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Editorial
What’s About Lone Star
The Inquirer Newspaper (Monrovia)
Aug. 8, 2002
The Liberian national soccer team is expected to
begin its participation in the 2004 African Cup of Nations qualifiers,
firstly against Guinea. Liberia will then have to meet Ethiopia and Niger
for the final ticket in its group.
Unlike other counties, nothing much has been
heard from the Central Government concerning the team’s participation in the
upcoming competition. Even the public is yet to be informed on what really
happened in Mali where Lone Star performed miserably.
Following the 2002 African Cup of Nations final,
many countries went to the drawing board with the aim of identifying their
pitfalls so as to better perform in subsequent tourneys. The likes of Ghana,
Nigeria, Togo, Tunisia and even Egypt went as far as replacing their
Technical staff. Some countries including Benin, Zimbabwe and Libya, which
did not even cruise through to the finals, began early preparations for the
2004 qualifiers.
On the other hand, some countries have even
refused to waste the public’s hard-earned tax money by withdrawing because
they simply feel that partaking without getting a cogent result was
completely meaningless.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports earlier said
that the Chief Patron of Sports, Dr. Charles Ghankay Taylor, was to make an
open pronouncement on the fate of the Lone Star last July 15. Unfortunately,
nothing has been said, not even about the so-called “Blue Ribbon Committee.”
The danger of silence is the usual fine allegedly being paid even when such
could be prevented by taking early precautionary measures, as we cry “no
money”.
While it is true that the
Government of Liberia is caught between the scissors, something can be done
to thwart an imminent ugly situation from occurring. One thing that is
required to prevent a nightmare is a prompt decision. Liberia can either
withdraw or get involved seriously through preparations. The appointment of
a coach is not all as was done recently by the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
It is completely needless to appoint
a coach without being empowered. With the timeframe left for the
commencement of the qualifiers, local talents as being suggested for the
countdown are not the solution if the appropriate results should come forth.
A true message of reconciliation
needs to be preached. If not all, the players still useful to the Lone Star
must be called to a conference so as to put aside the differences that might
have developed during and after the Nations Cup final. There is also a need
to bring the LFA and the Ministry of Youth and Sports together for
reconciliation.
The NPP-led government must be
reminded that the Lone Star was the only positive public relations the
country had during the years 2000-2001. It could serve a better role for the
country should the Lone Star partake in the coming competition. The “no
money” syndrome can be alleviated provided the proper mechanisms are put
into place on time.
Everything as been discussed at the
National Conference on Peace and Reconciliation is important. But the
muteness on Liberia’s participation in the upcoming 2004 Nations Cup
qualifiers does not auger well. What’s about Lone Star? Is it not an
important issue to be looked at?
If Lone Star’s participation is less
important, it should equally be lesser important partaking to waste money.
It is about time to withdraw or be part fully of the qualifiers by prompt
and timely preparations.
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