Sticking to old plans
By Bruce Wiah - Liberiansoccer Beat Reporter
Liberia's incredible bash into the 2006 World qualifiers at the
expense of the Gambia may have altered the imaginations of most
Liberian football fans.
That shocking three nil win, which coincided with the re-entry of
Zizi Roberts after almost two years of boycott, and a lone goal
triumph against a well-pelted Malian team, were as much as
compulsory to transmute even the highly uninspiring Lone Star fan.
A few familiar faces sashayed into the team more quickly, the
momentum began erupting, and all seems going well for a team that
nearly made South Korea/Japan two year ago.
The squad, then sticking to old plans, must have mustered huge
courage from their demanding home fans going into those matches that
produced six rock-solid points and four goals without any reply.
Fading bravery
But it seems early days seeing that fanaticism fading away with news
of players draught at away matches and the scorched dropping of
players when they're most needed.
If that heavy three nothing loss to the Red Devils of
Congo-Brazzaville that pulled Liberia down the rungs of Group A
ladder wasn't a foil, then the fright posed by the Hawks of Togo
against Senegal's Teranga Lions must flicker even the fear-allergic
Liberian football fan.
On pedigree, Liberia has an edge over the Togolese especially
playing at home, but today's football history is being over-ridden
by shocks and surprises, something that the Lone Star must be wary
of going into Sunday's duel.
Stephen Keshi¡'s Togo
Stephen Keshi, an insider of Liberian football, manages the Togolese
and a high-profile coach who understands the tactical discipline
depicted in modern day Africa football.
Top-flight players might not be present in both teams, but the
Togolese proved a much tougher side against Senegal in every
department of that match as compare to Liberia that is still
rotating the squad the fielded in their last two games.
Act-22not working
Kromah and Act 22
Lady luck has caught up with Coach Kromah whose self-styled Act-22
couldn't still dislodge a lowly Sierra Leone U-20 local team.
The talkative coach must now rely on un-monitored overseas players
to do his job. Scoring is a major problem for his team, but he's
contending with a list of few strange players with epic doubts over
a dozen of foreign pros he went shopping for.
Act-22 after its inception more than year ago should have by now
serve as a dependable players¡¯ bank when the pros failed to turn
up.
Coach Kromah lost all his four competitive away matches failing to
score a single goal. Not one local player has nested the ball in
five away matches, atypical of a team that needs goals to come alive
in the Group A.
Dulee snubbed again
Dulee playing well in Sweden
Debutant Dioh Williams, top scorer for his Swede team, was slotted
into Coach Kromah rhombus midfield. The lone goal scorer against
Mali, Alvin Kieh, is reportedly a surplus to one dozen pros
selected.
Attacking midfielder Dulee Johnson is being snubbed for the fourth
time running, while a strange defender, Chris Gbandi, is hovering to
replace Jimmy Dixon.
The Dallas Burns stopper has a giant profile, but a complete
greenhorn to the African game especially the inconsistent Liberian
squad.
Zizi Roberts's comeback lingers in the haze as he's ruled out for
the rest of the MSL season, but'°returnee Jonah Sarwieh is named to
the team along with Francis Doe, the Minnesota boy.
Doe's inclusion received an attractive tap judging from this
goal-scoring record, but his form against Congo-Bra remains below
the surface as Liberian journalists were barred from making the
trip.
As the players recalled for Sunday encounter turn up in small bit,
Coach Kromah now has a few options to pick from as more reports
follow
|
Please Click our Sponsors
Links to support the site
|
