Paynesville City – Emmanuel Flomo’s first-half strike was the decisive goal as Nigerian tactician Oladeinde Babatunde’s LISCR FC began on a high note, with his team inflicting a 1-0 defeat on the champions Watanga FC at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex.
By Jaheim T. Tumu
Flomo scored with a stunning effort just before halftime, ensuring the Shipping Boys secured all three points.
Babatunde placed his trust in Anthony Laffor, who captained the team on his second debut since leaving the club in 2003 to join Ashanti Gold.
Both teams started the match without an ambulance, which is a requirement set by the Liberia Football Association (LFA) this season.
The absence of a general medic comes with significant fines from the football governing body. Additionally, the match, originally scheduled to kick off at 4 PM, was delayed by 10 minutes for an unexplained reason.
The match began with a lack of urgency from both sides, though Laffor showcased glimpses of his prime when in possession. The former Liberian international midfielder delivered key passes in the final third. His cross led to a Daniel Toe header that forced a fine save from Teddy Kollie in the 30th minute.
However, Laffor was often reliant on his teammates to cover ground, appearing somewhat pedestrian without the ball.
The home side created their own chances, with Emmanuel Sieh beginning to show flashes of his previous top-scoring form from last season, posing a threat to the LISCR FC defense.
Watanga improved as the match progressed and appeared to have scored the opener in a controversial moment after the referee initially signaled for a goal, assistant referee Joel Doe intervened. After a brief consultation and protests from the LISCR players, referee Sylvina Garnett ruled for an infringement instead.
After halftime, the home side returned energized and created several attempts to find the equalizer, but they were unable to score.
LISCR FC held on and secured the first win under their new coach, Babatunde.
