Jericho Nagbe Falls From Grace To Grass
By Emmanuel Hinneh
Reports reaching the Public Agenda sports desk recently indicate that the Liberia Football Association (LFA) has terminated the services of coach Frank Jericho Nagba as head coach of the under 23 National Football Team of Liberia.
According to the report from the local football house, the services of coach Nagbe were terminated since September 2007 after Liberia failed to quality for the Ghana 2008 Nations Cup.
The letter terminating the services of coach Nagbe was only prepared about a forth night ago and recently served on the coach.
He was appointed to serve as head coach of the under 23 National team of Liberia by the LFA and confirmed by the Ministry of Youth Sports,
Coach Nagbe also served as head coach of the Senior National team of Liberia, Lone Star during the failed 2008 Nations Cup qualifiers campaign the saw Liberia finished bottom of group five that include Cameroon, Rwanda and Equatorial Guinea.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister for Sports at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Marbue Richards confirmed the termination of coach Nagbe's services as under 23 coach.
Minister Richards said that the LFA has served the Sports Ministry with a copy of the letter of termination to coach Nagbe and that the Ministry of Youth and Sports was prepared to act accordingly.
Kemmie Weeks Offers 150,000 For Children Competition
The American based organization, the Youth Action International (YAI), has announced the launch of a nation wide “Spelling Bee Competition” for elementary and high school students in the country.
According to the YAI, children from across the nation are expected to form part of the competition.
At a news conference in Monrovia , the leadership of YAI revealed that winners of the competition would be offered free traveling tickets in order to meet up with champions of Ghana and Sierra Leone .
Program Officer Martina Marshall noted that the program would be carefully monitored in several phases in order to ensure that the program derives a remarkable result.
The “Bee Spelling Competition” according to the YAI's officials, has the power to build the intellectual capacity of the Liberian children.
At a press conference in Monrovia , Madam Marshal said some staffs of the YAI at the US office would begin arriving in the country as means of providing assistant to registered school for the competition and also help Liberian children in their vocabulary and grammar skills.
According to the YAI, registered schools would also be issued several thousand worth of educational materials.
YAI founder and Executive Director Kimmie Weeks said the vision behind the competition is to also transform the lives of participants. Weeks during his speech delivered during the Nation Day Independence reported lamented the cause of the Liberian children saying that children in Liberia have difficulty in the process of learning.
German Coach Sits Interview For Lone Star
By Emmanuel Hinneh
The second foreign coach vying to take over as head coach of the Senior Nation team of Liberia , the Lone Star, German coach Antoine Tony Hey arrived in the country on Wednesday, February 17, 2008 and was immediately cited to an interview on the following day at the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
The German national was interview by a panel of Liberian sports experts that include Deputy Minister for Sports, Marbue Richards, the Secretary General of the Liberia Football Association (LFA), George Wah Williams and veteran Liberian coach Josiah N. Johnson alias “JNJ” among others.
Coach Tony Hey told journalists at the Sports Ministry that Liberia has the potential to qualify for both the 2010 nations cup in Angola and the FIFA World Cup in South Africa but was quick to note that time is very limited to build a winning team.
The UEFA Pro licensed coach who was in charged of the Gambia National team in 2006 said he will begin his job by scouting the best breed of Liberian players in and out of the country. He noted that Liberia has a high acclimation in the international community since the end of the civil war and wants to form a part of Liberia development and transformation era.
Coach Hey revealed that he has spotted over forty potential Liberian players who are currently playing out of Africa .
The 37 year old German national brings to two the number of international football coaches that have sat interview to coach Lone Star. It can be recalled that recently Italian coach Roberto Landi landed in Liberia and sat interview before a panel of Liberian sports experts.
Meanwhile, Minister Richards told reporters that sports authorities will come up with the name of the Lone Star head coach this week.
He also disclosed that when the coach is appointed his immediate responsibility will be to ensure that Liberia for the 2010 competitions. Liberia has been placed in group with Gambia , Senegal and Algeria .
... The group stated that Mr. Allsop was the financier of the trip the Liberia National Team head coach, Frank Jericho Nagba made to England to gain exposure.
