Monrovia – Liberian Malaysian based striker Kpah Sherman has no worries despite enduring a lengthy of not scoring for the national team, the Lone Star, since making his debut against Lesotho on May 30th 2014.
“I have no doubt that the goals will come,” Sherman says, in an interview with FrontPageAfrica recently, on the eve of the team’s Africa Cup of Nations clash with Chad on Wednesday.
Sherman, who plies his trade with PKNS, last scored for Liberia from the penalty spot against Nigeria in an international friendly to retire the Number 14 jersey of President George Weah.
He played full 90-minutes against Sierra Leone in the two legs, failing to register his name on the score sheet in the absence of William Jerbo. He did however provided the assist for the penalty in Monrovia which was scored by Terrence Tisdell.
Sherman’s goal drought has prompted many of his fans and even critics to wonder when will the goals come for the former Mighty Barrolle and BYC striker. Others going as far as to question whether he has the ability to help Liberia win games without Jerbo and Sam Johnson.
Ahead of the game against Chad, Wednesday, Sherman appeared hopeful. “The first goal is usually the hardest. Besides, I am a team player. Even in Malaysia where I ply my trade, I am the top goal scorer, but I am also among the first five assist players. I won the penalty against Sierra Leone, if I was that greedy to score, I was going to take the penalty. I scored four penalties in Malaysia last season, but I always said it is about time. When your time comes, nothing stops. So, when the goal comes, it is going to come naturally. I am not putting pressure on myself. if we win 3-0 and I can assist and fight to help the team, I am going to be satisfied.”
Despite the drought, Sherman days, the goals will come. “Every striker needs to score, I hear people saying Sherman is fighting but is not scoring. But when the goal comes it comes and will come in abundance,” the striker said, confidently.
Sherman acknowledges that not scoring in games for Liberia does play on him sometimes, but he is just as happy when the team wins.
He says, the number of strikers on the team is good for the country and will motivate him to work even harder.
For the next game against Chad, Sherman will have to fight for his place on the national team with the inclusion of Peter Wilson, William Jerbo, and Sam Johnson.
In his own words, scoring 118 goals in his career is all about his dedication to the game and his hard work on and off the pitch. “With the level of Confidence I have on the pitch; the goal is just a matter of time for the moment when it comes it will come in abundance” Kpah told FrontPage Africa.
Ahead of Wednesday’s duel, Sherman says the team is in high spirits. “The team going to give Liberians attractive football and a win because I am confident, we will win on Wednesday.”
“We want to qualify – and entering the group stage is what we as Liberians want to get to the African cup of nations. As a team, we are united and want to play”.
Sherman says he sees a lot of prospect in the team. “I see a lot of confident in this team this team play football like we never play before we had two matches on two bad pitches but we still manage to play some good football, we are going to go somewhere and we are going to get through to the group stage”.
According to him the current administration at the LFA is doing well for the team, especially regarding the treatment players are getting.
While showing respect for Chad, Sherman is confident the team will put up a strong performance. “We respect Chad as a team, but I think we have the better hand and we are going for the win; we are not going for a 1-0 or 2-1 win we are going for a confident win and this team has the prospect to do it, we have players who can do it. I hope we going to get a 3-0 or 4-0 win and I am going to work hard toward it if I am given the chance. Liberians just need to get behind this team because if we are united, we can do great things as a nation”
