Monrovia — Liberia Football Association (LFA) President Mustapha Raji has promised to deliver specialized coaching courses during his administration.
Raji said key performance indicators have shown that Liberia needs specialized coaches to improve the league, which provides players for the national teams.
He was speaking at the start of a weeklong fitness coaching course at the Samuel Kanyon Doe sports complex in Paynesville on 17 April.
"It is important that we have our coaches specializing in different areas of coaching. This is the first, I stand to be corrected, fitness coaching course we are having in Liberia.
"We will have this course for the next four years. We are also planning a goalkeeping coaching course in December, thanks to the Romania Football Federation. This course is being sponsored by the LFA from the FIFA Forward 3.0. That's football money being spent on football," said Raji.
He encouraged the participants to become ambassadors of the course.
"Every coach in Liberia or everyone, who are interested in this course, can't be here for many reasons. So it is your duty now to become ambassadors by helping someone in your community.
"You can share your knowledge by organizing small sessions. You may never know that a basketballer could benefit from what you are going to learn from here. So I hereby declare this course officially opened with the power vested in me as LFA president," added Raji.
The course is being facilitated by Tunisia's Karim Malouche, who is based in England, in collaboration with LFA coach educator Kesselee Kanneh.
"This course is going to be detailed over the next week. It will be intensive with theoretical and practical sessions. I urged all of you to put in your best. Don't hesitate to interrupt me with any question or concern you have," urged Karim.
LFA technical director Henry Browne said the course was designed to address a number of issues.
"I have heard and seen that Liberian teams, whether national or club, break down in the second half. There are several factors responsible if that is true. It could be down to fitness. It could be mental or psychological.
"This course will help coaches prepare for a game or season from the fitness point of view. So you will know what to do so that your team can't 'break down in the second half'. It is our hope that we will see changes in our teams' performances after this course," said Browne.
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LFA secretary-general Kollie A. Dorko (Atty.), executive committee member Ivan Brown, who chairs the technical and development committee, and Deputy Sports Minister Andy Quamie urged participants to make maximum use of the knowledge that will be impacted by Karim.
Thirty (30) persons from the first, second and women's upper divisions and third division side Down Town head coach Jasper Kun signed-up for course.
Liberia head coach Ansu Keita, goalkeeping coach Nathaniel Sherman and physical trainer George Gebro; former Liberia coach Thomas Kojo, men's under-20 head coach Tapha Manneh, women's under-20 head coach Famatta Dean, LFA youth football coordinator Wind Gargar, former Liberia international Anthony Snothi Laffor and former FIFA-badged referee George Rogers, Jr. and are also attending the course.
Practical sessions will be held at Life Gym in Congo Town.
The course ends on 22 April.
