Lone Star Squad Condemned


Veteran Oliver Makor, Playing in the Top Flight in Greece was Left off the Team

By Julu M. Johnson, Jr.

The President of the Sports Writers Association of Liberia (SWAL), Hilary Justine Colnoe has differed with the selection of players for the national team, the Lone Star for the match with Equatorial Guinea.

“With all fairness, I think the technical staff has not done any good for the Liberian people. For the technical staff to come out with a list of local players instead of foreign-based, I have a serious problem with that,” Colnoe said on Thursday.

He declared that the local players do not have the international exposure needed for this competition.

The SWAL President argued that there are players that the country needs to bring and that those players are overseas.

He sees it as impossible to have players on the national team in the absence of Jimmy Dixon, whom he considers to be the best central defender in the country.

“You need Fallah Johnson, Jimmy Dixon, Oliver Makor, George Gebro and Ben Teekloh because they have the international exposure.

“This is a senior team and not a youth team. So, the technical staff needs to bring our best because we going to a competition and want to qualify for Ghana 2008.”

Colnoe suggested that the local players could be used for the Under-17 and 20 teams, while clubs could be encouraged to partake in CAF and WAFU competitions.

He added, “I am not hopeful on Liberia’s chances for 2008 because we are not doing the right thing by not bringing players who are abreast with international football.”

The Sports Writers boss stated plainly that football is preparation and that one must be exposed to venture into it.

He concluded by appealing to football authorities to see reasons in bringing the country’s best players for the Lone Star.