Lone
Star Departs Monrovia Wednesday
Chris Gbandi called for his
second LoneStar cap
By Julu M. Johnson, Jr.
The national soccer team of Liberia, the
Lone Star, will leave Monrovia on Wednesday, the Youth and Sports
Ministry spokesman has disclosed on Monday.
According to the Sports Ministry's Director
of Public Affairs, Mohammed Kromah, the team will leave the Liberian
capital for Dakar, Senegal to engage the Lions of Teranga in the sixth
round of matches in the joint 2006 African Nations and World Cup
qualifiers. Liberia lies second from bottom in Group One while Senegal
sits at the top.
Mr. Kamara indicated that the Sports Ministry has
been gathering funds for the trip to materialize.
With at least ten foreign-based players expected to make the journey
to Dakar, Mr. Kamara said the Sports Ministry was deeply worried about
sending for players and keeping them on the bench for an entire match.
For instance, Anthony Ballah and John Moses were recalled from
Indonesia and Hungary on separate occasions but had to watch the
matches on the bench. That has been the reason why Sports Minister
Wheatonia-Dixon Barnes has been critical about sending for overseas
based players.
Mr. Kamara disclosed that funds for the Lone Star
has run out but said the Sports Minister was gathering money for the
team. He said the participation of the Lone Star was part of the
responsibilities of the Government through the Sports Ministry.
Out of a total of 25 players selected from the local
scene, caretaker coach Joseph Sion alias Kofi Bruce has set his eyes
on eight local players provided the foreign based players called
appear in Dakar or are accepted by Government.
Coach Sion has the opportunity of picking from a list
that includes Pascal Karblee, Boye Pratt, Latee Jackson, Morris
Baryour, Shelton Barlee, Solomon Wesseh, Varmah Kpoto, Solomon Grimes,
George Miller, Isaac Tondo, Eric Lee-Wright and Prince Garwo.
The players named from overseas are Louis Crayton,
Fallah Johnson, Anthony Ballah, Dioh Williams, John Menyongar, Anthony
Langford, Kelvin Sebwe, Oliver Makor, Jimmy Dixon and George Gebro.
However, Louis Crayton, based in Switzerland, and
Fallah Johnson of Indonesia may not join the team due to club
engagements. At the same time, Anthony Langford and Francis Grandpa
Doe have arrived in Monrovia for the trip to Senegal.
The duo featured in test match the Lone Star won
2-1 against Invincible Eleven (IE) on Sunday at the Antoinette Tubman
Stadium (ATS) on Sunday. The LPRC Oilers duo of Isaac Tondo and James
Koko Lommel got the goals.
The Liberian FA called Langford for the
pending match, but Grandpa Doe together with Chris Gbandi has
volunteered his services for the national team.
Kelvin Sebwe and Oliver Makor would be making their
comebacks to the national team since the Lone Star participated in the
2002 African Nations Cup finals in Mali, which saw the resignation of
the legendary George Oppong Weah.
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