Coach Sillah Recounts Experience in Pro-USA Visit to Liberia

           Coach Kasumu Sillah
 

By Omari Jackson

    “Sports must be used to educate our people,” Coach Kasumu Sillah of Pro-USA, a non-profit sports development group, said in an interview, “and must be used to develop those who are committed to them.”

    The Liberian international coach was filled with excitement when he related the experiences of Pro-USA’s recent trip to Liberia, where a team of professional soccer players, domiciled in the USA visited and participated in series of matches.

   “There were scenes that reminded us of the days gone by; as we played the various teams,” he said, “in the end I was more than convinced that sports should lead Liberians to better times ahead.”

    Coach Sillah, who also served as Coordinator for the project said though there were shortcomings in the organization and handling of the games, “what happened should give us the chance to do better the next time.”

     But on the four matches Pro-USA played in four centers around Liberia, how did things go, and what were the responses of Liberians? To answer the questions let Coach Sillah take over the narration from here:

    The initial news that a team of Liberians had come to play series of games in Liberia was much enough to set the hearts of people above everything. The team played against All Stars in Harbel, and it was an afternoon of great camaraderie and the feelings of nostalgia, known before the civil-war.

     The Harbel Sports Stadium was filled with Liberians who wanted nothing but to enjoy the friendship and fraternize with their fellow Liberians.

     Among Pro-USA players were Ansu Sirleaf, formerly of LPRC-Oilers’ fame, Ben Seydee and Friday Roberts, both of Barrolle, and Alexander Freeman, known in his hey days as Cheneken of Darling Club, Invincible Eleven’s fame.

     News about the game traveled throughout Harbel and its environs and the stadium was filled with hundreds of men, women and children. There were cheers and laughter from all those present and it brought back to me tears of joy, seeing our people sharing each other and laughing again.

    The match itself, to me, was more professional like many games I have watched as a professional coach.

    During the proceedings, players like Ansu Sirleaf, Ben Seydee and Friday Roberts gave a good account of themselves, erasing wrong impressions that their football or soccer days were over.

   And of interest was that hundreds of fans at the stadium cheered on any player who had the ball in his possession. There were no opponents as far they were concerned and what was important to them was the fact of the game.

   It brought tears of joy to my eyes.

  The result of the game was one-all draw.

  Then the match against Mighty Barrolle in Buchanan ended 2-1 in their favor and it was a celebration for the Gbezon Boys on their home-ground.

   And again here the hosts entertained us, meaning the Pro-USA team with love and affection and a first class hospitality.

   Meals were served three times a day, and there were much talk and laughter. The Liberian character of friendliness dominated in these exchanges, and I took interest to watch people mingling about with the visitors, and many asking questions to satisfy their curiosity about the United States.

   In central Liberian town of Gbarnga was where another match was played. The visitors took on the county meet champions, Bong County, and there were exciting displays of love and care. The visitors, meaning Pro-USA received friendly treatment and the friendly people of Bong County made sure that the team had the best of time.

  Back in Monrovia was their final match against Senior Professionals (Senior Pro), where the legendary soccer king, George Weah featured for Senior Professionals at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex.

  Thousands of Liberians jammed the stadium and cheered on the two teams, as individual players exhibited their creative talents. The performance amounted to individual passes, swift handling of the ball, avoiding the opponent and making sure that your team-mate received the ball, was described as “from-me-to-you” and it delighted the fans till the full ninety minutes of non-stop performance.

   In general, it was an exciting adventure, which brought out the need to approach the exercise with control and better arrangement to make it more meaningful for Liberians whose desire is to play and enjoy the game they love so much.

   “It was an exciting adventure then, coach Sillah?”

   “Yes,” he said, “though there were many other challenges, which dealt with trophies and other awards, and some financial promises that could not be realized but everyone had a good time.”

   He said the visit to Liberia by Pro-USA is a meaningful development and an improved organization is being reviewed to make the next visit more successful.

   Coach Sillah, who is also the founder of the Sillah Foundation, a sports development and promotion entity, said players for the venture should be guided by four principles, which require that they must be technically fit, physically and psychologically ready and tactically prepared.

   “If all Liberians support this program,” he suggested, “much can be achieved.”