The Liberia Football Association (LFA) will introduce a video analysis course as part of its plans to improve coaching in Liberia.
LFA President Mustapha Raji, said the course is part of his administration’s contract of agreed objectives with FIFA and CAF to train 500 talented and well-skilled coaches by 2026.
Raji was speaking at the graduation ceremony of CAF ‘Licenses ‘D & B’ at the LFA headquarters in Swankamore community in Congo Town, on October 27, 2023.
He said the dream, which started in 2022, began with the training of License ‘D’ coaches, which serves as the pathway to quality coaching education, with the right trajectory to increase the number of ‘A, B, C, & D’ licensed coaches.
Raji said the LFA will train more instructors and encourage licensed coaches to enroll in specialized areas like goalkeeping and physical fitness and conditioning courses.
“We want to see the first Liberian coach moving for the CAF Pro License. It is not impossible. I am looking at the prospect of you going to work as coaches in other parts of the world. We want to grow more coaches who are knowledgeable in physical fitness and conditioning. We are looking at the possibility where Liberians will erase from their minds that our teams can’t play a full 90-minute game. The players need to be prepared physically and well-conditioned to be ready for these kinds of situations. Being a coach is not just to sit, but research is important,” said Raji.
For his part, Deputy Sports Minister, Andy Quamie, said a graduation starts the journey more than people think that it has ended.
“I am impressed to see more than five women graduating today, because this is the stage that starts your journey to becoming some of the great coaches in Liberia. Some of you will become coaches of the national teams,” added Quamie.
Liberia National Olympic Committee Vice President for technical affairs, Malcolm Joseph, challenged the coaches to be masters of their game.
“You must be a reflector. You must show a partnership between you and your players. You must be an investigator. You are a facilitator. You are a teacher because the teaching is the most important profession in life. A doctor saves lives, but it is the teacher who taught the doctor how to save lives.
“I want to congratulate you for the stepping up to the challenge to be a coach by aspiring to improve on the limited knowledge you have, to reach the peak of your coaching career,” said Malcolm.
LFA executive committee member, Ivan Brown, who chairs the technical and youth development committee, urged the coaches to be teachers and not dictators.
“This is going to get harder because there will be an assessment for each new level you want to reach. This shouldn’t make you afraid, but it should challenge you so that we can move our football forward,” Brown said.
The ceremony was attended by LFA Vice Presidents, Sekou Konneh, Adolphus Dolo, and Jodie Reid-Seto; executive committee member, Tony Deinuka; acting technical director, Kesselee Kanneh; CAF coaching instructor, Joseph Kaetu Smith; Liberia’s men’s head coach, Ansu Keita, and women’s head coach, Salem Kabede, along with family members and friends.
The LFA also began the first of three modules for the CAF License ‘C’ on October 27. It will be generally supervised by coach Smith.
CAF coaching instructors, Robert Lartey (CAF License ‘A’) and Daei Arab Fofana (CAF License ‘A’), will facilitate the two classes of 44 students (22 per class).
