In an attempt to aggressively prepare for the second round of the 2013 African Cup of Nations, credible reports say, the Liberia’s Lone Star team will lock horns with the Reggae Boys of the Jamaica national football team, in its first international friendly.
Reports say the ‘Reggae Boyz’ will host the red-white-and-blue boys at the Gillette Stadium, located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, Boston, United States of America (USA) on Saturday, July 28, 2012.
The Jamaica football team is typically one of the top ranked teams in the National association football teams of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean (CONCACAF) and has won the Caribbean Cup five times. The country is the 60th on the FIFA Coca Cola June Ranking and the 6th in the CONCACAF ranking.
The match with Liberia, according to the Jamaican website, is aimed to prepare ‘the Reggae Boyz’ in the ongoing Group A CONCACAF World Cup qualifying battle.
The Website further says the Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz displayed an uninspiring performance in their 0-0 stalemate against a robust Antigua and Barbuda team in their Group A CONCACAF World Cup on Tuesday night, the 12th of June.
The tie now puts Jamaica on four points in Group A of the semi-final phase of the play-offs, the same as the USA whose game against Guatemala also ended in a tie.
The website indicated that Antiguans showed no respect for The Reggae Boyz and at times out hustled their much-fancied opponents. Jamaica, although having the better of play and dominant possession, were unable to penetrate the strong Antiguan backline. At times the Reggae Boyz seemed at a lost for ideas in breaking down the Antiguans and resorted to playing long balls over the top with the aim for the speedy forwards out run their opponents
According to the fixture, the Reggae Boyz will host the USA in Kingston on Friday, September 7 and play their return-leg on Tuesday, September 11, 2012 in Ohio, Columbus, USA.
They will also facing Guatemala and Antigua & Barbuda on the 12th and 16th of October respectively.
Meanwhile, the Lone Star of Liberia, which is 124th in the FIFA Coca Cola June Ranking and the 37th in the CAF ranking, have welcomed the 1st international friendly on the expense of the Reggae Boys, though officials of the LFA remained tightlipped.
The Liberian Lone Star will benefit round-trip’s tickets for a 30-man delegation, accommodation, feeding, internal transportation and a fielding fee of US$30,000.
When our reporters spoke with the Director of Communications of the LFA, Henry Flomo as well as the President of the FA, Musa Bility, both men disclosed pending international friendlies, with topnotch countries, but failed to state the specific countries and date.
However, football pundits indicated that a friendly match with Jamaica will boost the morale of the team as well as the ‘individual players’ owing to the ranking in both FIFA and CAF.
They urged Coach Smith to use about 80% of the cream of local players and the 20% should comprise of foreign players.
They believed that the “cream of local based players” will go for an absolute win as a way to attract scouts for international contract.
“If the local players are fielded, it possible that they will be scouted and subsequently turned into foreign based players…which made our team better and will hugely contributes to the Lift Liberian Policy of the Government.
“So, we want to appeal to the coach that the team composition should definitely be: 80% Local players and 20% foreign based players,” Darius Topoe King, a keen follower of the game said.
It can be recalled, the Lone Star of Liberia have qualified for the second round of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, on a 1-0 aggregate.
Liberia’s pulsating 0-0 draws with the Brave Warriors of Namibia over the weekend in Windhoek have pushed the country to the the pre-final, owing to her first-leg’s 1-0 win over the Warriors, on Wednesday, February 29, 2012.
The 64th minute goal from the Swedish based lanky assassin Dioh Williams’s right in the goal mouth of the visitors after being released by the man from Moscow, Sekou Jabateh Oliseh, gave the 1996 African Nations Cup debutants (Liberia) a slender lead against the 1998 African Nations Cup debutants (Namibia).
Liberia is amongst the 30 teams which qualified for the second round of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.
The organizer of CAF divulged that the draw for the second round will be held on Thursday, 5th of July, after the first round is completed.
15 winners from the 30 participating countries in the second round will qualify for the finals to join already qualified South Africa to lock horns for the Continental Trophy.
The 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualification is the qualification process for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, the 29th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
CAF’s rules spell-out that in each of the three rounds; teams will be drawn into two-legged home-and-away knock-out ties. Aggregate goals are used to determine the winner. If the sides are level on aggregate after the second leg, the away goals rule is applied, and if still level, the tie proceeds directly to a penalty shootout (no extra time is played).
That is a strange one, especially to be playing in Boston, but OK. I watched Liberia play Senegal earlier this year, they performed quite well in the first half and lead for most of the first half but lost 3-1 after having a man sent off.
