Monrovia — Liberia Football Association (LFA) President Mustapha Raji says he feels excited that specialized coaching courses are being done under his administration.
Raji said he will continue to raise the bar for those who support him, criticize him or are sitting on the fence as he continues his drive for football development.
He was speaking at the end of a CAF goalkeeping coaching course, which began on 25 August, at the LFA headquarters in Congo Town on 29 August.
The LFA conducted a fitness coaching course in April and an anti-doping course in July.
"We believe that the knowledge you have gained from these experts will be utilized because you will soon be teaching outside Liberia. We will have more courses to help the development of your players.
"Those, who are out there dreaming [of becoming leaders of the LFA], they should continue dreaming because we are going to raise the bar higher when we leave the LFA.
"By the power vested in me as president of the [Liberia] Football Association, I hereby declared this [CAF goalkeeping] course duly closed," said Raji to a thunderous round of applause.
Executive committee member Ivan Brown, who chairs the LFA technical and development committee, praised the participants for bracing the storm.
"It is a difficult thing to attend a course but far more difficult to start and end a course. The LFA continues to look for opportunities but everyone, who has that opportunity doesn't attend when we organize these courses.
"We spend a lot of money to hold these courses but people don't show-up because it is free. We are going to put some charges to these courses in the future," Brown revealed.
For his part, Deputy Sports Minister Andy Quamie thanked the LFA for the course.
"I am seeing a lot of our former national team goalkeepers, who have attended this course. I am also seeing a lot of infield coaches. In my more than 28 years in football, this is the first time I have seen a specialized coaching course in Liberia for goalkeepers. This is good for football development," added Quamie.
The course, which had theoretical and practical sessions, was facilitated by CAF coaching instructor Alejandro Alfredo Heredia of Argentina.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Heredia, who has over 40 years of experience, was assisted by former Liberia goalkeeping coach Lucretius Togba.
"You don't need a special cabin at home to learn. Learning is from the head and heart. Football is the real winner; football is the priority. I had the privilege to interact with a lot of experienced goalkeepers.
"Keep learning, keep pushing forward and keep pressing on the federation and government to organize more courses not only in goalkeeping," said Heredia.
LFA acting technical director Kesselee Kanneh, who gave an overview, said clubs in the Orange national league were given priority but few show-up.
"The course was intensive, rich and rewarding. From what was taught in the class and on the field, there will be some changes in the goalkeeping department [of the national league]. My recommendation to the executive committee is that coaches standing on the line [regardless of which area] must have some level of qualification," Kanneh emphasized.
Thirty-two (32) persons successfully completed the course.
