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An adage has it that “stars come and go; others
are born and others are made,” and that they
become role models and heroes for emulation by
many youngsters and succeeding generations. And
so Liberia, a country known for having the
reputation of football fanaticism, is no
exception.
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Football Is Life ! |
Many football stars have come and gone through
the years, yet this exciting game slumbers on in
this war-ravaged nation.
Vis-à-vis the yearning
of youngsters for stardom, Wleh Bedell
intrepidly analyzes the impact of the
contribution of well-sung Liberian stars to the
game after they have left the scene.
Pundits say Liberia has a huge reservoir of
talents and that these talents emerge with the
passage of every sporting season.
George Manneh Weah, James Salinsa Debbah,
Jonathan “Boye Charles” Sogbie, Joe Nagbe,
Alexander Cheneken Freeman, Chris “Wonder Boy”
Wreh, Pewou Bestman, Donasius Sebwe, Kelvin
Sebwe, Simon Mattor, Francis Manyongar Jallah,
Amadou Sarnor and Benedict “Mama-Musa” Wisseh are
just a cross-sectional representation of the
many stars the country has produced.
Africa’s one time greatest footballer George
Manneh Weah rocked the world with his dazzling
skills, superb ball artistry and Midas touches.
The towering center forward came to the fore
when he was tried for these characteristics on
the Invincible Eleven (IE) team. He then
featured in national assignments before moving
on for a modest contract to Cameroon-based
Tonerre Kalara Club.
Zeal for superb artistry on the field
propelled by the urge to have balls penetrating
opponents’ goal posts won him local accolades
and later international scouting that later
landed him with the European club AS Monaco
based in France.
The Monaco’s coach at the time that saw in him
great potentials, was the current English
premiership side Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger.
Weah’s consistent successful performances
with Monaco as a goal merchant against other
teams of the French league won him considerable
admiration with fellow French clubs the chiefest
of which was Paris Saint-Germain, whose coach at
the time Luiz Fernandez, signed him on.
The wizard dribbler, black diamond and young
Liberian of humble origin proved his prowess for
several top European defenders including Dutch
defense ace Ronald Koeman, then at Barcelona;
Brazilian Jorginho Arromi of Bayern Munich;
Paulo Maldini of AC Milan and a host of other
rugged defenders.
At the Parisian club, Weah made speedy
headways and fell in the nest of AC Milan then
under Coach Fabio Capello. The 1995 World
Best Footballer made his debut for the Lone Star
on July 26, 1986, against the Syli Nationale of
Guinea in the six-nation tournament at the SKD
Sports Stadium which was won by the Elephants of
Ivory Coast.
He also featured for other reputable clubs
including Chelsea, Olympique Marseille and
Manchester City.
He ended his illustrious career as footballer
at the United Arab Emirates-based club, Al-Jazeera.
But in a formal fashion, he turned over his
golden soccer boots to his son, Champ Weah, at a
star-studded event in Marseille, France, where
he started his professional European engagement
over a decade earlier.
He declared then that he was entering politics
to introduce the governance of caring for
ordinary citizens, especially after decades of
persistent armed conflicts in his homeland,
Liberia.
The 39-year-old ex-super star launched a
political movement under the Congress for
Democratic Change (CDC), to become a front
runner in the national elections of 2005.
Internal and external observers opined that
he played a very salient role in the development
of the game in Liberia and the continent.
Mr. Weah formed a club named Junior
Professionals, which was arguably the best club
in the immediate post war Liberia. The club,
which served as a springboard for many Liberian
players attaining stardom, was first under the
tutelage of the late Guinea born Coach Mohammed
Fernando Sithole before turning over the mantle
of tactics to his deputy Frank Jericho Nagbe, a
former international player.
Junior Pros thrilled fans with their flair
style of football, and were rewarded by their
chief patron Weah when the team cruised to the
first division. Each player of that
history-making contingent received a car as the
first gesture of its kind in Liberia’s sporting
history.
Many Liberian professionals today owe their
emergence to the influential role of this
classic act of kindness of George Weah.
For example, Kelvin Sebwe, Mass Sarr Jr,
George Gebro and Prince Daye are just few of the
dozens of players he promoted. Weah also former
Lone Star captain and technical director guided
the team to two African Cup of Nations finals in
1996 and 2002 in South Africa and Mali
respectively.
And, for the first time in FIFA’s ranking,
Liberia was amongst the top eleven on the
African Continent.
A winner of so many prestigious awards, Weah
is certainly a role model on the African
continent and the world at large. He matched his
success on the pitch to that of his
philanthropic duties as he served as UNCEF
goodwill ambassador as well as FIFA SOS
ambassador.
