Disorganized LFA League

By Wleh Bedell

The Liberia Football Association (LFA) national league without any doubt remains disappointing as there are so many problems that have characterized its woes. There are quite innumerable problems that have continuously made the league very poor and very unattractive. But, for the sake of space and time, they can be characterized into seven concrete reasons.

No Money
It is both laughable and at the same time disheartening to note that the LFA claims to have signed with the cellular company Cellcom to serve as sponsors of the league, but from the way things are going in a haywire fashion, one can only say such deal is just a fluke as there is no money to motivate and set clubs on the proper footing which would make the league more viable and competitive. As it is said in today’s game “no money no football as it is the catalyst that drives the game forward”. What is this whole deal involving Cellcom and LFA all about? What is the value of the contract that was much publicized during its signing? How come the league’s first phase is soon to end and there is nothing like money or funding for clubs that would certainly get the best out of the players and take a huge burden from club officials? These are just few of the many questions screaming for answers as the country’s football continues to be at very low ebb.

No Medic
It is also sadden to note that the LFA has chosen to ignore one of the pillars of the game, a very salient component, the medic. With this ugly nature it shows indirectly that the blue house rarely cares for the life of the players and even referees as they are only interested in the running of the league or making the cash and have adapted a lackadaisical posture on being keen on saving lives. How on earth will league matches be played without medic at the stadiums? If this can happen in Monrovia at the ATS one wonders what’s about outside the Capital? It is quite unfortunate and shows the Musa Bility led administration has missed the mark in its development drive for the game with its much heralded commercialization program a sham. Does Bility’s commercialization mean there should be league matches without medic, Where players will be faced will severe injuries and leave to suffer without first aid but are said to be rushed to hospitals? Someone please answer. Probably to Bility and co. there was a mistake by the world football drivers to include the medic as a pillar of the beautiful game.

Security lacking
The safety aspect of the players and even the fans is another key issue. It has being noticed on many occasions that the games are virtually without security with a handful of plain clothes personal who are part of the LFA security the ones normally responsible for security matters. It’s like ten persons serving as security on a pitch that at times contains 15,000 persons. This is something that shows another poor state of the country’s game which shows that the organization of our football is very awkward. There have being instances of pitch invasion, something the FA cannot deny mainly due to the lack of security.

Disrespect for Coaches
Another worthless issue is the humiliation or belittling of coaches by taking them from the dugout or their benches in the name of not having certificates or licenses. Several coaches have being whisked off the side lines on grounds that they don’t have certificates from probably the Coaches association, something that has dampened a host of clubs during league matches as they soon become psychologically deranged. How can a coach be taken off his team’s bench during a league match in the name of not having a certificate? After preparing a team, it becomes too comical, absurd and out of order for people to start taking coaches out of their benches for not having coaching credentials. Is the LFA saying it is better than the English FA that allowed Avram Grant to handle Chelsea or even UEFA that allowed the Israeli to guide Chelsea in the champions league? Is the FA more organized than the Argentinean FA that ensured Diego Armando Maradona served as coach of Mandiyude Corrrientes and Racing Club despite not having the proper coaching credentials? Let it be hasten to add here that one is not against the LFA making its coaches have the proper documents by being certificated, but the timing is what should be frowned on as it would do no good for a team that have already being trained by a coach to be taken off the bench for a team manager or kit man to serve as coach. In fact, the LFA must in collaboration with the coaches association organize coaching courses to ensure that these coaches are certificated order than disgracing them in taking them off their respective technical benches as their respective clubs are left tactically vulnerable.

Overcrowded Fixture
The congestion of fixture in a league that clubs feel the pinch of digging deep in their pockets to get the finances for league games is another poor side of the league. From the way the league is being run shows the clubs are even busier than the English premier league clubs which is regarded as the most demanding league in world football. Besides, the festive Christmas period and few other times where the league matches are so close, clubs in England play once a week, but for Liberia, the clubs play twice a week since the fixture was revised and looks like will continue till the end of the season which could be in the next five to six months. Firstly, club officials will be faced with too much problem in finding money in a league that has no money from the LFA and its sponsors and in preparing their clubs for matches and as well providing transportation, but the LFA seems disinterested.

Besides, almost all clubs in the country don’t practice on a daily basis but the FA has brought about two games per week which has already led to fatigue and poor performances from most clubs and players. Also, there are scenarios where some clubs don’t even train and go for a match as their training time cannot hold due to league matches. One example is when a club traveled to Nimba to play a league match on a Sunday. They could not travel back to Monrovia after the game as they had to spend the night there in Nimba. They arrived in Monrovia in the afternoon hours and had no time to prepare for their following league match on the next day which was on a Tuesday at the ATS.

While the league might be moving faster by evidence of the matches, the best is not being taken or realized from the clubs and players as far as performance is concerned.

No Regular Statistics
In almost every league round the world, the football house provides up to date statistics like top scorers chart, players suspended or on the brink of suspension as a results of cards, number of cards, yellow and reds, how the goals are scored, the percentage of goals scored from set pieces, open play, etc, the various intervals goals are scored with analysis done comparatively with that of previous league seasons. Such is not available at the FA as its website cannot show anything. Also, there is no publicity on the league as the FA relies on local radio stations and newspapers to give information on the league. Ironically, the LFA president Bility boasted during his campaign of his media conglomerate that has a radio and television as well as a newspaper, but there is much emphasis especially on the television on foreign leagues like the Premier Liga, Premier League, etc as the local league suffers or yearns for quality or full scale promotion.

Questionable Officiating
No discredit to the referees as it is often said “refereeing the game of football is a thankless task”, but in all fairness there is seemingly no checkmate on referees especially for games outside Monrovia. Stories or news of players being banned or clubs being fined for assaulting referees must claim the attention of everyone as it relates to the officiating. While one must in all ways condemn the acts of violence on referees as it is inimical to the growth of the game, the question however is there people checkmating or appraising referees? Are the referees performances or decisions always right? Are they given their just benefits which would encourage them to perform well on a regular basis?

Does the FA care about what they do or are just keen on the fixture being completed? This is another sticky issue. With all of these one wonders where is or what is the role of the newly handpicked technical director of the LFA?