The Need For
Kromah To Quit
By Julu M. Johnson, Jr.
Day by day, the demand for Kadallah Kromah to quit the
national team of Liberia becomes irreversible.
The national team coach fell out with fans after the
Hawks of Togo held the Lone Star 0-0 in Monrovia. There are also
cries about the kind of soccer being played by the Lone Star since
Kromah's ascendancy. Under the watchful eyes of Kadallah, there is
no pattern. As a result, the players waste the ball to opponents.
The call for Kromah to resign has also placed his
personal security on slippery grounds with angry fans planning to
harm the coach unless he quits the team.
But the Sports Ministry seems to still have confidence
in coach Kromah despite the dismal performance by the Lone Star on
July 4, 2004. Reports emanating from the offices of the Liberia
Football Association (LFA) have it that Kromah has already been told
to quit the job.
The LFA is said to be searching for a new coach apparently
realizing Kadallah's poor output on the team. Even though he has
blamed the team's failures on insufficient government support, his
own track record has shown no surprise to Liberians.
Since his incumbency as coach, Kromah's Lone Star has
neither won nor drawn a competitive match abroad. Most of his
success has been in Monrovia, where, to say the truth, the Lone Star
relies on home advantage to win. When compared to his predecessors,
Kromah appears not to have control over the players.
During his first appointment, the Lone Star lost 1-0
away to Cape Verde and 2-0 to Sudan in the 2002 Nations Cup and
World Cup qualifiers respectively.
The two results led to his dismissal by the Youth and
Sports Ministry, then headed by the late Francois Massaquoi (may his
soul rest in peace).
The coach later returned to the job after George
Weah led the Lone Star to the 2002 Nations Cup and almost the World
Cup in Korea and Japan.
Kromah's first task was in Conakry, where the Lone Star
fell 3-0 to the Sylli Nationale of Guinea in the 2004 Nations Cup
qualifiers.
After beating Niger 1-0 in Monrovia, Kromah took the
team to Ethiopia, and as he is not famous for winning away, the team
fell 1-0.
Then came the preliminary round for the 2006 Nations
Cup and World Cup, the Lone Star began the campaign with a 2-0 away
loss before the team overcame their Gambian opponent, the Scorpions
3-0 in Monrovia.
The team moved to the group stage and has been placed
in Group One with Senegal, Mali, Congo Brazzaville, Togo and Zambia.
The Lone Star brushed aside Mali's Eagles 1-0 in
Monrovia before Kromah took the team to Brazzaville where it was
flogged 3-0 by the Red Devils.
Kromah claimed to have managed clubs in Cameroon, Ghana
and Nigeria but his away records are enough reasons why fans are on
his back, day in, day out. LFA Secretary-General Yanqueh Borsay once
condemned the coach's ability.
The records of Kromah cannot be compared to that
of his predecessors who include the late Walter Pelham, Wilfred
Lardner and George Oppong Weah.
During the days of Pelham, the Lone Star drew in Accra
with the great Black Stars of Ghana before grabbing a 2-0 victory in
Monrovia. Lardner followed that trend when
he drew matches in Tunisia, Togo, Tanzania Mauritania and Congo DR.
George Weah then produced the golden moment when the
Lone Star pulled victories away to the Black Star of Ghana,
Mauritius, the Red Devils of Congo Brazzaville, the Leone Stars of
Sierra Leone and even Mauritius.
If Kromah must be considered, then he must bring back
those good old days when the Lone Star conquered great nations such
as Egypt, Nigeria, Ghana, Tunisia, Gabon, Guinea and Malawi.
Anything less should see Kromah taking the exit door.
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