Hey shifting blame for Lonestar
Results
Liberia's National Soccer Coach Sets
Conditions To Return
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The Lone Star's head Coach Antoine Tony Hey is shifting the blame
for the dismal showing of the team in the recent matches. A new
twist has developed with the German outlining series of conditions
for returning to Liberia.
Hey expressed his passion for club football after Liberia’s 3-1
defeat away to Senegal. With two points in four matches, and ranked
at the bottom of Group Six of the 2010 qualifiers, Hey hinted to the
BBC that Liberia’s qualification has became a dream.
The Liberiansoccer.com Editorial “ Was hey committed to Liberia”
also caused an uneasy feeling within the Liberian football
community. The questions asked in the Editorial were quickly rebuked
by the football house. The LFA Sec general George Williams stated
that the editorial was unfair to the coach. He further buttress his
point with an interview on BBC .
Speaking from his base in Germany, in an interview monitored by
Liberiansoccer.com on Monrovia’s Truth FM at the weekend , Hey
stated that people in the Liberia football family claiming to know
everything but know nothing are undermining his efforts to transform
the team. This was a shot at Liberiansoccer.com , unsettled Lone
Star Midfielder Kelvin Sebwe and Technical Director Kadala Kromah.
When quizzed about his return for Liberia’s remaining two matches,
Hey demanded changes in the local football house to reflect what he
called the country's interest. What we have observe is that Hey is
looking for an out to his contract by his demand. What gives a
person with less then 3 months on the job to demand changes in the
LFA.? His performance does not give him the credence to demand
anything.
The furious manger, who took over the Lone Star four months ago with
a mandate to propel the team towards the 2010 games, sounded
disappointed with mounting lashes from unsettled Lone Star
Midfielder Kelvin Sebwe and Technical Director Kadala Kromah. Maybe
the coach needs to understand the passion of Liberians when it comes
to our “ Tebelleh”.
The Greece-based player, who appeared for only thirty five minutes
in the team's four matches, said Hey had scheduled a meeting in
Dakar, following the Lone Star’s 3-1 defeat, but scurried out to
Europe.
Kelvin, who featured at Liberia’s previous nations’ cup showing in
Mali 2002 and South Africa 96, blamed poor strategy for the team’
dismal performance. He questioned Coach Hey for featuring two
strikers in the team's 3-0 away defeat to Algeria on June 6.
It is known in African football that road wins are few and far
between. Most experienced coaches go for road draws. Get the point
from the game is the prudent thing to do.
"It took us so long to bring the supporters back to the stadium. Is
this what we can offer now they have come?”, the veteran midfielder
told a press conference in Monrovia recently.
Hey's bashing continued with Liberia Football Association Technical
Director and former Lone Star Coach, Kadala Kromah, pounding on
Coach Hey for the disappointing showing.
Both Kadala and Frank Jericho Nagbe were given the marching orders
after the team missed out on the chance for both the 2006 and 2008
Nations and World Cups respectively.
Liberians are heavily divided on whether to keep or let the German
go. He's expected to collect a total of one hundred and fifty
thousand dollars ($USD 150,000) in salaries and housing for a full
year. The salaries of Hey’s two deputies, Kamal Halat and another
expatriate staffer are not known.
Skeptics however believe the team's achievement doesn't tally with
the opportunities the German has, including four International
friendly matches before the start of the qualifiers. Liberian
Football Pundits believe that the coach did not use our best players
and he placement of players was questionable.
Others however believe that the Lone Star’s best can only arrive
following a firm rebuilding process presided over by coach Hey or
another football tactician.
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