Dear LFA & MOYS:

We are concern and very disappointed in the handling of the Liberian National Football Team, the LONE STAR and the running of the national football league. For the last several years Liberian clubs have not been represented in any continental or regional football competitions. Likewise, since 2002, our beloved LONE STAR has fell on FIFA ranks in the World and Africa. We drop from the top 50 in the world and the top 15 in Africa, to 124 in the world and 29th in Africa, per the March 23, 2005 FIFA world ranking listing/publication. We are expected to drop even further in April listing, based on our performances recently in Dakar, Senegal.

It is apparent to us that the present leadership of the LFA and the MOYS do not care about the affairs of football in the country, because if you did, there will be a plan in placed to improve football in Liberia and will address the current short falls of football in the country. Unfortunately, there isn’t any plan. We think the present leadership is all about having authority (as we Liberian would say “being in things” and not doing a damn thing to correct our short falls) and implicating corruptions, no love and concerns for the game and players.

We need good management that have interest in the game and not the old “WITFM- what is in there for me.” The era for authoritative and corrupt leadership is over; we need transparency and accountabilities in both organizations. We are aware of FIFA allocating some money to each country that participates in the World Cup Preliminary in four installments, about $250,000 per installment. The installments are stretched out over the four years before the next preliminary to enable each country to use the money for development of the game. Where is the development in Liberia and where is all this money going? It cannot be going into the development of the game, because based on the aforementioned, football in Liberia is getting worst or deteriorating. Is this money going into the officers’ package? Look at FIFA goal project in Liberia, the renovation of ATS and the LFA new and own home. No electronic scoreboard, construction of the LFA offices were not completed on time and according to plan and few other items in the project was eliminated. Below are additional reasons why we know the money is not going back into the game:

Fact # 1 - No development program,

Fact # 2 - Poor and inadequate preparation of the LONE STAR before major games,

Fact # 3 - The football house and the MOYS no money syndromes,

Fact # 4 - Local clubs are not participating in international competitions,

Fact # 5 - The Liberian league is one of the weakest league in Africa, if not the weakest,

Fact # 6 - Young players leaving the country for Asia and other African countries in large numbers to ply their trades,

Fact # 7 - No qualify and experience coach,

Fact # 8 - Instead of adjusting your (the LFA) so-called laws to enable well known personalities in the game, someone who know and played the game, someone with influence in the world of football, someone who played in the highest level and was the world best player (the first and only African to do so) in 1996, You decided to block George Oppong M. Weah from taking the leadership in the LFA, only because of your own selfish reasons, which is to keep in control of the lucrative football house money.

Fact # 9 - No football school in the country and many other deficiencies.

It’s a shame that the LONE STAR have not put out any good performances since 2002 Nation’s Cup Finals in Mali. Even at that competition, we did not do so well. You (LFA & MOYS) are saying we have no money all the time for adequate preparation of the LONE STAR, including inviting foreign based players. You keep saying we will use the local players for international games to get exposures. My people, our local clubs have not taken part in international competitions in the last1ten years or so, if not more. How can these local players represent the country in these competitive competitions, when they’ve got no international exposure? Come on; be for real. With all due respect to the local players, who are not responsible for their poor performance, look what is happening in the on-going combine World Cup and Nations Cup Qualifiers when you used locals; Liberia 0 Congo 3, Liberia 0 Senegal 3, Liberia 1 Senegal 6. We have not experience these kinds of losses (with the exception of the friendly we played in Tunisia about 3-4 years ago which we lost 7-2, again we used local players) in the last 30 years or more.

Based upon all of the above facts, we strongly recommend the following:

1. That all leadership in both LFA and the Ministry of Youth and Sports resign,

2. that the LFA laws be revisited to accommodate people like George Weah to become President of the LFA and to do a background check on all future leaders of the LFA in soccer management and must have played the game or a major part of a football organization,

3. that the LFA issue a comprehensive report from the start of this administration to present indicating how FIFA money and gate intakes were or are spend,

4. that the LFA find sponsors for the league and the LONE STAR,

5. that the LFA use money given to them for development of the game by FIFA be used for that purpose only,

6. that expenditures of the LFA be open and transparent and, accountabilities for all money spend,

7. initiate some football programs for development,

8. that you draft plans (such as soliciting funds on an annual basic from permanent businesses and citizens, sell league and Lone Star souvenir, organized social and other activities, etc…) to generate funds for each football season and for the LONE STAR preparations and, don’t depend on government for money all the time,

9. that the local clubs complete in international competitions,

10. that the LONE STAR play at least two meaningful test matches before a major game,

11. that foreign based players are invited on time, at least three weeks before a game and they must be in the country five days to train before a game,

12. Only regularly used players who are in form must be invited, and

13. hire an experience coach.

Sincerely,
Liberian football lovers in the Diasporas