The journey of Anthony Laffor
posted on 2/11/2007 8:57:44 AM
![Anthony Laffor © Gallo Images]() From the dusty streets of the once war-torn city of Monrovia in Liberia to the bright lights of Johannesburg and a flourishing PSL career - that's the journey of Jomo Cosmos midfielder Anthony Laffor.
The 21-year old joined the club two seasons ago and has established himself as a star. A highlight of his career was helping Ezenkosi win the Coca Cola Cup last season, and being named player of the tournament.
He believes Cosmos have the potential to win the league and wants to play a part - but he may not be at the club much longer as French sides Olympique Marseille and Bordeaux are interested.
Last season, he attended trials with both teams.
Though he continues to thrill South African crowds with his flashy skills, Laffor is sometimes haunted by memories of the 14-year-long civil war that almost destroyed his country.
Speaking to the Sunday Times at the weekend, the player also"People around the world only saw it [the war] on television but I was part of it.
"I was still young but it was very, very bad. I did not lose any close relatives but some of my friends perished," he recalls.
Laffor, an integral part of Liberia's national team, also speaks of his special relationship with African soccer legend-turned-politician George Weah.
"I regard him as my guardian angel because of how he helped me and many other Liberians.
"He sometimes phones just to check how things are going, and for that I am extremely grateful."
Laffor's father, Anthony, had a big influence on his career. "He played amateur football and took me to the stadium. That's how my love for the game developed."
He showed promise with lower-division side Young Rollers, and was soon snapped up by Premier League side LISCR FC in 2003.
Later that year, he was lured to Goldfields FC in Ghana, where he began to flourish.
Still in 2003, he became one of the youngest players to be capped by the Liberian senior team, where he rubbed shoulders with his idols James Debbah, Frank Siton and Prince Divis.
He has gone on to win 15 national caps and has a burning ambition to return to Ghana for the African Cup of Nations finals in 2008.
He leaves for Liberia next week to join team preparations for their second qualifying game against Rwanda. Liberia got off to a bad start with a 2-1 loss to Equatorial Guinea.
Laffor knows that qualifying for the Ghana showpiece won't be easy as they are in tough Group Five with Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon and Rwanda. He is one of the five professional players in the national team.
He sometimes misses his parents, two brothers and sister, but keeps in contact by phone.
"They follow my progress because South African football is televised via satellite," he says.
Laffor's focus is on Cosmos and the Liberian national team, but if he continues to work hard, he may yet realise his dream of playing overseas.
-1?'https:':'http:';
var _rsRP=escape(document.referrer);
var _rsND=_rsLP+'//secure-za.imrworldwide.com/';
if (parseInt(navigator.appVersion)>=4)
{
var _rsRD=(new Date()).getTime();
var _rsSE=1;
var _rsSV="";
var _rsSM=1.0;
_rsCL='';
}
else
{
_rsCL=' ![]() ';
}
document.write(_rsCL);
//-->
 ![]() |