By S. Siapha Mulbah
The national team’s unsettlement financial liabilities are posing threat to the enhancement of the contract that exists between the technical officials and the Liberia Football Association.
A heavy debt incurred for the Lone Star without response from the government through the Ministry of Youth and Sports is currently blocking the team from conducting the required number of practice sessions and camping activities ahead of their two upcoming matches that will be played away next month.
The team of officials managing the Lone Star headed by Romanian Jaffer Mario Marinica has threatened to leave the team after their upcoming double header if salaries and other arrears owed them are not settled by the leadership of the LFA and owners of the national team.
Recently in a local radio interview, the Coach Mario and his deputy Kelvin Sigbwe disclose that they as technicians are not happy being in charge of the team, especially engaging in official duties away without being compensated for their services rendered to the nation’s representatives at the international football arena.
The coach noted that the team is facing challenges with some basic resources needed to keep the players in-form and active as the monitoring process leading to their two matches in the world cup qualifiers against Sao Tome and Principe and Namibia in South Africa and Morocco.
According to Mario, a key component of the preparation requirement of the Lone Star is the stipulated practice time proposed by the technical team which he disclosed that Liberia has missed 90 hours of its practice time due to lack of resources.
Responding to the statement made by the head coach and his deputy, the president of the Liberia Football Association, Mustapha Raji, referred the challenges faced by the national team to the lack of support from the government, who is the owner of the teams under the red, white and blue outfit.
Confirming that the coach and his deputies have not been paid for three months, Raji said the situation is something that is troubling for the national team especially at a time where they will have to play two crucial upcoming games.
He said the cause of the situation is attributed to the economic crisis of the country and government through the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Finance Development and Planning is reporting that there is no money.
According to the local football house boss, the case of no money from the government to respond to its obligation is seriously affecting the national team and the football house with huge debts still lingering before hotels and airlines that accepted service from the team in past fixtures on credit.
He noted that the country hopes of qualifying for the Nations cup in 2025 is getting slimmer by the day, because since the qualifier against Djibouti, the team is still indebted to hotel and airlines for the game played away from home to some US$172,000.
The Liberian senior national team is scheduled to go to camp March 30, for its away games but the president of the FA has made it clear that the association has not received the funding for these two matches outside of Liberia along with charges to pay hotel and other bills for the team.
He said if Liberia wants success in football, the country must prepare in advance to guarantee success and perform well, but for funds to be given at the last minute or days after the match is not good for the country.
Raji asserted that the LFA has struggled to pay salaries of the youth teams’ coaches because the government has said they cannot support the youth teams.
Lone Star is also indebted to some past coaches of the national team whose five months’ salary owed them with the immediate former national team manager Ansu Keita and his deputies Copper Sannah, Goalkeeper coach Nathaniel Sherman fitness coach George Gebro still expected to get compensation for a place of no hope.
