President Sirleaf Renews Lone Star Plea
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Flashback: President Sirleaf greets Lone Star players at
SKD
By F. Momolu Dorley
The Liberian leader Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has again pleaded with
football tacticians in the country to exert more efforts in making
sure that the nation’s pride and the Lone Star qualifies for both the
World Cup and African Cup of Nations fiestas in 2010.
President Sirleaf made the assertion over the weekend at the official
opening of the President's Cup, which opened at the refurbished Samuel
Kanyon Doe Sports Complex on Saturday March 8, 2008.
The President, who received kudos recently for not only believing in
football but sports in general, has admitted that her sole desire is
to see the Lone Star at the 2010 World Cup games which comes to Africa
for its first time ever.
The President noted that money has been pumped into football programs
but the Lone Star was failed to live up to expectation.
She appealed to soccer tacticians to put aside the attitude of
continuous bickering and to design strategies that would qualify the
team for the two competitions.
Long running tension between the Liberia Football Association (LFA)
and the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MYS) had adversely contributed
and continue to contribute to the nation's football woes.
However, recent coordination between the two entities signals that
both institutions were now ready to forge ahead.
At least for the first in many times, the two bodies successfully
participated in the selection a German coach Antione Tony Hey, without
reservation from any party. Hey is charged to lead the Lone 2010
campaigns.
Announcing Hey as coach, the MYS and LFA unanimously said they were
convinced that coach Hey could be a resounding success owing to his
ability and capability, as well as international exposure especially
in Africa.
The first time Liberia ever qualified for a major football event was
in 1996, when the Nations Cup was hosted in South Africa. Liberia won
her place ahead of fellow West Africans, the Senegalese and the
country is hoping it could feat in 2010.
The ongoing President's Cup will draw together eight premier teams and
eleven females team that are to compete in the next couple of weeks.
In the opening derby, Tito United who boasted of a cream of top
Liberian female soccer stars hammered a dismal Antares 11-0. The match
failed to produce any intriguing moments as Antares was jaded from
start to end.
In the male derby, Patrick Garwo's Gedi and Sons walloped Musa
Bility's Wantaga F.C. 2-1 in an entertaining encounter. |
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