Snowe
To Discuss Lone Star Friday
By Julu M. Johnson, Jr.
The former president of the Liberia Football
Association (LFA) Edwin Snowe will speak on the national soccer team
of Liberia Lone Star.
The former leader of Liberian soccer has been invited
by the Sports Writers Association of Liberia (SWAL) to address the
July, 2004 edition of the Herbert Grigsby Memorial Lecture Forum.
The occasion will take place at the headquarters
of the Sports Writers Association on Broad Street on Friday, July
23, 2004 at 12: Noon.
Mr. Snowe will speak on the topic: "The Panacea
for Lone Star qualification for 2006 Nations and World Cup finals."
The Lone Star has been involved in the 2006
Nations Cup and World Cup finals with three matches already played.
The team won 1-0 over Mali on June 6, lost 3-0 to Congo Brazzaville
on June 20 and drew 0-0 with the Hawks of Togo on July 4, 2004.
The latest match against Togo was negatively received
by the Liberian soccer populace who has been calling for the
resignation of national head coach Kadallah Kromah. Apart from
doubting coach Kromah's ability to lead the team, others believe
that the absence of Liberian players in competitive leagues and the
failure of government to support the team to the fullest have been
some of the reasons why the Lone Star has lost sparkling form as
compared to the era of George Oppong Weah.
During the Weah era, the team qualified for the 2002
African Cup of Nations and almost sailed to the 2002 World Cup
finals in Korea and Japan.
The Sports Writers Association has chosen Mr. Snowe to
speak on the Lone Star apparently because it was during his regime
that the national team was one of the best playing teams on the
African continent. The Lone Star was also bankrolled hugely by the
government at the time such
that each foreign based was getting US$5,000.00 per match.
Hence it is expected that Mr. Snowe would suggest
some means through the team could return to its good days.
Then Son-in-law to President Charles Taylor, Mr. Snowe
took over the LFA in 1997. After seven years of service, he left the
post this year to concentrate on his position as Managing Director
of the Liberian Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC).
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