Why are we playing Liberia? Don't see us getting anything out of playing African teams at this point in time. I would say a game against a South American (style of play) oponent would really give us some good prep... Just my 2 cents!
The Captain said it would be a BIg team from Africa jamaica rank 60th and Liberia 124 so much for a big side. KMT
And in England too which would make it easier on guys like McAnuff and Pratley to be introduced to the current setup as well as possibly more supporters.
A joke thing this? Rather see them play a Caribbean side than the 37th rank team in Africa? Kmt! Burrell speared no expenses for Liberia? Him must have a good plan to make back money and it better not be ppv? Not even if him hype up the debut of Darren Drogba!
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Wolmers,harbour view Chelsea,Barca,AC Milan,Galaxy and mi seh fi life!!!
Any friendly is a good friendly right now, especially if we can anticipate profiting from such a venture. It means then that we need to stamp our class on Liberia don't ? It can't be a 1 love or 2 love...we should be firing 4, 5 and 6 past them don't? Or is it possible that Liberia is on the rise?
In any case...good runnings by the JFF to secure a friendly...lets see if Marlon King and/or Chris Humphrey will be invited back into the camp. Lets see if Senior, Reid, Grandison et al will still be holding places over players that have been showing higher levels of technical know how and professionalism...Lets see if Errol Stevens' dynamism will be showcased more effectively. Lets see what the core of players will loook like nuh...JY, u have a team sheet?
_________________________ Truly great madness cannot be achieved without significant intelligence
Very good points just taught we could find stronger opponents at this stage. Hope we see the shackles taken off Stevens and the 'We want DD' chabts finally end.
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Wolmers,harbour view Chelsea,Barca,AC Milan,Galaxy and mi seh fi life!!!
This is to be seen. It is not a FIFA day, so there will be no major overseas content in the squads. Also, this match remains rumour.
But, I have seen Liberia play recently against Senegal, and even though they lost, they fought hard against a much stronger team. They are fit and physical, and they do not lack confidence. We are not world beaters, and Antigua should have proven that to the most chauvanistic Jamaicans. A local Boyz side is in no manner superior to Liberia, FIFA rankings notwithstanding.
By the way, they have produced a George Weah, and we have produced no one near this level.
This is to be seen. It is not a FIFA day, so there will be no major overseas content in the squads. Also, this match remains rumour.
But, I have seen Liberia play recently against Senegal, and even though they lost, they fought hard against a much stronger team. They are fit and physical, and they do not lack confidence. We are not world beaters, and Antigua should have proven that to the most chauvanistic Jamaicans. A local Boyz side is in no manner superior to Liberia, FIFA rankings notwithstanding.
By the way, they have produced a George Weah, and we have produced no one near this level.
So why speared no expenses to play in a big NFL stadium? How much to rent the stadium along with all the money burrell Gonna falk out for this match?And no overseas ballers go be available? How bout MLS ballers?
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Wolmers,harbour view Chelsea,Barca,AC Milan,Galaxy and mi seh fi life!!!
This is to be seen. It is not a FIFA day, so there will be no major overseas content in the squads. Also, this match remains rumour.
But, I have seen Liberia play recently against Senegal, and even though they lost, they fought hard against a much stronger team. They are fit and physical, and they do not lack confidence. We are not world beaters, and Antigua should have proven that to the most chauvanistic Jamaicans. A local Boyz side is in no manner superior to Liberia, FIFA rankings notwithstanding.
By the way, they have produced a George Weah, and we have produced no one near this level.
So why speared no expenses to play in a big NFL stadium? How much to rent the stadium along with all the money burrell Gonna falk out for this match?And no overseas ballers go be available? How bout MLS ballers?
As I said, this remains rumour. It does seem funny, and I can't see any real financial benefits. Also I don't see MLS teams releasing their players, because they won't be compelled to. And we don't need to see any more practice games for the patty league ballers, so...
Tappa can use this match for some of the fringe B/C team balla to train together ahead of the RSPL season.
If they can get a good match fee and exposure a useful match in the long term plans.
But to rent one [censored] football stadium fi C team match? How that mek sense? If u play B/C side in a Boston much rather dem target a smaller venue.
One thing about this, Daniel Johnson will be finishing up a tour of the U.S. around this time with Aston Villa, maybe it would be possible to get him involved?
Tappa can use this match for some of the fringe B/C team balla to train together ahead of the RSPL season.
If they can get a good match fee and exposure a useful match in the long term plans.
But to rent one [censored] football stadium fi C team match? How that mek sense? If u play B/C side in a Boston much rather dem target a smaller venue.
But tell me something, nuh de B/C team always a play for us? a wah jamatl a talk bout.
