LFA
Under Attack
The Liberia Football Association (LFA) have come under
serious criticism relative to the development of the game in
the country. In this article, Ansumana Keita, a Liberian
residing in Canada, who is head coach of the U-17 AAA Boys,
federation de Soccer de Salaberry, who holds a UEFA B
license & FA International coaching license has also send
out tough words to LFA VPA Musa Shannon and has frowned on
the duo of Henry Brown and Kaytu Smith.
Mr. Keita who has recommended the 4-5-1 formation for the
Nigeria duel on September 9, wants a two holding midfield
combination of Al Seny Keita and Ben Teekloh, and has
blasted the FA for ostracising Teekloh from the Lone Star
from none footballing reasons.
Below is the article.
LIBERIA NEEDS CONSTRUCTIVE SOCCER
DEVELOPMENT FROM GRASSROOT
TO PROFESSIONALISM.
Ansumana V. Keita
Head Coach U17 AAA Boys,
FÉDÉRATION DE SOCCER DE SALABERRY
2005 RUE VICTOR DORÉ, MTRÉAL, H3M 1S4
+1 (514) 334-3200
http://www.fssalaberry.ca/
Directeur d'option Soccer
Liberia is the oldest African nation and the least Nation in
soccer development, it is a very big shame on us and it is
time to say the truth and get rid of all those that are
destroying our Nation’s soccer development. When we look at
other Countries in terms of soccer, we are very disappointed
in our LFA that is chaired by Musa Bility and his
administration which has no experience of how soccer can be
developed in a country.
How, When and Where did Musa Bility and his administration
learn about soccer? You think soccer is like doing business
such as: selling cars, gasoline, diamond, or having a radio
station? No Mr. Bility! Soccer is a long term development
method. It is very shameful to see our LFA been very
destructive and disgraceful. Please leave our football house
alone, just focus on your business sector because you are
incapable of administering LFA to success, LFA has become
very corrupt and corruption is breaking our soccer
development to level zero.
Do you know how many years now, Liberians have not danced on
the streets for soccer victories due to poor performance of
our national teams (Lone Star) and even on the Clubs level?.
How many coaches have been employed by your administration
and how many of them have brought success to our Lone Star,
none of them, so it is not only about coaches but also about
the fake and corrupt administration of the LFA.
One of my frustrations is Musa Shannon; I was personally
warmed about your election to that post as VPA, but you
failed to prove your patriotism and the experience you got
through your passed soccer career as a player. Instead of
you proving your capabilities to improve football
development program at LFA for the benefits of grassroots to
professionalism in our beloved country Liberia you chose to
join a destructive administration to kill the pretty dreams
of Liberians for better football development.
It is very shameful to have you as VPA, an ex-professional
and Lone Star player and then still seeing our national team
players be treated very unfair and destructively. How will
you allow those who never played the game to treat your
fellow players like that? No proper hosting for players when
they are on national team duties, you prefer to host them at
your personal home or at Musa Bility’s guest house instead
of a better hotel. Or are you telling me now that there is
no hotel in Liberia? Or there is no money to host players at
top level hotels?
That is very shameful from the LFA administration. Would you
be happy to be treated like the way players are treated
today? Why are you guys so wicked like this? Do you realize
that you are frustrating millions of Liberians today?
Because if players are not happy, they will not play to
their 100% and that will always bring poor results. Did you
(Shannon) play voluntary football in Portugal or the USA?
Hell no Mr. Shannon, you were well paid and even your time
on Lone Star as player, you were always happy with per diem
and good treatment to bring us the Liberians victories.
As long we have such corruption at the LFA, our national
teams will never bring happiness and pride to us. I’m always
proud of talking about Lone Star of the Late Samuel K. Doe
regime and the George Weah 11. Let’s salute the dynamic
efforts of the late president Doe and Amb.George Weah,
bravo! You guys will remain in the history of Liberian
football.
Let me talk about some players that were treated inhuman by
LFA such as: Ben Teekloh who was treated like a dog living
outside a house, how will you treat a very pretty and
hardworking player like Ben Teekloh that way? When I hear
people talking about Ben’s problem that he is refusing to
play for mama Liberia, it makes me sick because I feel that
we Liberians don’t like to say the truth to our friends, we
know very well that Ben got his injury during a national
team duty and he was not taking care of for treatment by the
LFA corrupt administration, they almost frustrated Ben’s
career but the Almighty Allah is great and he got treated
traditionally and I’m glad he is back to his professional
career. If Ben ask for insurance, he is 100% right and I
don’t want any Liberian to back this corrupt and destructive
LFA that is still treating national team players like
slaves.
I will tell all Liberian that the best midfielders we have today are Ben
Teekloh and Alseny Keita. So we should not allow LFA to
destroy our national team for their personal greed. Alseny
Keita got sick from a national duty and was hospitalized for
many days in Paris, France, and LFA never care how he was
treated or even to comfort him from his sick bed and Alseny
Keita lost his fruitful contract to a Mexico top first
division team due to his sickness he got from national duty,
shame on the LFA administration.
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR MR. HENRY BROWN AND HEAD COACH OF LONE
STAR KAYTU SMITH
It is very shameful to have a technical Director who doesn’t
even know about football development. Mr. Brown please tell
the Liberian people that you are incapable to bring us a
reliable football development program from grassroots to the
Elite level. Since your appointment as TD of Liberia, what
are the proper programs have you given to the various
national teams from youth level to senior? Or what is the
proper program have you given to teams in the national
league from grassroots to Elite? Please say the truth before
it gets too late for our football development program, you
will bring no success to our football program, because you
have no knowledge or coaching method to improve football
development in Liberia. Instead of you building a reliable
youth program for our national team, you past your time
traveling with senior national team, they don’t need you.
