More Whipping For Liberia – 8 Goals in 2 Days

Unless the necessary programs are put into place, and politics and personal interests are divorced from the game of football, those who control football and the national football teams will continue to bring disgrace to Liberia.

The Liberia Football Association keeps creating the avenues for more whipping of our various national teams in this direction. Over the weekend, the senior and Under-23 national teams suffered heavy defeats in two international football competitions over the weekend in Cape Verde and Ghana.

In the qualifiers of the African Cup of Nations, the senior Lone Star went down 2-4 to Cape Verde on Saturday, March 26. Another disgrace for Liberian football was on Sunday, March 27 when the Under-23 sustained a humiliating defeat at the legs of the Under-23 of the Ivory Coast in Accra in the London 2012 Olympic qualifiers.

Liberia was walloped 0-4 by the Ivoirians. The country conceded a total of eight goals in two days in two international matches. Such horrific  football image for Liberia could only be attributed to the inability of the current administration of the Liberia Football Association or LFA headed by Musa Bility to set up a good football program,

Plan to implement such program, as well as prepare and implement for good results. “With all of these lacking, Liberia was confident enough to travel to Cape Verde with only five foreign-based players and several local players.

Our football authority failed to plan and prepare because they had nothing to prepare, so they had nothing to implements as a nation on Saturday March 26 and Sunday, March 27, 2011 in Cape Verde and Ghana and so, we got disgraced,” one football analyst told New Dawn Sports last evening as he walked to angrily express his disdain to the New Dawn.

Ricks Institute Ends Olympic

Ricks Institute, a Baptist mission school in Virginia outside Monrovia, recently held its annual mini-Olympic involving a few schools from Monrovia and other counties. The principal of Ricks Institute, Dr. Olu Menjay applauded Lone Star Cell for its sponsorship of the event, even though he did not disclose the amount provided by the company to the $25,000USD-Olympic.

Lone Star Cell is reported to have provided more about 60% of the funding to cover refurbishing of the basketball court, as well as the Football field and all score boards with the Lone Star Cell Logo. In basketball, Ricks defeated Lott Carey Mission 40 to 13 baskets in the female division, while Ricks netted 42 baskets against Jimmy Jolocom’s 36 baskets in the male category.

In kickball, Jimmy Jolocom High School walked away with the trophy after whipping WPL Brumskine High school of Grand Bassa County 9-7 home runs. In football, Ricks Institute prevailed over the Ganta United Methodist School from Nimba County with a 1-0 defeat.

Volleyball Federation Signs $36,000 Deal

The Liberia Volleyball Federation has taken another step towards its first project, less than two months following its leadership election. The federation has just signed on a  ($36,000USD) deal for three years with the Federation of International Volleyball in implementing the High School Volleyball Project (HSVP).

The money will be provided to the local federation in three installments, on an annual basis. The Liberia Volleyball federation will receive $12,000USD annually for the project. Speaking to the New Dawn on Sunday, the President, Moffie Kanneh said that the LVF was delighted with latest deal for the federation.

The funding from the Volleyball world body will help Liberian Volleyball teams to start a new life, give the LVF ample time to develop players to secure a slot at the 2015 Olympic. The national team returned from Nigerian nearly two weeks ago after finishing 3rd in their group, making it impossible for them to qualify for the All-African game later this year.

Grand Kru Players Compensated

Compensations for players who represented Grand Kru County in the 2010 national county sports meet have begun. The total amount for the exercise is $5, 000USD contributed to the Grand Kru County steering committee by the County’s Project Management Committee as its contribution to cover payments to the various teams.

The US$5,000.00 check written in the name of Johnson Beh, one of the county coordinators for the sports meet on March 16, 2011, was reportedly en-cashed last week followed by the commencement of payment to players on March 23.

Coach Morris S. Chea and Captain Shanta T. Newon are reported to have signed on behalf of the Kickball  team for the amount of $825USD, while disbursement to the football team  is dependent on the return of one of the two sets of jerseys given the players. Coordinator Johnson Beh is also said to have signed for $475USD for distribution among nine home based players making up the team.

The Deputy Defense Minister for Operations and member of the steering committee for the 2010/2011 County meet, Dionysus Sebwe said payments were only made to players qualified to receive such compensations. The Deputy Minister was accused nearly a month ago by players and some officials for misusing the funds given to the county by the Ministry of Youth and Sports for the various teams for preparations.

Sebwe claimed that the county received 18,000USD from the Ministry ahead of the tournament, but the amount was insufficient for the county, considering  the bad road conditions, as well as huge transportation fares, among other constraints.

On November 22, 2010, Sebwe wrote the Ministry for additional funds to keep the county teams moving and honoring their responsibility, but to no avail. The amount requested for by Minister Sebwe was never disclosed. Sebwe also noted that the amount generated from various contributions by citizens was less than $1000USD.