‘No Cause to Worry’ - Coach Sebwe Says Liberia Will Rediscover Scoring Boots



Liberia will take on Zimbabwe in a 2012 African Cup of Nations qualifier at Harare’s National Sports Stadium on September 4.

In preparation for the game, the Liberia Football Association (LFA) and the technical staff arraigned two international friendlies with Angola on August 10 and Niger on August 14 respectively.

Featuring almost two separate squads, Liberia failed to score in succession at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex in Paynesville. Eleven foreign-based players were recalled but only eight showed-up for the match with Angola while a predominant local-based squad featured against Niger.

FrontPageAfrica (FPA), along with two sports journalists, found time to engage deputy coach Kelvin Sebwe (KS) about the friendlies and what it means for the national team; their ability to score and to withstand the physical prowess of their opponents.

FPA: Kelvin, what does the draw with Angola mean for the team?

KS: I think the draw is a good thing for us because we were playing against Angola, is not just any team and I am not really disappointed in having a draw today. It was a test that made us to understand lot of things about the Angolan today.

FPA: There is a likelihood that you could play them when the 2014 World Cup qualifiers start, which shows that you don’t have the confidence to win at home.

KS:I don’t think that is the problem here. The thing is that we learned something about that we had no idea. Angola hasn’t played Liberia ever. So this was the first account and it made us to know that physically we need to work as you saw it. We know that when we playing with a team like this, we will have to be ready. We had a lot of contacts; we had a lot of injuries. Let’s pray that it is not so serious. But this is the kind of game you are going to meet especially when you are playing away and if we managed to meet them in the same group. So we will be aware and we will capitalize on whatever happened today.

FPA:We continue to see new blood in the team. Toure made his debut; Dulee Johnson and Dioh Williams came back after a long break. What’s the strategy of bringing players?

KS: Well, it is good for us to have choice of players so we can have more competition in the team so the team just can’t be a stereotyped team. They are all good players and they had good comportment when they came this time around. And we really want to hope that it is going to continue so it will give the technical staff more idea on making the choice of players. So that is what happened today. I am very glad that, after their absence, they showed professionalism today and they played very well.

FPA: The defense is still problematic, don’t you think so?

[B]KS:[/B] Well, we need to work on the defense also. Know that the defense was basically local players and playing against these professionals showed something and they have shown some things that we still need to work on. They are young guys and I always like to look at the positive side \[of things]; what they did and we didn’t concede a goal today. And that is important for us.

[B]FPA:[/B] What happened to Patrick \[Gerhardt] and Jimmy \[Dixon]? They were called-up but didn’t show-up. Manucho also came from Jimmy’s club.

[B]KS:[/B] Patrick had a problem with the travel arrangement so he couldn’t make it here on time. If he had come, he would have been here later on today. I understand that Jimmy has been having a problem. There has been a changed in the technical staff \[at his club] and he didn’t know who exactly was going to give his okay to leave \[for Monrovia]. So it has been that problem but hopefully, we will have Jimmy here on Sunday if all goes well.

[B]FPA:[/B] This team is changing shape all the time Kelvin. New players are coming in. How do you look at your building process?

[B]KS:[/B] It is a very, very difficult and complicated thing. And I think I know that we have a base. Today was a friendly game \[and] we had three or four new players. We have another game on Sunday. We can take these two games and really draw from there what kind of team we can put up in September because you need to know who you have and who fit in the system; the tactics you need to use and the choice of players you need. So having these players come here today and knowing the context of the game in September; we should know the players that we will be needed for that game.

[B]FPA:[/B] Someone will say the technical staff needs to prevail on the FA when it comes to sending these faxes on time because the players can arrive one or two days to the match. Like for Sekou \[Jabateh-Oliseh], he came yesterday. How does he gel with the team?

[B]KS: [/B]These things are not supposed to be. Most of the players played \[at club level] and I learned that there was a cancellation of Brussels air on Monday, which complicated the situation of the players being here. So that was some of the reasons why some players came on yesterday because of the flight, so they had to spend the night in Ghana. We held a meeting last night with the players and they gave their commitment to be here on time in order to leave together for the game in Zimbabwe.