The release also revealed that he contributed the amount of US$ 15,000.00 when the National Soccer Team, the Lone Star traveled to Cameron during its 2008 Nation's Cup Qualifiers and at the same time contributed US$ 3,000.00 during the Female National Team match against Ethiopia .
The sports group also indicated that Mr. Allsop made a donation of one container of sports uniforms value at US$ 50,000.00 for the National Teams, as well as youth sports.
The Liberia Basketball Federation (LBF) has been a proud recipient in the 2006 National League season of US$ 12,000.00 and again receive US$ 15,000.00 for the 2007 National League season, the group stated.
It was also disclosed that Mr. Allsop financed a Table Tennis Tournament and Swimming competition in West Point .
Liberia U-17 Advances To Next Stage
... According to reports from the Women Football Committee from the Liberia Football Associate (LFA), stated that the National U-17 Female side was to play her Benin counterpart on Saturday, January 5, 2008 in its first leg of the competition at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium (ATS) in Monrovia, but was later informed that Benin told the World Football governing body FIFA on Thursday, January 3, 2008 that they were pulling out of the competition and sent a carbon copy to the local football house.
The report also indicated that Benin early exit from the competition automatically gives Liberia U-17 clearance to the next round of the competition.
It is not clear as to who Liberia will meet in the next round but pundits see Nigeria as the likely opponent.
Meanwhile, for the Benin match, 25 players were selected along with five technical staff at the Kailando Hotel on the Old Road in Sinkor.
Players that were camped include Mercy Gibson, Christine Hoto, Musu Morris, Leah Lioyd Amerlia Tweh, Justine Wilson, Elizabeth Williams, Agatha Judu and Clara Nimely.
Others were Jacqueline Nimely, Cecelia Alpha, Budgette Flahnma, Julie Siah, Delysha Lisle, Bernice Willie, Taweh Bundo, Lovette Tweh, Diana Quarthy, Denise Doe and Christine Kpahn.
The rest include Aminatta Corneh, Princess Powo Mary Jarvan, Kantise Sayee and Christine Gaye.
The technical staff includes Jenkins Doe, Head Coach, Weah Wesseh, Deputy Coach, Nora Neal, Trainer, Anthony Roberts, Medic and Joe Boboe, Care Taker.County Meet Clashes Heat Up - By Emmanuel Hinneh.
The 2007/2008 National County Meet is expected to continue its football and kickball encounters on Sunday, January 13, 2008 on a round robin basic at various venues around the country.
Grand Bassa is expected to lock horns with Maryland in Buchanan while Grand Kru will visit Maryland in Harper and Sinoe battles River Gee in Greenvile.
Last Sunday, several counties brightened their chances by getting their first victories.
Grand Kru defeated River Gee 4-2, while Sinoe nailed Maryland 2-1, Nimba and Bong also settled to a 2 draw in the football match.
The kickball encounters also saw Grand Kru 24 home runs over River Gee, and Nimba 10 home runs over Bong, while Sinoe took 15 home runs over Maryland .
Meanwhile, the 2006/2007 National County Meet defending champions Rivercess defeated Montserrado 3-1 at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium (ATS) on Friday of last week.
Pewu Bestman, one of Liberia 's greatest goalkeepers has been made homeless fire incident.
The home of the many times goalkeeper of the National Team of Liberia, Lone Star, is said to have been gutted by fire and everything owned has been destroyed.
Some Liberians including sports lovers have lunched a rally to aid retiring goal keeper.
According to the “Pewu Bestman Rally Committee” chairman, business man James Dweh, said whatsoever that will be obtained from the rally will assist Bestman to resettle.
“During his days of active services, he stood for the country as the country only reliable goals catcher whose sacrifices brought pride to Liberia ”, Dweh told a news conference.
According to the Committee chairman, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is expected to patronize the rally while other prominent Liberians, including sports lovers have been invited to render helping hands to someone who had significantly left a footprint in the annals of Liberian soccer.
“Let Pewu retirement be one of happiness and satisfaction, not one of miserable and frustrating end,” a fan of Pewu asserted.