His quest to become president of the Liberia
Football Association was stunted because of a
clause requiring that such position holder must
have headed a local club for two years. The
criteria enforcers did not have consideration
for both his local contributions and other
efforts in the international arena.
George Weah has indubitably registered
Liberia’s football on the world stage and left
its image with an eternal impact.
Another star, James Salinsa Debbah, who is
known as the nations most celebrated star, has
also thrilled soccer fans. The Mighty Barrolle’s
icon began his sojourn in Cameroon with Union
Sportif du Douala and landed at Monaco where he
was loaned to division three outfit Vallarus.
He made headways at French club Olympique Lyon
and Greek club Iraklis. He also had a brief
stint at Belgian club Anderlecht and Paris
Saint-Germain. Like his cousin Weah, he too
played in Asia with Al- Jazzeera, and is
currently at home without clear cut indication
whether he has now resigned from the round
leather or not.
Jonathan Sogbie was the striker whose mammoth
size and bullish runs impeded opponents. After
success with Invincible Eleven, the burly
striker joined ranks with Ivorian club Asec
Mimosa and then later with Swiss club Severtte.
He also had stints with some other lowly
ranked clubs before bidding farewell to the
beautiful game. During his heydays, he was the
principal architect of the Mario International
Incorporated (MII), a local sports promotion
firm which provided contract opportunities for
many Liberian players.
He used as his motto adapted from a Chinese
proverb that says, “Give a man fish and he will
ask you for more, but teach a man how to fish
and he will ask you no more.” .
Frank Jean Seator, now at Malaysian club
Perak, and goalkeeper Louis Crayton, at Swiss
club Basle, are just two of the many who
benefited from MII. Although Joe Nagbe is still
kicking the leather at an Indonesian top flight
club Persema, he has however left the national
team. The curl legged midfielder Kelvin Sebwe is
still actively involved in the game but with a
second division Greek club.
However, the major question is, “With these
enviable records, what efforts have they made to
promote the local game?”
Alex Cummings, a popular sports commentator
says it is generally agreed that in other parts
of Africa, retired stars have built academies,
paved the way for their countrymen to get bigger
contracts with high profiled European clubs and
gotten at the helm of the countries’ football to
make sure things are improved.
Notes Samuel Quiah, a follower of the local
game: “Tottenham’s striker Hossam Hussein
Abadelamid Ahmedmido has a football academy in
his native land Egypt. Abedi Pele Ayew is an
Executive member of the Ghanaian Football
Association (GFA); Kalusha Bwalya is the
Technical Director of Zambian football; Kanu
Nwankwo, Tijani Babangida and a host of other
Nigerian stars are promoting their countrymen
for contractual outing with European clubs.”
Edmond Sullie, an observer says there is no
way that one can match the contribution of
former stars to that of their counterparts in
other countries. And Jacob Tulay, another
keen follower of the game and the players
agrees, arguing that there are a lot of factors
to be looked at before making conclusions.
“For example, the fratricidal war is one major
factor; also the lackadaisical attitude on the
part of sporting authorities as well as the
inconsistent form of younger players is
another,” he said.
Whatever the case is, the local game is at
low ebb, and the national team has now turned a
minnow. There is virtually no players’ union and
if there is a presidents’ association, it only
exists on paper.
Followers of the local game say there is a
need for the former Liberian football stars to
bring back their wealth of experience from
outside their various clubs in order to improve
the game.
In many parts of the world, it is mainly
former stars that are running clubs, FAs,
national teams, and academies besides creating
opportunities for younger players to showcase
their talents overseas and engage in many other
worthwhile endeavors.
Jeremiah Samboh says former stars should stop
sitting on the fence and get actively involved
in the development and improvement of the game
at home. Many sport lovers are of the opinion
that the ex-stars have not done much in making
the game to be like that of other countries’
game; it is high time they see reason and get
actively involved in the process.
Currently the nation’s traditional
arch-rivals, Mighty Barrolle and Invincible
Eleven (IE) are in ruins despite the avalanche
of stars they have produced.
There are running arguments that there is a
need for the requisite football authorities to
create the condition for these stars to get
actively involved in the local game by placing
them on some committees like youth football,
women football, etc.
“They must be able to reciprocate. They must
give back to the clubs and institutions that
nurtured their talents,” says Frances Moore, a
female football lover.
“As the sporting populace look towards the
dawn of a new day, it is time we all work
collectively and assiduously to see that the
local game make strides,” concludes a former
international star. |
