By Jerome C.Willie,Jr., boyzwill26@gmail.com
Cell #: (+231)886-406-197/ (+231) 776-084-828
The Lone Star Of Liberia will start the journey to Ivory Coast AFCON 2023 with a huge task against the Atlas Lion of Morocco.
The game is English-Man Coach Peter Butler of Liberia first game of Group K .
The clash between the Lone Star of Liberia versus the Atlas Lion of Morocco is today, Monday, 13 June 7PM Liberian Time at the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca, Morocco.
The delegation, according to the Liberia Football Association (LFA), left Liberia early on Wednesday, 8 June.
Executive Committee member Cyrus Yeaney headed the delegation of 41 for their 2023 AFCON Qualifier with the North African squad.
Some members of the delegation include: Joel Freeman LFA Competition Manager, LFA Videography James Silliah ,Nathaniel Tokpah of KMTV.
Other members of the delegation were: Peter Butler Head Coach ,Thomas Kojo Assistant Coach, George Gebro Trainer , Nathaniel Sherman Goalkeeper Trainer, and Torsou Jallabah Team Doctor.
The delegation also entailed: Sebastian Collins Administrative Manager, Tommy Johnson Kit Manager, Sampson Zoegbah Physiotherapist and Sonnyboy Mason.
The delegation comprised of Peter Butler’s nine selected home based players with two oversees players left the Roberts International Airport (RIA) in Liberia at 3:15 am local time and had a brief stopped in Freetown, Sierra Leone at 4:10 am before setting up for their final destination Casablanca at 5:15 am.
They landed in the most populated city in Morocco , Casablanca at 9:53 am Moroccan time (8:53 am Liberian time).
The Lone Star of Liberia is using Casablanca, Morocco as it home games due to the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex been ban for failure to meet the minimum requirements as per CAF and FIFA’s standard for hosting international matches.
Since the team arrived in Morocco the boys had several training ahead of such huge encounter with the full squad in the final training session on Sunday, 12 June at the 45, 000 seated Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca, Morocco.
Liberian -Ghanian born Joachum Aduker along with Molley Karpeh could be handed the debut in today’s showpiece.
Liberia as met Morocco three times with two in an African Cup Of Nation’s Competition with one in an international friendly.
Liberia suffers firsr defeat to Morocco in an away fixture on March 22, 1981 with the return leg in Monrovia on 4 April 1981 with Morocco thrashing Liberia 5-0 .
The last time both team met at senior level was on July 29 1987 in an international friendly with Liberia winning a narrow 2-1 win over Morocco in Monrovia.
A win for Liberia means Liberia tie points with Morocco as the Atlas Lion of Morocco came from a goal down to pin South Africa 2-1 in the opening fixture on Thursday, 9 June in Casablanca, Morocco.
As it stands Morocco leads Group K of the three with three points with Liberia sitting at 2nd place while South Africa sits at the bottom of the group .
President Mustapha Raji has made himself available to the players and staff in an open discussion rolling out government plans and support to this campaign since his arrival in Casablanca, Morocco.
The LFA boss Raji before his departure for Morocco announced during a press conference held at the LFA headquarters the ATS on 9 June that the Chief Patron Of Sports Dr.George M.Weah gives him an undsiclosed package for the boys if the team get a win .
Liberia are paired with South Africa and Morocco in a Group of three following FIFA ban of Zimbabwe for political interference.
In another development, Coach Peter Bulter has frown on the issue of Liberia not playing home as his major challenge. So playing playing home we believe things will start to take a normal shift.
“I have changed the culture of the National Team, I came in as a coach and try to build a team by bringing on young players to the team from the Under-20 level” said Butler.
In addition the British said indeed it will be very hard for Liberia to win an away game but Lone Star have a huge task in Group K , so all I need from my players is to give thier best.
Butler added by saying probably the game with Morocco could be his last game in charge of the Lone Star of Liberia.
Butler spoke in an exclusive interview with KMTV reporter Nathaniel Tokpah at the team’s hotel in Central Casablanca, Morocco ahead of the team encounter with the Atlas Lion of Morocco on Monday, 13 June at the 45,000.00 seated Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca, Morocco.
Below is the full squad assembled by Butler and backroom staff for the 2023 AFCON Qualifier
GOALKEEPERS: SONGO’S, Tommy (LISCR, Liberia), YEANAYE, Junior (Nimba Kwado, Liberia), JULU, Derrick (Watanga, Liberia)
DEFENDERS: DWEH, Sampson (LPRC Oilers, Liberia), BALDE, Prince (KF Drita, Kosovo), PABAI, Mark (Spal, Italy), ARAGO, Jamal (Sabail, Azerbaijan), DENNIS, Eugene (Ishoj IF, Denmark), BENAIAH, Ben (LPRC Oilers, Liberia)
MIDFIELDERS: TEAH, Divine (Nimba FC, Liberia), SOUMAORO, Mo Brem (PAEEK FC, Cyprus), SANOH, Moussa (CS Moveni, Romania), HEELBERG, Seth (IK Brage, Sweden), ALLISON, Frank (Freeport FC, Liberia), NJIE, Allen (Aarau, Switzerland), MACAULEY, Marcus (Mghayar Al-Sarhan, Saudi Arabia), DORLEY, Murphy (Slavia Prague, Czech Republic), SALMON, Justin (Degerfors, Sweden), NYANAMAH, Julius (Nimba Kwado, Liberia)
FORWARDS: KARPEH, Molley (Syracuse Pulse, USA), SHERMAN, Kpah (Terengganu), ADUKOR, Joachim (FC Aktobe, Kazakhstan), DWEH, Patrick (Freeport FC, Liberia)