Liberian
Soccer Spotlight:
Meet Eddie Kingston
Throughout the 1990s, many young and talented Liberians
found themselves in refugee camps around west africa and the rest of
the world. Among the most famous of such camps was camp Buduburam,
in Ghana. That camp saw the rise of Prince of Daye, Frances Grandpa
Doe and Ben Teekloh.
It was on this refugee camp that Eddie Kingston
first harness his soccer skills. However, Kingston's talents was
overshadowed by the rise of another Liberian player, Prince Daye who
was quickly crowned as the next George Weah.
Eddie quietly went about developing his skills away
from the Liberian community. In HS as a 14 year old, he was spotted
by the then Black Starlets coach, Oko Aryee, who signed him with
Cape coast mysterious dwarfs in Ghana, a première league club.
After only a season, and without breaking into the first
team, Kingston had to leave for the United states as his family
emigrated in 1995. Upon arrival, he did not compete in his senior
year in HS due to injury and so he was not heavily recruited by
colleges.
Again Kingston had to go out and prove he belong
on the big stage. His dream was to play D1 college ball, but no big
schools were calling. So he went to a junior college in Springfield
Illinois where he shattered every goal scoring record set previously
by another Liberian, Alphonso Donyen.
After scoring a staggering 42 goals in 2 seasons, and
being crowned a two time all American, Eddie was recruited by
division 1 powerhouse and defending big east and national champions
St johns University.
There again, Eddie was overshadowed by another Liberian
who had had three solid seasons in top flight college soccer, Chris
Gbandi. He was the poster ball of Big east soccer. Eddie still
became an All American for one final season, before being spotted by
George Weah himself at a summer tournament in Minnesota.
George invited him to the national team and he
was in camp with the team for the entire 2002 world cup qualifying
campaign, winning four caps along the way. Upon his return from
Monrovia, he left for Europe where he signed with NK zagreb, the
then defending champions of Croatian football.
Zagreb missed out on the champions league by losing on a narrow goal
in the qualifiers. After a season at zagreb, Eddie was loaned out to
Malaysian outfit, ATM FC, as the club zagreb was in a financial
mess.
It was at ATM that Eddie finally came into his own, scoring 12 goals
and 7 assists as a striker/attacking midfielder. After his
remarkable journey thru the USA, Croatia, and Malaysia, the only
immediate challenge Eddie sees now is recognition and respect.
He has offered to return to the national team on several
occasions, but Kadala has ignored him repeatedly. Eddie thinks its
all politicized and that the FA is doing away with kids from the
George Weah era. "I'm not about to pay to play for my country,
either, as some people have suggested " I drop Kadala something."
Eddie is bidding his time, and take comfort in th fact
that his talent was recognized by arguably the greatest player ever
to play the game, (all respect to Pele and Maradona).
Now a free agent, his next move could be anywhere |
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