Coach Hey Names 18 Foreign-based for Sudan Friendly
--25-Man Delegation departs Saturday

By J. Burgess Carter
Published:  20 March, 2008



                     Flash Back: Lone Star at Home against Rwanda

Barely a week following the formal signing of a one-year contract to coach Liberia's senior national team, German-born Antoine Toney Hey has named 18 foreign-based players for a friendly match with Sudan in Khartoum next Wednesday.

The 25-man delegation leaves the country Saturday, and will be headed by the Liberia Football Association (LFA) executive Ben Fredericks and includes Ministry of Youth and Sports representative Ausbon O. Reeves, Lone Star Team manager J. Wortor Anderson, physiotherapist Patrick K. Konuwa, and Medic Jefferson Zoekpeh.

The technical team is headed by Coach Antoine Tony Hey, and includes assistant coach Kemel Halat.

Those named are Kelvin Sebwe of FC Kavala, Oliver Makor of Ionikos FC and Solomon Grimes of Ethnikos Piraeus all of Greece.

Ben Teekloh of Farul Constanta, Dulee Johnson of AIK Solna, Jimmy Dixon of Malmo, Chris Gbandi of FK Haugesund, Larmin Ousman of Ljunskile and Louis Crayton of FC Basel have also been invited.

Coach Hey also named David Gbemie of Bolton Reserves, Alex Nimely of Manchester City Reserves, Samuel Wowoah of Orebro FK, Patrick Gerhardt of SR Delemont and Anthony Laffor of Super Sports United.

Others selected for the Sudan game include James Koko Lomell of PSMS, Murphy Nagbe PSMS and Belgium based long time goalkeeper Momoh Blamo.

The German released the listing during a news conference on Wednesday at the Sports Ministry.

Hey expressed regrets that he was unable to contact Denmark based AFG Aarhus striker Dioh Williams.

The German said Dioh Williams was part of his initial plan but efforts to get the player have proven unsuccessful so far.

According to the MYS authorities, the match was arranged by the Government of Liberia as part of stipulations in the contract which calls for the arrangement of international test matches for the senior national team while it prepares for international competitions.

Many sports commentators believe the recall of some of the foreign-based players who were neglected by former local head coach Frank Jericho Nagbe in his failed 2008 African nations Cup campaign, will once more bring vibrancy to performance of the nation's pride.

There are also others who want to see local players included in Coach Hey's campaigns for the joint 2010 African Nations and World Cup qualifiers which start this May with Liberia's first encounter against Gambia at the Samuel K. Doe Sports Complex.

The strangest old names called by Coach Hey is former Mighty Barrolle goalie Momoh Blamo who has not donned the national colors for over a decade, though he is said to be doing fine in Belgium or thereabout.

On Saturday at a local hotel in Monrovia, Government of Liberia-preference among two candidates Antoine Hey signed a one-year contract with the MYS and LFA to take care of the Lone Star with a monthly salary of US$10,000, followed by three-month advanced payment of US$30,000.

Germany's Antoine Hey was due to sign his contract in Monrovia last Thursday but the ceremony was called off because of uncertainties over his remuneration.

Coach Hey, a former Schalke 04 player is expected to immediately take his selected players to a training camp in Germany in preparations of the late May home derby.