9 Foreign-Based Players For Equitorial Guinea


                 Swiss-based goalie, Louis Crayton

With just seven days to the crucial international encounter against Equatorial Guinea in the 2008 qualifiers campaign, the Lone Star of Liberia has moved to camp.


The team head coach, Fank Jericho Nagbe, named 27 players on Friday for camp at the Tingod Village Hotel, along the Robertsfield Highway, outside Monrovia.

The 27 men include 9 Professionals and 18 home-based players.

The Professionals short listed include Swiss-based goalie, Louis Crayton; midfielders Kelvin Sebwe, of Greece; Anthony Laffor, of South Africa’s Jomo Cosmo; Murphy Nagbe and Zah Krangar, both of Indonesian Persikabpas; Francis Grandpa Doe of Greece; Isaiah Benson, Perry Kollie and Steve Mennoh , all of Indonesia.


 Zah Krangar is a skillful young Midfielder

Some of the locally-based players include Jackson Wreh of Watanga; Melvin King of Gedi and Shoes; Solomon Grimes of Mighty Barrolle; Gizzie Dorbor of LISCR; LPRC-Oilers’ Shelton Barlee; Solomon Wesseh, of LPRC-Oilers; Prince Garwo, of LISCR; Mighty Barrolle’s Eric Weeks; Sengbe Kennedy, of Black Star; among others.

Though the selection has received sharp criticism from the public, Coach Nagbe told BBC Sport that he was determined to field a team in which home-grown players would form the majority. "I have a mandate to build a solid home-based squad for the 2010 World Cup qualifiers and the process has begun," he said.

"We have to be patient and give encouragement to the local players who in time will improve." He then blamed the media for the public criticism towards him saying, that he would not be deterred from implementing his plans for the Lone Star.

Liberia last Nations Cup finals was in the 2002 finals in Mali. The team’s first opponent, Equatorial Guinea, will parade their Liberian-born rugged center back, Lawrence Sokota Doe, of champion club, Renascimento.

The player, who is nicknamed Puyol, is said to be itching to play against his native land. Sokota, who played for the likes of Devereux, LTC-Satellite, St. Anthony and as well had a stint with Invincible Eleven, left the country in 2001 after signing with premier club LISCR.