Kaytu Not Top Notched Coach



By Staff Reporter

New controversially appointed Lone Star Coach Kaytu Smith is in the hot seat with much expectation as followers of the red, white and blue are yearning for good tidings for the team. With hurriedly appointed Technical Director Henry Brown recommending and insisting that his closest friend Kaytu Smith get at the helm of the Lone Star as he technically bewildered the relatively football green horn Musa Bility in the name of A-license and as well completing the four-man plot in ensuring that the document-less Kelvin Sebwe stay on as deputy, thus sending caretaker Coach Thomas Kojo in the whirlwind, the Lone star however have as head coach a lowly rated, underachieving as far as top flight football is concerned, and as well tactically maladroit Kaytu Smith.

As far as history is concerned Kaytu is not associated with success and is thus not a great or reliable tactician, in fact, he is in no way a top-notched coach as his records are poor and unrewarding. His admirers brag or shot the loudest that he has had success with the Monrovia U-13, U-14 and U-15 teams that made in-roads in the Gothia and Dana Cups in the Scandanavia. But, such competitions were not highly rated as they of very low standards.

Firstly, Kaytu and close friend who guarded the Monrovia FC side in 1997, ’98 and ’99 paraded over age players that included the likes of DUlee Johnson, Dioh Williams, Natus Ponnie, George Boe, Zah Krangar, Melvin King, Martin Faryanbo, Teddy Sandolo, Sehten Hills, and many other promising players who were older and more advanced than their opponents.

The collection of these players who were all playing at the third and second division leagues in Liberia, could be coached by any one from Liberia and could still emerged as champions as they were more experienced and talented than their opponents who were just trying to play football.

Secondly, the size of the pitch used for the competition was not the regular size of a generally accepted pitch as the players mainly used small sized pitches reminiscent of a small sided game. And, taking players from Liberia who are used to bigger pitches in making them play on smaller pitches, one can tell what would happen.

Thirdly, the balls were smaller and very light and the substitutions were more than the three required in the standardized game.

So, for one to insinuate that Kaytu has achieved is comical as in fact, FIFA competitions focus on the U-17, U-20 and U23 which is a glaring example of such children competitions like the U13 to U15 needing no further glorification. Theses tournaments were just for the summer where kids gathered for summer camps, something that should not be counted by Kaytu in his Cv as an achievement, in fact it need not to be even mentioned as such is very low profile and below par.

The Coach should instead bring about his coaching with top flight clubs. He coached Fulani and Baccus Marines in Liberia that were quite lowly rated clubs as they were never amongst the top six teams in the country at the highest level.

They were championship makers as they were the ones the eventual champions beat to emerge as winners. His admirers also brag that he helped the Oilers of LPRC win the championship. But, in truth, he did not end the season. With more than seven games to go, Kaytu had left with the U-15 to Sweden leaving his deputies in Charge with the Oilers in the 1999/2000 competition of the LFA league which made them emerge as champions at the expense of the now disbanded St. Anthony.

The credit therefore cannot go to him he did not end the season, and with more than seven games to go, anybody can agree that the league was far from over and a very long way to go. He also coached Obanta United in Nigeria which was as well a middle of the table side.

Another chapter of the former Baccus Marines Coach is that of the United States where he managed to get at the Fussion outfit through another close friend Moses Ocheche who is a former LPRC Oilers player. There, he coached kids and other female players in his more than eight years in the United States which from all indication shows he is not a top notched coach, and to bring him at the helm of the Lone Star just shows the LFA is not serious for the well being of the side that is already struggling.