Liberia Must Oust Mauritius Before Moving to Group J For Brazil 2014 Qualifier



By : Sr Editor Wleh Bedell

The Lone Star of Liberia regarded as one of the lowly ranked teams on the continent have been placed in what should be described as a play-off against Club M of Mauritius on a two legged basis before they can imagine themselves engaging the trio of Senegal's Lions Teranga, the Palancas Negras of Angola and the Cranes of Uganda in Group J of the 2014 Brazil World Cup qualifiers.

With the draw held on Saturday, July 30, in the Brazilian Capital Rio, teams from various regions were placed in various groups as they attempt to book a place for the 2014 jamboree. The two-leg first round matches will be staged on November 11 and 15, and the 10 second round groups kick off on June 1, 2012 and ends in July 2013. Only five African teams will compete at the 2014 World Cup finals. Both Senegal and Angola qualified for the 2002 and 2006 World Cup finals in South Korea and Germany respectively. The Senegalese surprised the world in their debut appearance at the World biggest showpiece when they first pinned defending champs France 1-0, courtesy of a first half strike from the midfield enforcer Papa Bouba Dioup and went onto the quarter-finals before their fairytale run ended in extra time against Turkey.

The Lone Star of Liberia are currently bottom of the 2012 African Cup of Nations qualifiers in Group A with four points from four games, behind the Blue Sharks of Cape Verde on seven points, the Eagles of Mali on six points and Zimbabwe's Warriors on five points. The Teranga Lions of Senegal after pinning group rivals Cameroon Indomitable Lions at home and then managing a draw away, lead Group E with 10 points and will qualify for the finals in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon if they beat second-placed DR Congo in their next game on the weekend of September 2-4. The Cranes of Uganda need only a point off Angola's Palancas Negras in Group J on the weekend of September 2-4 to book their ticket for a place in the 2012 African Nations Cup finals.

Lone Star's pairing with the Teranga Lions brings to mind the tumbling 3-0 defeat on October 10, 2004 during the 2006 World Cup qualifiers at the SKD when the Lone Star was then under the tutelage of Kadala Kromah who would later resign his post due to crowd trouble as he was berated for failing to call up so called experienced players in Kelvin Sebwe and Oliver Markor for the melee. Though, there was a pair of experienced players in goalkeeper Loius Crayton and full back Fallah Johnson.

In the corresponding fixture, the Lone Star then under ex-international Joseph Sayon, alias Kofi Bruce, opted for what literally led to his predecessor's failure as he invited mainstays Kelvin Sebwe and Oliver Makor. But, the match was overshadowed by an ugly scene as the duo were said to be irritated reportedly due to perdiems issue and the Lone Star was hammered in the return leg 6-1 on March 26, 2005 in Dakar. Both sides also met in the 2010 Joint Nations and World Cup qualifier. At home, the Lone Star came from two goals down to find the leveller against the Senegalese as the contest ended 2-2. But, the corresponding fixture ended in a 3-1 trashing of the visitors in Dakar, a match that brings melancholic memories as the Lone Star's burly Captain cum rearguard Murphy Nagbe had his leg broken in the first quarter of the West African derby. From a Nations Cup qualifier perspective, Liberia was held to a gruelling 1-1 draw at home against Senegal during the 1996 African Nations Cup qualifiers.

In that match, two of the country's leading players at the time, George Weah and James Debbah limped off due to injuries with Jonathan 'Boye Charles' Sogbie scoring from a spot kick. But, the Senegalese would equalize in the dying ambers of the fray through their talisman finisher Souleymane Sane who heade home a corner kick to end the match 1-1. The return fixture was an academic one as the Lone Star had already qualified for its first ever African Nations Cup final in South Africa, and despite parading a virtually weak side where they lost 3-0, they were already bracing themselves for the South African party. It can be recollected that the Lone Star's first silverware was won at the expense of Senegal when they defeated them 1-0 to win the 1979 six nations tournament held at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium (ATS) .

As for the Cranes of Uganda, the Lone Star lost to them 1-0 away in the 2000 Nations Cup qualifiers and won the return leg at home 2-0. There has been no meeting between the Lone Star and the Palancas Negras with the pending friendly this Wednesday, August 10 at the SKD expected to be the first meeting between both sides.

