Since George
Weah had taken over as player coach, a fairytale rise had begun for Liberias
'Lone Star'. 'King' George Weah who had rescued the national team in the
years before by finacial and logistical support led the team not only to
the second qualification for a Nations Cup final tournament but also near
to a sensational qualification for the World Cup.
Eventually it was
Nigeria who beat them by a point in a race that was close until the last
day of the qualifiers. A qualification on the expense of star shudded Super
Eagles would have been an almost bizarre scenario on the background of
Liberia being a civil war shaken country and a having a squad that only
contains few professionals at clubs with meaningful names.
But fans forget quickly
and suddenly disappointment was the reflection rather than pride. Conflicts
followed and George Weah nearly quit the job. Since summer, reports of
chaos and arguments among and between officials, coaches, and players have
dominated and even three days before the opening match against Mali it
seems not sure whether a squad will arrive and what it will look like.
So it seems impossible
to predict Liberias form. The World Cup qualifiers have shown their ability
to improvise and so even a quarter final place seems possible. On the other
hand a tournament is a different thing: teams reach a higher level of organisation
because they have a better preperation. This might speak rather for the
Liberian opponents. |
