Liberia’s football star president, George Weah has congratulated his opponent Joseph Boakai who defeated him in the presidential race, adding that the Liberian people have spoken.

Weah reportedly addressed the nation after the opposition candidate amassed an unassailable lead of 28,000 votes with nearly all ballots counted.

Elections officials said that with 99.58% of ballots counted from Tuesday’s election, Boakai was in the lead, with 50.89% to Weah’s 49.11%.

“The Liberian people have spoken, and we have heard their voice. I urge you to follow my example and accept the result of the elections,” he said in the televised addressed, according to media reports.

Weah, a Balon d’Or winner, who has been in power since 2018, will step down in January 2024.

Boakai, 78, served as vice president under Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first democratically elected female leader.

He appeared to have an upper hand in the vote because of the many Liberians aggrieved over the unfulfilled promises of Weah to fix the country’s ailing economy and stamp out corruption, Ryan Cummings, director of Africa-focused Signal Risk consulting told The New York Times.