[B]FPA:[/B] Are you bowing to pressure on this Joe Nagbe issue because the very public that said they needed some experienced players today we heard them again saying Joe should go. We didn’t see Joe in your plan today.

[B]KS: [/B]Well, you see this thing about football; it is very fast and very slow. People are happy today and they are very sad tomorrow. The situation with Joe is that he played a game a month ago and he was the best player. The next time he made one or two mistakes and he becomes the worst player. Joe is not okay. He has been sick and he has a deep, deep cold. That is why he has not been practicing and that is why he has not been featured. I don’t think it has to do with him just staying away from the team.
[B]FPA:[/B] Any plan for Olivar Makor as we inch towards the crucial game in Harare?

[B]KS: [/B] Well, that is a technical decision. I would love to have Olivar Makor come here. I had wished that he was here today so that we can see and people that have doubt would tell whether he’s okay or not. Unfortunately, Olivar was not been named among the players that came for the game today. But we want to stay hopeful that Olivar can be a part of the team in Zimbabwe because we need to have just some experienced players also in this game. I still think that is needed.

[B]FPA:[/B] But in whose purview it is to recall foreign-based players: the FA, the technical staff or the head coach?

[B]KS:[/B] It is not the FA. It is the technical staff headed by the head coach. The head coach takes most of the decision on having players in consultation with the rest of the technical team. It has nothing to do with the FA.

[B]FPA:[/B] You were held to another draw by Niger, what does it say of your ability to score?

[B]KS: [/B]Today’s game was another game that was played by most of the local players and unfortunately, we played two games in succession with no goals. We still need to work on our scoring powers because the game that we have in September we need to win and we need to score. It was unfortunate that we didn’t score again.
[B]FPA:[/B] The chances came but what went wrong?

[B]KS: [/B]Well, it was just being accurate and taking advantage of the chances. I think we put lot of pressure on these guys in the second half and like you said, we lost lot of chances and we should concentrate more when we get in front of the goal so that we can end up scoring.

[B]FPA:[/B] Kelvin, this doesn’t look good for you especially as you get prepare to face Zimbabwe next month.

[B]KS: [/B]Today’s game has a different context. You will notice that we played totally two different teams. The game with Angola was mainly with foreign-based players. Today’s game was comprised of local-based players. So some of the local players are going to play the game but know that most of the players that are going to play against Zimbabwe will be foreign-based players. So we are going to blend the group; so it is not bad as it is seen.

[B]FPA:[/B] The president \[Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf] has come to two Lone Star games and no goal and no victory. What does it say of her presence during international games? Should she stay away?
[B]
KS:[/B] No I wouldn’t say that. The \[July] 26 game was here and we had lot of goals, three goals. Unfortunately, she wasn’t here. I think the goals are going to come. It has just been a bad time \[for her]. And as you see, the positive thing is that we are not taking goals on defence. So I am very, very sure that we are going to win for our president because she is doing quite well for the football here.

[B]FPA:[/B] Now Kelvin, we didn’t see Nathaniel Sherman today. He was not used at all. What went wrong?

[B]KS: [/B]It was just a technical reason. Nathaniel Sherman has had lot of games and we all know him. He is becoming, gradually, the number one goalkeeper for Liberia. We needed to see the other goalkeepers. Saylee Swen had a good performance today.

[B]FPA:[/B] Don’t you think you needed to have stuck with him?

[B]KS:[/B] No, it is not a problem. We are trying to alternate the goalkeepers so that we can know when Nathaniel has a problem who we can put there. It was a very good decision to do that.

[B]FPA:[/B] Kelvin, you are preparing for the crunch match against Zimbabwe and I know Nathaniel is your first choice.

[B]KS:[/B] Yes, so far, Nathaniel has been playing. He played against Cape Verde and he played against Angola. He has been doing quite well. So not seeing him today doesn’t create doubts.

[B]FPA: [/B]Thank you very much.

[B]KS:[/B] Thank you too and let’s hope we can beat Zimbabwe next month.

[B]Editor’s Note: Radio Veritas’ Anthony Stevens and ELBC’s Richard Monibah participated in the interview with Kelvin[/B]