest in Liberia since the end of the civil war nearly two decades ago.

A run-off was anticipated due to neither candidate achieving over 50% of the vote in the first round. The run-off is scheduled for November 14, according to Davidetta Browne, the head of the electoral commission.

Boakai, 78, performed better than expected, closely approaching Weah's vote share. In the previous 2017 election, Boakai lost to Weah by a significant margin.

In this election, Boakai campaigned under the slogan "Rescue," accusing Weah, a 57-year-old former international football star, of leading Liberia into decline during his first term. Weah countered these allegations, citing achievements such as the introduction of free tuition for university students.

At a press conference last week, Mr Boakai urged fellow opposition candidates to join the “rescue team for a resounding victory”.

“We are reaching out to our brothers and sisters in the opposition and Liberians in general to join us in this noble mission of making our country breathe freely again.”

Mr Boakai served as vice-president in the government of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who became president after the end of a brutal civil war about 20 years ago.

He pledged that if he was elected president, he would form a “government of inclusion that truly reflects the political, social and religious diversity of the citizens”.

None of the 18 other candidates received more than 3% of the vote.