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With Guinea Vs. Liberia
Match Set for Sept 8: Who Are the Professionals Still Active?
June 8, 2002
Monrovia
Following Liberia's dismal performance at the Mali 2002
African Nations Cup Finals, the Liberia Football Association and the
Ministry of Youth and Sports pronounced the disbandment of the national
football team, the Lone Star.
George Weah, who served as technical director for the
qualifying rounds and up to the finals itself, tendered in his resignation
and also retired from international football. Weah's decision was also
followed by that of celebrated soccer star James Salinsa Debbah, who had
served the national team for more than 10 years.
It took the Liberia Football Association and the Ministry of
Youth and Sports six months to announce a replacement for the former head
coach, Vava George, who was assisted by Frank "Jericho" Nagbe, who were part
of the Lone Star's technical staff headed by George Weah.
The pronouncement made by the LFA and endorsed by the Sports
Ministry availed the name of Kadala Kromah as Technical Manager/Head Coach,
while Jacques Wortoh Anderson was maintained as Administrative
Manager/Logistician. It was also reported by a local daily that veteran
football Josiah N. Johnson (alias JNJ) was rejected by the Ministry as
Advisor. But it was later learned by this paper that the Sports Ministry
only asked the LFA to clarify the role of JNJ as Advisor, to avoid
interference with the head coach's job.
There is a serious challenge ahead of coach
Kadala Kromah and Administrative Manager J. Wortoh Anderson, on grounds that
they have to work hard to rebuild the lost morale of the national football
team. To rebuild the lost morale, the technical staff will have to assemble
the best players Liberia can boost of at the moment. I mean those players
who are currently active and very youthful and productive. Few players of
vast experience will be needed for the campaign, as far as the '2004 African
Nations qualifiers is concerned.
Bearing this in mind, our sports desk have
researched and found out that some of the players who formed part of the
Lone Star 22-man squad in the Mali '2002 Nations Cup finals are not active.
Only very few are playing professional football, while some are still
lingering in Ivory Coast waiting for some offer to come their way.
As far as our research have revealed, George Weah
and James Debbah, who have already announced their retirement from the
national team, are active but their ages won't permit them to play for the
Lone Star and perform like in the past.
As for former skipper Joe Nagbe, though he was not at
the Mali 2002 Nations Cup, he played actively last season in Greece. In
fact, that was the main reason for which he was not released by his club. It
is therefore left with the technical staff to decide whether skipper Nagbe's
experience and expertise can still be used in Lone Star's defense and
midfield as a guiding force.
Of the young players, only goalie Louis Crayton
(Switzerland), Josephus Yenay(Germany), Prince Daye(France), Edward Zico
Dixon(France), Zizi Roberts(Greece), Oliver Makor(Greece), George
Gebro(Greece), Dulee Johnson(Sweden) and Jimmy Dixon(Sweden) are playing
actively for teams in Europe.
As for Frank Seator, he plays in Qatar for Al-Tawon Sports,
while John Menyongar played in the US Major League Soccer last season.
The likes of Thomas Kojo, Alex Browne, Kelvin Sebwe, Varmah
Kpoto, Dionysius Sebwe, Pewu Bestman (who had played in India) and Abraham
Jackson did not play for any club at their former bases. As for local player
Fallah Johnson, he returned home to LPRC Oilers. There are reports that Mass
Sarr, Jr. is now playing in Malaysia, while unconfirmed reports have it that
Kelvin Sebwe has just signed a contract in Dubai.
But as the new technical staff, headed by Kadala Kromah as
Technical Coach/Manager, begins its work shortly, it is prudent that those
professional players who will be invited are active and up to the task.
At present, there is a huge presence of Liberian players
sweeping the leagues in the far east. In Malaysia, there is Mass Sarr,
Jr.,Josiah J.B. Seton (Sarab FC, he has scored 22 goals), while defenders
Fallah Johnson (Persita Tangarang), Fofee Kamara (Perista Tangarang-bound),
Joseph Amoah all ply their professional trade in Indonesia. These players
have worn the Lone Star colors before and with their outside exposure now
could be an added advantage.
As the new league seasons in Europe are about to begin, one
can safely say only those players who contracts will be renewed by their
respective clubs should be invited. Our Sports Desk have discovered that one
or two of the Greece-based players have trouble with their clubs. We will
confirm that and come out with names in our subsequent publication.
It is also leaned that one or two of the other guys are
playing in the Ivorian league. Unconfirmed reports have it that defender
Varmah Kpoto is playing there at present. But if indeed he is playing there,
he should be one of those the technical staff must seriously contemplate on
inviting because the Ivorian league is very competitive, as most Ivorian
professional players who contracts expire in Europe go back home to play.
One player who played a key role in Lone Star's qualification
for the Nations Cup finals was Musa Shannon, but unfortunately for him
injury ruled him out of playing the finals in Mali. Shannon has since
returned to US Major League Soccer where he now plays for the Colorado
Rapids. He once played there for Tampa Bay Mutiny before going to Portugal,
where he played for Maritimo.
If the Chief Patron of Sports President Charles Taylor gives
the go ahead for Liberia's participation in the '2004 African Cup of Nations
qualifiers, the new techical staff and football administrators will have to
do away with those things that made the old Lone Star performed dismally in
Mali.
Let players be invited based on merit and not past glory. Let
players be fielded based on current form and not big names. Let the
administrators seek the relevant funds from the Government for the players
and technical staff to make them perform accordingly.
Logically, the new team cannot be built without having a
nucleus of home-based players. But there is a serious problem at the moment
as far as home players are concerned. Majority of the home-based players
lack the requisite quality required of national team players. The national
team is for already-made players and not to train players. And so, the new
technical staff have a hectic challenge ahead of it in rebuilding the new
Lone Star bearing in mind only those player who are active should be of
priority.
Unfortunately for it, it has yet to get the green light to
begin training exercises for Lone Star's match against Syli Nationale of
Guinea, a side that is desperate to reclaim its stake in African football
after it was banned by FIFA due its Government's interference in FA matters
last year. Liberia also has Ethiopia and Niger to encounter, where at the
end of the qualifiers only one team will qualify.
Liberians are hopeful that the Lone Star can top her group at
the end of the qualifiers once all hands are put on deck for the qualifiers.
We have the talents but need only the requisite managerial skills of the
technicians just appointed and administrators at the LFA and MYS to guide
them through |
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