US$4.5m Dollars Wasted By LFA
-As Bility Fails To Qualify Lone Star


By: Roland M. Mulbah
rmulbah@liberiansoccer.com
2316714850

The Musa Bility administration came to power with the promise of taking the Lone Star to the next African Cup of Nations finals after winning the March 2010 election against incumbent Cllr. S. Izetta Wesley.

Bility and his team vowed to improve Liberian football and take it to the next level by qualifying the Lone Star to its third Nation Cup finals. Had Bility qualified the Lone Star, he would have followed in the footsteps of former Presidents Willard A. Russell, whose tenure ensure Liberia’s first qualification to the Nations Cup finals in 1996 in South Africa. Russell was followed by Edwin Melvin Snowe, Jr. who made it two in Mali in 2002 Finals.

Since then the Lone Star has struggled to make it to the finals of the Continent’s most prestigious competition and Musa Bility had enthused when he was sworn in that he was the man ready to take on the task.

But with the Lone Star’s disastrous performance against the Warriors of Zimbabwe at the weekend, losing the derby 3-0, it effectively ended the dream of qualification to the African Cup of Nations finals. The Zimbabweans squeezed four points out of a possible six from the Lone Star.

Liberia now continues to languish at the bottom of their group with four pitiful points. Our next game this month against Mali is a matter of mere formality. But the Bility administration made a huge mistake from the get-go of the competition. The Lone Star drew their first game in the qualifiers against Zimbabwe in Monrovia thus surrendering vital two points to our opponents. To make matters worse, the Lone Star lost to Mali and Caper Verde respectively away in Bamako and Prairie.

However, Musa Bility’s first attempt at repeating the feat set by his predecessors is a dismal failure. Musa Bility, unlike any other administration had all the resources that would have ensured straight qualification to the finals. Previous administrations had struggled with financial resources to run the game, but yet still qualified the Lone Star to two African Nation Cup of Nations finals.

Let’s start by recounting Musa Bility’s financial base. He started his administration with a boost from the Lone Star Cell Communication by signing a US$1.5 million dollars deal to take the Liberia to Nation Cup finals next year. Hardly did the competition go anywhere, when the Lone Star Cell Communication pulled the plug on the deal leaving Musa Bility in the wilderness.

But another GSM Company stepped in and signed a bigger contract with the Liberia Football Association this time around in the tune of US$4.5 million dollars. Bility promised that with the huge amount at the disposal of the football house, it would make matter easier to ensure the qualification of the team.

Now here’s the record. With US$4.5 million dollars put at his disposal, Bility failed to take the Lone Star to its third Finals as promised thus wasting a huge investment. The question pundits are asking is that whether the investment was worth it with because US$4.5 million dollars has gone into the breeze.

Musa Bility’s unfulfilled pledge and with all the resources at his disposal, it raises more questions than answers for the Football House. Soccer followers are calling on Bility to rethink his strategy and stop wasting huge resources.

Now the crux of the matter is that when people fail to deliver on their promises there are consequences. Musa must now begin preparing to take a bow in order to save Liberian football. Perhaps, he needs to concentrate on his political campaign as Chairman of Montserrado County Unity Party campaign team. Musa may not be able to concentrate on football development now because he is preoccupied with campaigning. A hint to a wise…