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Lone Stars full of surprises Posted: Tuesday January 15, 2002 5:15 PM
MONROVIA (Reuters) -- Liberia's Lone Stars, led by former World Player of the year George Weah, have the potential to surprise at the African Nations Cup. If all the team turns up, and foreign-based players are happy with their payments, then they could produce a few upsets. On the other hand, the team could well fall apart and go out in the first round. And that's what many expect to happen. Still, Liberia has shocked a few opponents in the past year. The Lone Stars pipped South Africa for top place in the qualifying group for Mali 2002 and were within a whisker of edging out Nigeria in the race for a World Cup place.
"You should not underestimate any team. Every team is going there to win. But we are determined to win and we have very high hopes," Yanquoi Bosay, Secretary-General of the Liberian Football Association (LFA) told "With the calibre of players we have, we are definitely going to bring the cup home. We expect good results," he said. The team's preparations, however, do not bode well. Liberia was thrashed 7-2 by Tunisia in December and a friendly against Egypt had to be called off because not enough players turned up. Liberia plays in the opening match of the Nations Cup against Mali on Saturday, January 19 before taking on Algeria and the host of European stars who play for Nigeria. Besides Weah, who is also technical director and plays in the United Arab Emirates for Al Jazira, the team boasts a smattering of other professionals who play outside Africa. Striker Zizi Roberts plays for Greek side Olympiakos Piraeus and George Gebro and Varmah Kpoto also play in the country. Up front the team also has Weah's Al Jazira team-mate James Salensa Debbah. Other experienced players include Frank Seator, Oliver Makor and Kelvin Sebwe. Former Arsenal striker Christopher Wreh, now at St Mirren in Scotland, is also in the line up. MONEY THE KEY Fans in Liberia, a country founded by freed American slaves in 1847, were cautiously optimistic, hoping that the players would put their usual bickering over money to one side. "If they can put the interest of the nation first, they will perform well. But many of the players normally consider money as the main issue here," said local Felton Yeanyean. "I do not trust the Lone Stars as a team, but I trust individual players," said Abraham Keita, a fan at the Universal Internet Cafe in the capital Monrovia. "They sometimes perform well at a time when you do not expect them. When you have high hopes for the team, they normally disappoint you," said Keita, who expects the team to at least reach the quarter finals. Meanwhile, the head of Liberia's Football Association issued a stern warning last weekend to some of those who play outside Liberia to shape up and make sure they turned up in Ivory Coast's main city of Abidjan for training. "The problem we have in the team is indiscipline. Many of them feel they play for international teams. But this administration will not be intimidated by anyone," the FA's Edwin Snowe told reporters. "I mean it, anyone who is not on camp on time, you will be out. Believe me," he said when Roberts, Gebro and Debbah dallied in Monrovia rather than going to the camp.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. |
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