ACT SWIFTLY OR SMELL THE RAT

            A COMMENTARY: Bruce Wiah-Liberiansoccer.com

February 27, 2003

Football in Liberia today is becoming distasteful simply because those handling the world most attractive social activity aren’t coalescing effectively to keep it soaring.

       Ever since the inception of the Liberia FA in 1936, the overlook of a blueprint to reflect the kind of football management lay down by succeeding football countries, continues to outlay both the clubs and the players’ awful moments that are sharp to forget. 

     The undersupplied module of the Lone Star-the U-17, U-19 and U-23, the alternating holding of an annual national league and the neglect of the clubs participation in the African Competitions form a shady cloud over Liberia’s football.

      Unlike Liberia where a football player minimum remuneration is far below the benchmark, football players in other West African states as Nigeria, the Ivory Coast or Ghana, can at least build a simple house and purchase a car from playing football at home. 

      Some people, however, will argue that the economic ramification in Liberia today validates this lacking parity, but the extraction of a well-defined football structure accounts for the LFA scantiness and ineptitude. 

      In spite of FIFA huge annual endowment to the Liberia Football Association, it remains the hardly FA worldwide that wouldn’t arrange a single test match for the Lone Star in a year.   

    Mighty Blue Angels’ disqualification by CAF to participate in its first ever-continental competition at the last moment is somewhat worth throwing everything they’ve built into tantrum.  

      Having considered braving the paths of African club giants in the 2003 Mandela Cup following a turbulent league season, Mighty Blue Angels’ dream of flaring at the African stage has come to a premature ending. 

       This latest development, which saddens this struggling young club and players, bear some more fruits to the large outcry surrounding the decline of football in Liberia and its ambiguous future. 

         Although the FA usually reproach the clubs for these mishaps and vice versa, eyes brows are being raised as to if the FA hasn’t been engaged into double standard at the detriment of its clubs. 

        St. Anthony FC forfeited to Wydad Casablanca of Morocco in similar competition almost three years ago. This habit that has become a routine, pillories the already ominous image of Liberia’s Football. 

          But as if the FA stature doesn’t matter for them anymore, the same mistakes are repeated without any remorse of organizational conscious and pride. This hideous stunt on the part of the FA needs to be corrected to safe Liberia football. 

       The clubs, which are the only force to ensuring that the FA works in its interest, will have to unfold their resolves and grapple collectively to restrain this psychosis. With so much authority of deciding their fate, it is about time that they act if they haven’t acted in their lifetime or be made to smell the rat.