Technical Director (TD) is not for senior national team, TD
is mainly for U16 TO U20 national teams and your duty is
also to form and conduct coaching seminars for local coaches
in the national league and you can only give pieces of
advice to senior national team coach for himself to
personally perform drills and tactical aspect but you have
no right to involve yourself to the senior national team as
you are presently doing with your best friend for life
hahahahaha lol.
I want to know who the head coach of Lone Star is. Because I
feel that you don’t even have confidence in your friend
(Kaytu) and why you brought him to coach Lone Star, you are
a very wicked person that don’t love his mother land. How
will you bring a coach to Lone Star who doesn’t know how to
prepare or perform drills at training of a national team?
You should know that he is dealing with professional players
that trained with high class coaches in their foreign
leagues. Mr. Kaytus Smith is making the same mistakes from
the past Lone Star coaches who were selecting unattached and
low playing profile players from Asian leagues and not given
the chance to local and active players. Most of their
selection is based on corruption and taking money from
players from Asia.
Please ask James Debbah and Christopher Wreh to tell you
about players in Asia especially the Saturday and Sunday
morning practices in Indonesia, hahahahaha it is just
exactly like west point in Monrovia, is that what we are
referring to as professional players, we must be joking.
Look at the Zambian team from the past African Cup of
Nations, they were made up of 80% local players and they won
the cup by beating the Ivory Coast that were made up of 100%
professional players playing for high class clubs in the
world. For me as a coach, I don’t believe in the name
(professional players), but I do believe in hardworking and
gift hearted players who want to play at their 100% to win.
Mr. Smith so please do your selection on current form,
players’ presently playing active football.
Lone Star should not be taken for fun because it is our only
pride and the only team that can bring joy to all Liberians.
Mr. Smith, you know that you are lack of proper coaching
method, please don’t feel ashamed to ask for help from local
coaches by your side because, players have told me
personally that Thomas Kojo is far better than you in terms
of coaching.
I was told that Thomas Kojo knows how to coach
and demonstrate his drills than you do, that is shameful for
you and your best friend Mr. Brown. Mr. Smith I believe
personally that Lone Star can qualify if you apply the 4-5-1
tactical system against Nigeria, because our team have to be
very equipped in defensive and offensive functions to get a
win against Nigeria. We need two holding defensive
midfielders to carry on this system, because when we hold
possession we will attack with four players and when we lose
the ball we will have five midfielders and one attacker to
remain up front. For this system to really work, we need Ben Teekloh and Alseny Keita. Mr. Smith you are the head coach
right now and you have the full responsibility and if we win
you will be praised but if we lose you will definitely be
blamed so please try to bring Anthony Laffor, Francis Doe
and Dioh Williams back to the team because I know all
coaches love discipline players but coaches should bear with
their senior players too.
Samuel Eto’ Fils once had a fight
with his Spanish coach when he was then playing for Real
Mallorca of Spain and after that both of them settled it and
were done with it. You can’t expel players from the national
team, you can only suspend or fine them, and it is like you
are telling a Liberian never to enter Liberia for life time.
I do agree for you to discipline players but please tell the
LFA’s administration to discipline themselves before they
discipline players. Mr. Smith please know that every
successful coach is a winning coach.
Mr. Henry Brown and Mr. Smith Kaytu Smith let me give you
some of my personal coaching philosophy:
• As a coach I’m always looking for new ways to effectively
teach all aspects of this game.
• My main focus is always on developing foot-skills and
excellent fundamental technique, while every practice should
include some fun, competitive games where players learn good
soccer technique and develop good habits while simply
playing games.
• I believe that one important characteristic of soccer
players which take time and patience to cultivate is the
composure on the ball and first touch.
• I believe that player’s development is much more important
than winning at young ages. However, I do believe it is
important for a team to find the right level to play in
order for a good team spirit to be developed by players
believing their team can be competitive in every game. It is
usually more fun to win than lose, but playing a close game
and losing where every player played well and gained
valuable playing experience should be celebrated more than
winning a game big against a team of a lower competitive
level.
• I try to be honest and humble as a coach because the
players are more important than me. I aim to maintain an
atmosphere where the players are relaxed to play and do not
fear the consequences of making mistakes and I emphasize
that all you can do is learn from them and aim to get a
little better every time practice or play a game.
I hope and wish the Lone Star a bright victory against
Nigeria and hope that LFA and the coaching staff of Lone
Star get the message and apply seriousness to the
development of football programs in Liberia. Mr. Smith
please know that players are more important than you as a
coach, so please make the right decisions to make us win
against Nigeria, but if you and your best friend fail us
this time I swear we the Liberians will definitely not be
happy and you will forever be remembered as the worst coach
that we have had in the past history.
Lone Star is not like
the over age team that the both of you took to the Gothia
cup in Sweden hahahahahaha, please Mr. Smith you know these
are community tournaments organized in Europe for recreated
(non-competitive) grassroots teams. Please stop telling us
about that joking trophy. I personally had won trophy with
my Canadian club U11, U12, U13 in France, Spain and Germany,
so these are for fun trophies, non-competitive. These are
summer organized tournaments in Europe. Mr. Smith you know
what I`m talking about, because you have been coaching lower
clubs in the USA.
