Lone
Star trim chance
By - Bruce Wiah – Liberiansoccer Beat Reporter
In the early hours of the 2006 qualifiers, Liberia dived into Group
A leadership from a retiring win against a highly-rated Malian side,
but their failure to grab all three points against the Hawks of Togo
plants trees of distrust hosting Senegal on October 10.
Senegal beat Liberia 2-0 in the 1996 African Cup Qualifiers in Dakar
after a 1-1 draw in Monrovia, but Lone Star cruised into its first
ever African Cup along side Tunisia leaving Senegal and Mauritania
warping.
Unlike the Lone Star, the Teranga Lions parades a multi-galaxy of
refined and exposed players, and on papers, they’re favorites for
all three points. But losing to the Hawks of Togo in a rather
dramatic style raises doubts about their savvy to walk out of
Monrovia with the maximum points.
Disappointing Lone Star
The huge anticipation that the importation of fresh legs into the
Lone Star would have had a momentous force on the red, white and
blue boys now appears as hysteria than it would have a few months
ago.
Pseudo hopes, football frenzy fans might be wondering, but the fact
remains that the Lone Star had been willfully disappointing and yet
to grab a single goal in three separate matches – 270 minutes of
actions.
With the Lone Star almost completely being pushed out of the
qualifying range, more worries are creeping into the Coach Kromah’s
squad that have only managed four points and a goal in four matches.
Pessimisms are already filtering in, but memories of Liberia’s home
records against their African football elites need not be brushed
aside especially with a win that could move them up the rungs of the
Group A’s ladder.
Trident woes
Squad tinkering and technical lapses contribute to the Lone Star
withering form analysts believe, but immaturity and lack of teamwork
were bright in the last match in far away Lusaka.
Dioh Williams, one of the freshest legs imported from the Swede
League, had his low angle-drive deflected from close range against
Zambia, resulting in another disappointing form for the towering
youngster who stands as BK Hacken leading scorer for the second
season running.
Francis Doe brings to the Lone Star a huge reputation for scoring
goals but featuring in three matches and wasting Liberia’s best
chance against the Togolese in Monrovia, is something atypical of a
striker compares to Weah’s stature.
The 18 year-old who is yet to play an official match for his newly
club – Minnesota Thunder, had been a disappointment for his fans,
maybe the reason Melvin Tarley and Malcolm Cephus - all US-based
strikers,were introduced against the Zambians.
Lone Star fears
Banking the maximum points against the Togolese at home, would have
atoned for an erratic 3-0 loss sustained in Port Noire against
Congo-Brazzaville in their second match.
But Coach Kromah believes that the evil spirit put on display by
James Debbah against minnows Togo, dejected his team earning the
Hawks a valuable point away from home.
However, when the Lone Star thought they had grabbed a point in far
away Lusaka, a late minute goal courtesy of a Kalusha Bwalya’s
freekick exposed the Lone Star’s full-length surrendering all three
points in another disappointing display.
Coach Kromah now has another opportunity to prove his marks or
probably end another romance with the Lone Star after a compromised
second coming.
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