Kaytu yet to win Competitive Match

By Wleh Bedell
bedellblessing@yahoo.com
+2316106293

Faithful of the Lone Star are once more starting to believe in their team by evidence of a spirited 2-2 draw against two times African Champions Nigeria Super Eagles and a virtually suspect refereeing 2-0 win against four times Champions Ghana Black Star. Also, many have begun heaping praise on the team’s under pressure coach Joseph Kaytu Smith who returned from the United States few months ago where he had been coaching female players mainly in the youth category that can not be termed as competitive football after his best friend Henry Brown had returned from the States as well to become technical Director of the Liberia Football Association (LFA) where he has in more than six months on the job failed to draw up a technical plan for the country’s football, claiming he is the right man for the job.

Their faith in Kaytu stance from the recent unconvincing 0-1 win against a deplete Malawian side that were in transit to Ghana for their Afcon first leg final round qualifier, and the run away draw with Nigeria as well as the talking point win with Ghana. However, it is a bit surprising that all the praises in the world will be lavished on a coach for just winning friendly or non competitive matches and not competitive ones which are the most respected worldwide.

Since getting at the helm of the Lone Star with his much heralded License A, Kaytu has not won any competitive match despite trying on four attempts. It can be recalled that the former Fulani Coach in his first competitive test on match lost in an insipid manner to Senegal’s Teranga Lions away on Match Day One of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier. In his second competitive match at home, the ex- Oilers gaffer managed a disappointing 0-0 draw to Angola’s Palancas Negras and survived in his third fixture away with a grueling 0-0 draw to the Brave Warriors of Namibia which qualified the Lone Star to the final round of the qualifier. Much of the credit however can be attributed to former Caretaker Coach Thomas Kojo who was wrongly axed after winning the first leg by a solitary goal against the Brave Warriors at home. Coach Smith would then get a sigh of relief with an electrifying 2-2 draw to Nigeria.

The primary focus world wide is the competitive matches and not the friendly ones. In the latter, most countries or teams don’t parade most of their key names or first team players, but rather use the time or the match to try fringe players. Besides, teams are allowed to make more than the regular three substitutions required for a friendly with teams mostly making up to seven substitutions. And, for Liberia and other countries where the local referees are used which brings to question the transparency or neutrality aspect, friendly matches are not termed as top notched contest.

It is the competitive matches that are the most respected with mostly referees outside the two competing countries except for unavoidable circumstances that would stop the assigned referees from coming which would thus make the referees of the competing countries to handle such match. Also, there are not more than three substitutions with the focus, mentality and attitude very high. Such matches are mostly in qualifiers, like the African setting, the African nations and World Cup qualifier.

As it relates to the monthly FIFA ranking, there would be huge gain made by a country that thrive in competitive matches and just little gains by a country that thrives in the mere friendly matches. That was why a country like Central African Republic made a leap in the FIFA ranking after ousting seven times champions Egypt in the Afcon qualifiers. Also, there is expected to be a huge move by Cape Verde for drubbing the Indomitable Lions of Cameroun in the first leg final round qualifier, and while the friendly matches gain marks, they are not as huge or significant as that of the competitive engagements.

Despite the huge support from national government, Cellcom GSM as sponsors of the Lone Star and other companies where nowadays the Lone Star travels with chartered flight with Kaetu reportedly earning a monthly salary of US$ 3, 500.00, the Lone Star is still searching for its first competitive win under him with many screaming “when will the Lone Star win a serious or competitive match under Coach Smith?”

It can be recollected that two of the current Lone Star Coach compatriots in Kadallah Kromah and Frank Jericho Nagbe, Sr. Despite being paid the modicum amount of US$ 600.00 as monthly salary which was in fact not regular as they are according to sources still owed managed to win five and one competitive match respectively. Coach Kromah in his first spell where he was head Coach with French man Philip Redon as Technical Director went away with the Lone Star to pin Chad 1-0 in a competitive fixture and not a friendly. Then, in his second spell as Coach the former Hearts of Oak tactician won three competitive matches all at home against Gambia, Niger, Mali and Ethiopia, while Coach Jericho won a competitive match at home against Rwanda.

The onus is therefore on kaetu to deliver as far as winning competitive matches are concerned with his next test being a Herculean one on October 13, against a very desperate Super Eagles of Nigeria the difficult hunting ground of Calabar.

In the honest of manner, for Kaytu to get all the plaudits he must be able to first get a competitive win order than clinging onto non competitive home wins, and judging from the fact that kadalla with meager resources during his second spell as Lone Star coach won four competitive matches and could in fact not send for fourteen professionals or over sea based players as it is with kaetu Smith who is yet to discover any new player (remember there has being no player that has made a debut under Coach Smith in all of his competitive matches as those he is currently working with were all scouted by previous coaches), in terms of juxtaposing the two, kadallah Kromah is by far better than Kaytu Smith, judging from the organization in his training programs and his achievement.

Coaches are regarded as top notched or greatly respected not by winning non competitive matches but the competitive ones and further win titles. Thus, Kaytu has a lot to prove as there is nothing special from him yet as far as making gains on the competitive stage.