By S. Siapha Mulbah
The Liberia National Football team has opened a scope of conversation across the country, from social chatrooms to public discussion centers since the unveiling of its Romanian Head Coach, Mario Marinica.
Different conversations continue to take place on a daily basis as citizens in different communities are seen and heard expressing different opinions on the issues concerning the appointment of the coach, the calling of players on national duty, and the philosophy of players that could positively improve the game of the Lone Star.
Today, it is important to look at the ideas of selecting players to feature for the Lone Star, the authority that selects players, and the mandate that comes with the selection of players at the level of various national teams across the country.
The national team is the recognized representative of the country at all international sporting events that require the country’s participation. The Lone Star bears the flag to stand in the defense of the over five million people that complete the full population of the country.
Therefore, it is the prerogative of the national team’s head coach to select players that are capable to feature for the country during their different fixtures. The coach evaluates the performance of different players that are attached to the country from different places and determines whom he deems fit to carry on the task.
On the other hand, the coach is responsible to work with the team of back staffers to collectively render decisions on the selection of the national team players. The selection of players to showoff at the national team level is a process of national concern to every citizen that sees interest in supporting sports development. It is a process of transparency, integrity, and accountability. Those that should be given the opportunity to represent the country at any point in time should be, at that moment, in-form, consistent, and possessive of every other attribute potential to the best output.
Last weekend, the new Lone Star Head coach unveiled a list of 30 local-based players to kick off the preparation for the country’s participation in the upcoming preliminary qualifiers of the 2025 African Cup of Nations.
The listing came after the gaffer requested all national league teams to submit names of four players in different positions that are in their best forms to participate in the screening process to have an eye on possible players that can help the country eliminate Djibouti in the two-legged qualifier slated for March 20 and 26, 2024.
Since the unveiling of the listing, hundreds of Liberians, majority of whom are sports administrators and fans, have expressed different opinions on the local based selection, as well as the coach’s approach towards the Lone Star.
Tomah Saye Floyd Jr., the president of Nimba Kwado, in a social media post, cautioned the Lone Star boss that doing the same thing his predecessor did in the days of the past will lead to getting the same result and no improvement in the team.
According to Floyd, teams submitted the names of talented players from across the national league who thought the coach request could give them opportunity to justify their inclusion into the national team, but the listing submitted contradicts their intension.
He said the listing submitted by the coach and his assistants is demoralizing for the players and will have a trickle-down effect on the teams in the nearest future while urging the Liberia Football Association to avoid what he called ‘waste of time’.
Benita Urey, a female administrator and president for Shaita Angels football Club, on the other hand, described the coach’s listing as a good start for the Lone Star.
According to her, every time the national team sends out a list for players to represent the country, there are lots of complaints on the process, with many not considering the fact that the team cannot incorporate all the players at one time.
She called on everyone to support the team, most especially the players that have been selected to play for the motherland, and avoid finding points to complain as in the case of the past.
