GREEK CLUB SIGNS LIBERIAN STRIKER

By Bruce Wiah – Liberiansoccer Beat Reporter

 

Following a lengthened period of idleness from top flight club football, Liberia’s Francis Doe has finally joined Atromitos FC of Greece on a long standing loan contract from Buduburam FC in Ghana, the player’s management team, Dokpah International Sports Management (DISM) disclosed yesterday.

 Doe, 19, a swift and sublime striker with lot of prospects, is making his first competitive move after a rousing beginning with Tonnerre KC of Cameroon that he powered to the 2002 CAF Cup finals. Although not much was said about the loan, Doe will have to live above reproach especially with an extended absence from club football.

 Moving to Greece, which is considered one of the tough European Leagues, pundits say it’s a rebirth of the Liberia youngster who had been experiencing difficulty lately and settling rather quickly shouldn’t be any problem now, even if his pasts are anything to go by.

 Minnesota Thunder almost 15 months ago, signed the Liberian prodigy, but he never had the chance to break into their mainstream for several reasons, and had only been featuring for Liberia in the 2006 World Cup qualifiers where he had also been under pressure to amaze because of his scoring record.

 Francis Doe had had impressive series of trials with Montpellier of France, Walsall FC and Portsmouth both of England and Al-Jazirah in the UAE in the last two years, searching desperately to find a permanent contract.

 Greece, until recently, used to be the home of several Liberian players, and at one point half of Liberia’s 2002 World Cup Qualifiers squad was imported from the Alpha Ethniki, ironically, only Oliver Makor of Ionions FC is keeping the haunt in the top league.

 Atromitos FC, formerly Atromitos Athinon FC as a second division club, finished second from the floor last season, but merged with Halkidona FC a neighboring first division club and is now playing in the two day-old Alpha Ethniki as Atromitos Athinon FC.

 The new team has Atromitos's 10,000-capacity stadium in the Athens suburb of Peristeri, which was given a facelift in the summer as their home ground and under the tutelage of Coach Georgios Parashos who recently signed a contract extension.

 Atromitos, founded in 1923, have a decent fan base, despite their financial problems that prevented them satisfying the Hellenic Football Federation's licensing requirements for the season just ended, but it’s believed that the new nuptials would help stabilize the team and resolve several pecuniary obligations.