Liberia: Lone Star Coaches Threaten to Resign Over Unpaid Salaries - FrontPageAfrica
Source: Front Page Africa
Author: Christopher C. Walker
Monrovia- The president of the Liberia Football Association (LFA), Mustapha Raji says the technical staff of the national Football team of Liberia have not been paid for months.
By: Christopher C Walker [email protected] 0777898224/0886723075
According to the LFA president, Lone Star head coach Mario Marinica has complained about the situation that they have not been paid their monthly salaries for a period of three months, something that is troubling for the national team.
Speaking at Saturday's extraordinary congress of the LFA, Raji said the Government is yet to pay the coaches for months due to what officials of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Finance Development and Planning termed as no money.
Raji told congress that said situation is seriously affecting the preparation of the national team ahead of its upcoming matches in June.
He said for Liberia to compete with other nations in football, there is a need for the Government to invest in football.
"Our hopes of qualifying for the Nations cup in 2025 is getting slimmer by the day, we qualify against Djibouti we are still indebted to hotel and airlines for the game we played away from home, US$172,000 thousand United States dollars is yet to be pay, Football Association has not received that money from the national government."
"We are also preparing for two matches in the world cup qualifiers against Sao Tome and Principe and Namibia in South Africa and Morocco. We have still not received the funding for these two matches outside of Liberia," he said.
"Our coaches were compensated for two months with all payments done by the LFA, we are still awaiting the national government to address the payment of the national team coaches. The coaches have threatened to depart Liberia if they don't get their salaries."
The LFA boss added that the country is not investing in football and if the country needs results it's important that the national government invest in football.
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.
Also, the government is yet to pay past coaches of the national team their five months' salary they owed them.
They are Ansu Keita, Copper Sannah, Goalkeeper coach Nathaniel Sherman fitness coach George Gebro.
Liberia indebtedness to coaches is not a strange thing as the country in the past owed former Lone Star coach Peter Butler for months before his contract ended and was not extended. The country was also taken to court by Roberto Landi for not paying him and he won the case, something the current administration has to pay.
Marinica, in his first two games as head coach qualified Liberia to the group stage in the AFCON 2025 qualifier following their 2-0 away win over Djibouti.
Coach Mario Marinica who appeared on ELBC radio over the weekend said he is unhappy with the way the country is handling football matters, especially the national football teams.
The coach said support from authorities to prepare the Lone Star is poor which is hindering the team's preparation for next month's World Cup qualifiers.
He said the team has missed out on 90 hours of training which is not good for his plans.
He also confirmed that the country has not paid him and his staff for months now.
He made the remarks on State Radio ELBC 99.9 FM Super Sports Program Saturday May 25, 2024.
With the current situation with the coaches' salaries not settled and poor preparation, it seems not good for a country that has not reached the nations cup since 2002.
