Former Chelsea star George Weah is on the verge of winning Liberia’s presidential election, his team has claimed. The 51-year-old, considered one of Africa’s greatest ever footballers, is aiming to succeed President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who is stepping down after 12 years as the continent’s first elected female head of state. This afternoon, Weah’s campaign manager for operations, Morluba Morlu, predicted victory with 70 per cent of the vote based on precinct-level vote tallies he said were trickling in from across the country after Tuesday’s vote. The footballer has sparked controversy after naming Jewel Howard-Taylor, wife of cannibal warlord Charles Taylor, as his pick for vice president. Charles Taylor is serving a 50-year sentence in Britain for war crimes committed in neighbouring Sierra Leone, but his presence has loomed large over the election. This morning, Weah, who also played for AC Milan during a glittering career that saw him win the Ballon D’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year, took to Twitter to tell of his ‘deep emotion’ and ‘to thank you, the Liberian people, for honoring me with your vote today. It is a great hope.’ George Weah prepares to cast his ballot for the second round of presidential…