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To
Qualify For 2004 Nations’ Cup:
Weah, Debbah, Nagbe, Others Must Come Back
-Says Veteran Coach JNJ
The former coach the Lone Star,
Josiah N. Johnson
May
7, 2003
The former coach of the National
football team, the Lone Star, Josiah N. Johnson, says if the Lone Star
is to qualify for the 2004 African Cup of Nations finals slated for
Tunisia, former Lone Star skipper and technical director, George Weah,
celebrated soccer James Salinsa Debbah, utility player Joe “Armstrong”
Nagbe and the bulk of cream that played in the Mali ‘2002 Nations’ Cup
qualifiers must come back.
He made this assertion in a chat with this paper
at the ATS during the Invincible Eleven (IE), LPRC Oilers league
match. He said the current Lone Star lack players with the pedigree of
Weah, Debbah and Nagbe, and thus he finds it hard for the Lone Star to
make a significant impact in the qualifiers if these players do not
come back to the team.
Commenting further, he said Weah could come
not as a player, but to serve in an advisory role that will inspire
the likes of James Debbah, Joe Nagbe, Kelvin Sebwe, Oliver Makor, Zizi
Roberts, Prince Daye, Josiah Seton, Dulee Johnson, Jimmy Dixon, George
Gebro, Varmah Kpoto, Isaac Tondo, Edward Dixon, Takpoh Sonkarliey,
Bill Neewray, Alvin “Power” Kie, Larmin Ousmane, Janjay Innis, goalie
Boye Pratt, Shelton Barlee, Lartee Jackson, Frederick Vah, among
others.
“The caliber of players that you have
on a team sends a strong message to your opponents. And so, if Lone
Star must qualify for Tunisia 2004, some of these players have to be
brought back to the team,” he said.
He was however quick to point out that if
the Lone Star wants to use the current qualifiers to expose young and
upcoming players for future Nations’ Cup finals, then Liberians must
understand that it will take time for the current group of young
players to make the same impact Weah and other made.
“Even George Weah and his colleagues had to
take a long time before they qualify the Lone Star for its first ever
Nations’ Cup finals in South Africa in 1996,” he pointed out.
The veteran football technician admitted
that the current batch of Lone Star players are talented too, but need
someone to guide them in the qualifiers. “This is where the likes of
Weah, Debbah and Nagbe comes into the picture,” he noted.
Quizzed what he had to say to those who have said
that Weah, Debbah and Nagbe have outlived their usefulness to the Lone
Star, JNJ said in football, players must be blended. “Apart from Weah,
who has played to the highest level, the likes of Debbah and Nagbe can
still come to help by joining with the young players to continue their
qualifiers,” he said.
But it can be recalled Weah, Debbah and
Nagbe announced their respective retirement from the Lone Star. The
three players said they have served the country for close to 16 years
and wanted to give chance to younger players.
Despite the utterance from these players
some technicians and Liberians still want them to come back, something
that is very strange when the persons in question have openly said he
has quitted due to age.
The Lone Star must beat her two home
games against Ethiopia and Guinea and pull at least a draw away to
Niger to clinch qualification to the 2004 Nations Cup finals.
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