The Liberia Football Association (LFA) is confident it can assuage Fifa's fears over Monrovia's readiness to host the return leg of next month's 2006 Nations Cup and World Cup preliminary tie against the Gambia.

After the fighting that ravaged Liberia earlier this year, fears still continue over the security and safety of players in Monrovia ahead of the 16 November tie.

Yet Edwin Snowe, the LFA president, says there is nothing to fear and claims the backing of the head of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Liberia.

"Monrovia is secured and the environment is suitable for hosting a match," Snowe told BBC Sport.

"The president of the international force of peacekeepers also agrees with this fact."

Fifa granted Liberia permission to stage the game in Monrovia given the relative calm that has returned to the city since the arrival of the UN peacekeepers in August and the instalment of a new government last week.

But the Gambian FA recently wrote to Fifa raising concern over the safety of its delegation in Monrovia, and football's world governing body stepped in to decide the fate of the fixture.

In a letter sent to both the Liberian and Gambian football associations, Fifa asked Liberia to confirm the security measures it intends to adopt to ensure the safety of the Gambian squad by this Saturday.

'We kindly ask you to inform Fifa and the Gambian FA about these by 25 October in order to keep this match and venue on track,' the letter reads.

Yet the LFA is optimistic Monrovia can meet security requirements and earlier today replied to Fifa's letter with one of its own in which the body outlined its security plans for the forthcoming game.

With Gambian soldiers forming part of the UN peacekeeping force in Liberia, Snowe's association intends to invite the Gambians' military commander to be part of the security apparatus surrounding the game.

Should the Liberians satisfy Fifa's requirements, they must overturn a 2-0 deficit from this month's first leg against the Gambia to qualify for the Group Stages of the 2006 Nations Cup and World Cup qualifying.