Sayon was appointed caretaker coach in November after the
resignation of Kadala Kromah. However, that appointment was originally
rejected by the Sports Ministry, who said it could not afford to pay
for a coach.
But in a change of heart, the LFA has agreed to pay Sayon's wages
for the remaining of the 2006 World Cup and African Cup of Nations
qualifiers.
Since Liberia’s last match in 2004, at which she lost 3-0 to
Senegal, the Lone star has been without a technical head (coach),
following the resignation of Kadala Kromah. His exit was prompted by
an angry mob attack on his home and family, and destruction of
vehicles and death of several people.
The hooliganism exhibited by angry fans during and after the
Liberia versus Senegal derby at the looted and vandalized Samuel K.
Doe sports complex left the world football controlling body FIFA, with
no alternative but to impose a fine of US$21,000 on the country
through the Liberia Football Association.
Shrouded in these two predicaments, many football commentators
called for the withdrawal of the country from both Nations and World
Cup Qualifiers, or pay the FIFA fine and contract a foreign technical
manager. But other schools of thought speaking from experience advised
the government of Liberia and the technical handlers of the Lone star,
the LFA, to harness whatever available resource there was to pay the
fine and remain in good book with FIFA.
As usual, the government did not have money, and the deadline by
FIFA expired. It was only then that some few sober and wise heads
decided on a fund raising campaign as the only way out. The Minister
of Lands, Mines and Energy, Mr. Jonathan A. Mason was appointed
chairman to head the save Lone star Fund raising committee.
As technical arm of Lone star, the FA is responsible to qualify and
subsequently nominate technicians for the country’s national football
teams and forward same to the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
Consequently, the FA nominated assistant coach to Kadala Kromah,
former Lone star player, Joseph Sion (alias Kofi Bruce) to handle the
Lone star for the remaining five qualifiers. The Ministry of Youth
Sports, on grounds that they were not consulted, rejected him.
A few weeks later, the Ministry appointed another former player,
Wilfred “Green Banana” Lardner as coach and Frank Jericho Nagbe
another former player, as assistant coach. Nagbe turned down the
appointment and termed it a degrade. For the record, Wilfred Lardner
as coach and former World best player, George Weah as Technical
Director/player, qualified Lone star to its first ever Nations Cup
Finals in South Africa in 1996. Coach Lardner successfully coached
other local first division teams, among them Cedar United (show boys)
and Invincible Eleven, and have attended several coaching seminars and
clinics in Liberia and abroad.
Speaking to the daily observer recently in Liberia’s capitol,
Monrovia, a former Lone star coach under whose tutorship all the
current contending Lone star coaches graduated, Josiah Johnson, said
for now the best person to handle the national football team is
Wilfred Lardner based on his past record with the national team and
other social clubs.
The outspoken football technician said that what Liberia needs now
at least for the remaining five matches is someone who demands the
respect of both local and foreign-based players and Lardner qualifies
in that area among the rest.” when contacted recently, coach Lardner
said that “I am a civil servant employed by the Republic of Liberia
through the Ministry of Youth and Sports. As a qualified football
technician, I am willing to serve my country if asked to do so.”
But at recent news conference in Monrovia, the chairman of the Lone
star fund raising committee, Minister Mason disclosed that about
ninety percent of the fine imposed on the country had been paid and
that everything was been done to complete payment before the
resumption of the qualifiers. He named contributors to the payment of
the fine as Indian owned and operated Sethi Brothers Trading center,
USD 500.00; the Liberian Petroleum Refining Corporation (LPRC) now
headed by former LFA president and Montserrado Representative seat
contender, Edwin M. Snowe, USD 2,000.00, and Indian Consul general,
Uptit Jeety, USD 2,000.00 among others.
Meanwhile, two major basketball and football tournaments are
expected to kick off soon in the Liberian Capital. Archrivals Mighty
Barrolle and Invincible Eleven will form part of the football tourney,
while Barrolle, LPRC Oilers, NPA-Pythons and Invincible Eleven will be
among the Basketball Participants.
