Lone Star’s Exit: The Way I See It - Omari Jackson


Written by Omari Jackson


It is interesting how many have become experts whenever defeat crowns the hurriedly prepared efforts of Liberia’s soccer fortunes, and this is a serious matter.

Since Lone Star lost 0-3 to Zimbabwe, convincing even the most hardened supporters that the battle is now lost, I have been reading many Liberians asking some interesting but serious questions.

James Salinsa Debbah, Liberia’s all-time king of the turf, pondered about what might have gone wrong. And I believe that with Debbah and many others weighing in; the tragic exit of the national team should claim the attention indeed.

But what is surprising to me is the timing of the questions and concerns being raised, despite their seriousness. Did Salinsa for a moment, make a reflection on the manner of our preparation? If he did, what conclusion did he come up with?

He would remember with pain when Francis Doe, Dulee Johnson and Dioh Williams had some discipline problems, and though the trio were the best for the encounter against the Zimbabweans, officials suspended them, and their absence hurt us dearly.

True, like any human endeavor, people are bound to make mistakes and when they are done deliberately, appropriate measures are needed to straighten them up.

At the time of Francis and co’s “misconduct,” Lone Star was about to take on Zimbabwe, and though they were the best of the cream and other “appropriate” measures could have been applied “later” on, sports officials used the gentlemen as sacrificial lambs, and Lone Star suffered as a result.

When Salinsa expressed concern about the officials’ action against the players, they played death ears, and Lone Star could not win the game. What about the team’s preparation?

To be honest, the team did not have any. You should remember that officials make a spectacle during the selection of a coach for the national team. Many precious months were spent on selecting a coach, than the actual training and preparation of the team. Is it not true that we reap what we sow? The fact sports officials did not take serious decisions on the national team. And what was the result? You know it already.

Now that we are out of the competition, it is time sports officials to be realistic in their decisions. They should be more practical in coming out with the causes of Lone Star’s uneventful roles in the qualifying series, and set a new target for better outing in the future.