The Lone Star have missed out narrowly for a place in the World Cup finals. The first was in the 1990 qualifiers when a first half goal from George Oyango made the Lone Star lost away to the Harambee Stars by a solitary goal margin to enable the Pharoahs of Egypt cruise to the final stage of the competition at the expense of the Flames of Malawi. The Egyptians would then pinned bitter rivals Algeria in the Play-offs to cruise to their second World Cup in Italy in 1990. Then, the Lone Star astonishingly stumbled to a fringe Ghanaian side at the SKD 1-2 to give the Super Eagles the bragging rights of cruising to their third successive World Cup in Japan Korea, 2002.

But, to meet Senegal, Angola and Uganda, the Lone Star will have to overcome Mauritius. The red, white and blue outfit walloped their opponents in July 2000 at the SKD 4-0 and won the return leg 2-0.

The onus is now on the LFA as it relates to the preparation or programs they will beput into place to ensure that the team make strides. In another development,, Ghana and Ivory Coast were given tough tasks when the draw was made in Rio on July 30. For the first time since 1990, the teams in the various groups will try to out muscle each other for just one qualifier to leave the group and join the other qualifiers which would amass to ten that would be paired in a Play-off fashion via a home and away basis with the five winners out of the ten cruising to the South American nation of Brazil.

Ghana, quarter-finalist in the 2010 tournament, will lock horns with a predictable Chipolopolo of Zambia and Sudan plus Lesotho or Burundi in one of 10 second-round groups. Ivory Coast drew the second seed in what should be a weighty opponent - Morocco - in a group completed by Gambia and Chad or Tanzania. The Ivorians are seeking a third consecutive World Cup appearance, having qualified for the 2006 and 2010 finals where they failed to go beyond the ordinary.

The other four African qualifiers for the 2010 finals will be appeased to some extent after a draw made by former Brazilian World Cup winner Cafu and rising star Neymar. South Africa got neighbors Botswana, Central African Republic and Somalia or Ethiopia.


The list of teams for the ensuing preliminaries or qualifiers is 203 eclipsing the 2010 qualifiers listing by three. The associations not to have signed up to compete for the qualification are Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Guam and Mauritania. FIFA did not draw Azerbaijan and Armenia together, nor Russia and Georgia, because of political conflicts which they said lead to fan violence during matches.

Nigeria's Super Eagles will be jocund after being put in the same pool as Malawi, Seychelles or Kenya and Djibouti or Namibia. Algeria must be tactically mindful with Mali and Benin in a pool also including Eritrea or Rwanda, but look poised to finish in top spot.

Cameroon, although not currently displaying the form expected of a country holding the African record for World Cup appearances with six at their belt, are up against Libya, Guinea Bissau or Togo and Swaziland or the DR Congo.

Egypt, African champions seven times but only twice World Cup qualifiers, will fear Guinea most in a group completed by Zimbabwe and the Comoros Islands or Mozambique. There does not appear to be much between Burkina Faso, ranked fourth on the continent by Fifa, Gabon and Niger in a section that Sao Tome and Principe or Congo will complete.

Tunisia are a side being rejuvenated under ex-international scampering full back Sami Trabelsi and it is hard to imagine them not going through after drawing Cape Verde Islands, Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea or Madagascar.

Below is the Draw for the African Group of the 2014 World Cup preliminaries/qualifiers.

Group A: South Africa, Botswana, C.A. Republic, Somalia/Ethiopia
Group B: Tunisia, Cape Verde, Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea/Madagascar
Group C: Ivory Coast, Morocco, Gambia, Chad/Tanzania
Group D: Ghana, Zambia, Sudan, Lesotho/Burundi
Group E: Burkina Faso, Gabon, Niger, Sao Tome e Principe/Congo
Group F: Nigeria, Malawi, Seychelles/Kenya, Djibouti/Namibia
Group G: Egypt, Guinea, Zimbabwe, Comoros/Mozambique
Group H: Algeria, Mali, Benin, Eritrea/Rwanda
Group I: Cameroon, Libya, Guinea-Bissau/Togo, Swaziland/DR Congo
Group J: Senegal, Uganda, Angola, Mauritius/Liberia