Monrovia – Liberia local based national football team is expected to depart the country Thursday, September 7, 2017 for the inaugural edition of the tournament in Ghana Sponsored by Fox Sports.
Report by Christopher C. Walker – [email protected]
According to the Liberia Football Association, the Lone Star’s delegation for the tournament is made up of 18 players and seven officials.
The “Red White and Blue Boys” will face the Teranga Lions of Senegal in their first match on Sunday, September 10 in Cape Coast, Ghana.
If Liberia must progress in the tournament, they will have to overpower Senegal who have been a difficult opponent for Lone Star at all levels in international football, while a defeat for Africa’s oldest republic will see them packing their bags out of the tournament.
The first rounds will be played on a knockout basis.
Speaking to FrontPageAfrica at the team’s training ground on Wednesday, head coach James Debbah frowned at the level of preparation of his team terming it as poor.
Debbah said the three weeks of training is not sufficient for the national team, but said he is hopeful of upsetting their opponent Senegal.
He added that he recommended to the LFA to camp the team before their departure but the old age problem of “No Money” was the order of the day from the football house.
“We have been training for the last three weeks; I don’t think we are adequately prepared,” Debbah said.
“It is a problem for the technical staff when the players are not in camp, they go home and we do not monitor their activities.”
“My players have been working hard; we hope they can perform well at the tournament just as they did in Mauritian.”
“From what I know we have not beaten Senegal before but that is in the past, it could be changed if we are given the necessary support,” the Lone Star Head coach asserted.
Liberia last competitive match was a 1-0 victory over Mauritian away in the African Nations Champions, but they were knocked out of the competition on the away goal rule because of their 2-0 home defeat in the first Leg in Monrovia.
Debbah disclosed former professional players like Marcus Macaulay, Sekou Jabeteh, and Isaac Pupo that were invited to justified their inclusion into the team will not make the trip to Ghana because they are not physically fit and unattached.
A cash prize of US$100,000 will be given the winner while the runner-up will receive US$50 000, and third place – US$25,000.
The Organizers WAFU and Fox Sports said they are responsible for a delegation of 25 men air travel accommodation and local transportation for all sixteen teams participating in the tournament.
In addition during the second round, in the 1/8th finals each country will receive US$10,000, including other financial awards.
The 1/8th finals are competitions held at the Takoradi Sports Stadium. The other 1/8th finals will be held at the Cape Coast Stadium.
If Liberia qualifies from the 1/8th finals, she will progress to the next finals (the knockout round).
If Liberia is victorious as winners in their next game, they will be paired with other teams from the next group, for which they will then receive US$10,000.
Hosts Ghana will play Gambia in the tournament opener on 9 September in Sekondi. But the Black Stars must win their opener to possibly meet sworn rivals Nigeria who also face Sierra Leone. The other Group A matches Mali face Mauritania and Guinea play Guinea Bissau.
Group B will be based in Cape Coast with the opening knockout fixtures involving African highest ranked nation Senegal versus Liberia. Ivory Coast has been paired with Togo; Benin will clash with Cape Verde and Burkina will play Niger.
The winners will remain in the Group for the round-robin exercise which will see the two best teams advance to the semi-final. Only players playing in their domestic leagues are eligible to participate in the tournament.
Players making the trip for Liberia are goalkeepers Abdulai Koulibaly of Monrovia Club Breweries and Tommy Songo of LISCR FC. Defenders include Aloysius S. Simujla, Nuwo Johnson and Alvin Maccornell all from FC Fassel Kemoh Kamara of BYC and Prince Balde of Monrovia Club Breweries.
Other are BYC magical midfielder David Tweh, John Jaysay, James Walatee and Terrence Tisdell, all of Fassell FC Amadiah Kawah of Keitrace FC.
The rest are strikers Van Dave Harmon and Prince Saydee of BYC, Christopher Jackson, Fallah Sherriff and LISCR FC’s new boy Mark Paye and Ebenezer Solo of LPRC Oilers.