Coach Lardner Laid To Rest!

  By Roland M. Mulbah

Former Liberia’s Lone Star head Coach, Wilfred Kijaniel Lardner has been laid to rest in Paynesville City, outside Monrovia after being given State funeral at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium (ATS) in Monrovia on Saturday, May 20, 2009.

The tearful ceremony, though not well attended, saw the Minister of Youth and Sports (MYS), Madam Etmonia David Tarpeh, Deputy Minister Richards and other officials as well as some former players and coaches of the Lone Star who paid tributes to the fallen national hero.

The Ministry of Youth and Sports (MYS), after paying tribute to the historical coach who also worked for the MYS as sports coordinator, pledged to educate one of the six children of the fallen coach and said the name of the child will be determine by the family.

But Wilfred Kijaniel Lardner Jr., whose graduation from the University of Liberia on April 29, 2009 was stressful for the fallen coach according to pundits, said his father deserved more than just a scholarship for one of his six children due to the record he made for Liberia as the first coach to take the national team to its first African cup of nations in South Africa 1996.

“I believe monument should be build for my father for the record he made for Liberia.

“I also believe there should more done for us instead of just a scholarship.

“I have earned degree and I thing it would be a good think if you were to send me out of Liberia for further studies,”.

“This was his dream. To see his children gained education the fallen national coach’s junior noted

Lardner Jr. also said his father told him something personal to tell Amb. George Oppong Manneh Weah before he died.

“Before he died, he drew an eleven man squad and coached for a protected period.

“He also told me something special to tell Amb. Weah and said he wants his last son to be a professional footballer,” Lardner Jr also noted.   

The government of Liberia through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs read the official Gazette for the former national football team of Liberia; Lone Star head coach Wilfred Kijaniel Lardner.

Also paying tribute was veteran Liberian sports administrator Josiah N. Johnson who said his comrade died due to frustration.

“Though I am not a medical doctor, but I feel Coach Lardner died due to frustration where everyone tuned their back on the former Lone Star coach.

“Liberia must learn to pay attention to people who served this country,” he noted.

 Meanwhile, the most regrettable part of the day of the funeral was when MYS refused to stop matches of its ongoing ministerial and agency league and the LFA refusing to stop matches of its 2009 national league.

There were some individuals who would have found part of the fallen national coach funeral, but had to honor their games both in the ministerial and agency league as well as the LFA 2009 national league.

Immediately after the funeral at ATS on Saturday, May 30, 2009, LFA two second division clubs in the form of Georgian FC and Vinton Professionals were getting prepared to battle, while at the SKD ministries and agencies were engaged in games in continuation of the ministerial and agencies league.

TRIBUTE FROM MIGHTY BARROLLE ON THE REMAINS

OF ITS NEWLY EMPLOYED TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

COACH WILFRED LANDER SR.

PRESENTED BY ITS PRESIDENT MR. GARMONDEH KARNGA

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THE FAMILY OF MIGHTY BARROLLE MOURNS THE ABRUPT DEATH OF ITS NEWLY EMPLOYED TECHNICAL DIRECTOR, THE MAN OF PASSION FOR FOOTBALL, THE MAN WHO SERVED THE CLUB AS A PLAYER AND LASTLY AS THE TECHNICAL DIRECTOR, COACH WILFRED LANDER SR., WHO DIED ON MONDAY, MAY 11, 2009, AT THE ST. JOSEPH CATHOLIC HOSPITAL, AFTER A VERY BRIEF ILLNESS. 

IT IS SADDEN TO NOTE THAT WILFRED COULD LEAVE US LIKE THIS. WILFRED AFTER REALIZING THAT HE HAD TO TAKE OVER HIS MOTHER CLUB, TOOK THE CHALLENGE TO GRAP THE POSITION OF TECHNICAL DIRECTOR. IN THE SHORTEST PERIOD, HE CAPTURED ALONG WITH COACH ERIC THOMPSON, THE

HENRIENTTA KANDAKAI PEACE TOURNAMENT DURING THE BEGINNING OF THE LFA 2009 PREMIER LEAGUE.

AFTER WILFRED LEARNED THAT THE PLAYERS SELECTED FOR THE TASK OF THE 2009 LEAGUE WERE PROMISING, HE DECIDED TO DEVOTE HIS TIME, BUT IT BECAME TOO LATE FOR HIM NOT REALIZING THAT IT WAS TIME TO GO HOME. HE MADE A LOT OF IMPACT ON THE MINDS OF THE CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY BY GIVING INSTRUCTION AND ALLOWING THE BOYS TO ABIDE BY THEM. OF THE SEVEN LEAGUE MATCHES PLAYED, WILFRED DREW THREE AND WON FOUR IN SUCCESSION BEFORE HE TOOK ILL. 

ON THAT FATEFUL MORNING OF A FRIDAY, WHEN OUR PHONES RANG TO THE NEWS OF WILFRED’S ILLNESS, IT BECAME STRANGE TO THE EARS OF ALL THOSE WHO HAD ENCOUNTERED HIM. HENCE, BARROLLE, ALONG WITH THE FAMILY DID ALL THEY COULD DO TO RESCUE THE FALLEN HERO, BUT GOD NEEDED HIM THE MOST. 

WILFRED, TEJANDI, TJ, GREEN BANANA, REST IN THE COMFORT OF THE ALMIGHTY, FOR HE KNOWS WHILE HE HAD CALLED YOU SO SOON. THE STARS OF FOOTBALL THAT HAD PASSED THROUGH THIS WORLD PROBABLY NEEDS A COACH IN GLORY FOR THE HEAVENLY MATCH. 

REST IN PEACE, WE WILL MISS YOU, BUT GOD NEEDS YOU THE BEST.. ALL OF THE CHAPTERS OF MIGHTY BARROLLE, INCLUDING THE CHAPTERS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, TOGETHER HAVE SAID, REST IN PEACE, AND MAY LIGHT PERPERTUAL SHINES UPON YOUR SOUL.