Former Liberia striker Jonathan Sogbie, nominated to serve as the country's deputy youth and sports minister, could be forced to abandon his ambition.

The country's parliament claims that Sogbie presented false academic qualifications in order to secure his ministerial appointment.

Sogbie was an arch-critic of George Weah's presidential bid, describing Weah as incapable of running a government and lacking the requisite academic credentials.

"Investigations conducted by my committee on the academic qualifications of Mr Sogbie revealed that his credentials are fake and misleading," said Fomba Kanneh.

Kanneh, the chairman of the senate's committee on youth and sports, claims the evidence makes Sogbie an unfit person to hold the office.

"[Sogbie's act] is tantamount to perjury and we are recommending to the plenary session the denial of his nomination," the Liberian senator said.

During his confirmation hearing, Sogbie presented documents which stated he had obtained an associate of arts degree in political science from Nebraska Christian College in the USA.

But this was challenged by Zeogar Wilson, Sogbie's former international team-mate, which led to the parliamentary probe.

The parliamentarians said the college authorities did not just deny Sogbie's claims of attending their school, but also confirmed it does not offer political science degrees.