MAKENI, Sierra Leone – Liberia’s FA Cup and First Division champions LISCR Football Club has completed its week-long preseason camp in neighboring Sierra Leone, where they played three test matches before their return to Liberia.
As part of their preparations for the new league season and the 2018 CAF Champions League, the Shipping Boys moved outside the country to test themselves against the Sierra Leoneans. However, LISCR returned home without a single win.
They departed the country on Friday, January 5 by road on an 18-hour journey and arrived in Makeni, Sierra Leone on Saturday, January 6, where they held a week-long camp. The team arrived at 3:00 a.m. and rested until the evening hours when they held their first training session at the Wusum Field, which was the venue of the three matches. The Shipping Boys conducted their first training session on a cold Saturday evening in Makeni ahead of their opening game on Sunday, January 7.
The Liberia First Division champions took the pitch for their first match against the 2017 Sierra Leone President Cup Champions, Wusum Stars Football Club. The two sides played to a goalless draw in the first half, with LISCR throwing away several opportunities that would have sent them to the break with the lead, including a missed penalty by Sheku Sheriff.
LISCR’s Bully Drammeh (in green) against Wusum Stars. Photo: T. Kla Wesley Jr.
Back from the break, the Shipping Boys got the curtain raiser through their Gambian star player, Bully Drammeh, who shot from nine meters to beat Wusum Stars goalkeeper, Peter Sesay. Drammeh put LISCR ahead in the 57th minute, and the Liberian side led the match until the 82nd minute when Wusum Stars got the score leveled by Mohamed Kamara. Neither side was able to get on the scoring sheet again in the remaining eight minutes of the match with a draw.
After the match, LISCR FC head coach Tapha Manneh blamed his players for failing to make use of their scoring opportunities. However, he promised to win his second game against Marampa Stars Football Club.
However, against the Marampa Stars, Manneh’s boys produced an even worse result, failing to get on the scoresheet in the full 90 minutes and bowing in a disappointing 2-0 defeat to their hosts. Even more discouraging than the match against Wusum Stars, the front liners of LISCR FC played a key role in the team’s loss with poor finishing touches.
LISCR Striker Mark Paye (15) in action against the Marampa Stars. Photo: T. Kla Wesley Jr.
Strikers Mark Paye, Christopher Jackson, Morris Vambo, and Amadiah Kawah all threw away golden opportunities that should have won LISCR the match. Alhassan Koroma scored in the 37th minute to give Marampa the lead in the first half. The Sierra Leoneans went to the break a goal up and doubled their lead in the 74th minute through Alusine Koroma, twin brother to the first goal scorer.
In search of a win, the final match against the Sierra Leone national team became the most important and difficult one for Tapha Manneh’s team. The Gambian tactician featured a strong team in which all his top guns, including Gambian striker Mustapha Njie, striker Christopher Jackson, former BYC hitman Mark Paye, and Gambian winger Bully Drammeh were placed up front.
Gambian defender Adama Sabally and former BYC defender Kemoh Kamara stood in central defense while Hilton Varney, formerly of BYC, played at left back and Asiamuh Dann was positioned at right back. Sheku Sheriff, commonly called ‘Ball Passer’ and former National County Sports Meet star player Allen Njie played in the midfield for LISCR while Liberia national team goalkeeper Tommy Songo stood in goal.
Sheku Sheriff in action against the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone. Photo: T. Kla Wesley Jr.
Despite a strong starting eleven, it was the Leone Stars that took the lead at the Wusum Field. Striker Abdul Bangura fired with a right-footed volley in the 11th minute to beat LISCR goalkeeper Tommy Songo. The Shipping Boys weren’t deterred by the early lead as they pushed for an equalizer. A minute to end the first half, Sheku Sheriff came to LISCR’s rescue when he leveled the score with a shot from 17 meters.
The first half ended 1-1, and it was LISCR that returned stronger after the break. The second half became the most exciting portion of all of LISCR’s three matches in Sierra Leone, with several dramas between the two teams and the match officials. Controversially, LISCR was denied a lead in the 56th minute when a LISCR header appeared to have crossed the crossbar before it was cleared out by Kemson Fofanah, who was positioned behind the touchline.
In the 62nd minute, LISCR again scored another goal that was controversially ruled as offside. Mark Paye headed the ball in from a Hilton Varney cross, but it was canceled by the assistant referee.
Nine minutes after Paye’s goal was disallowed, Sierra Leone was awarded a penalty for a handball by Asiamuh Dann, who was trying to clear the ball off his danger zone. Kemson Fofanah converted the penalty and gave Sierra Leone the lead, which later turned out to be the match-winning goal.
LISCR may have lost against the Sierra Leone national team, but Manneh was proud of his team’s performance. The LISCR coach praised his side for their performance and promised to work on their finishing touches ahead of their CAF Champions League preliminary round first leg match against Al Hilal on February 11.
Featured photo by T. Kla Wesley Jr.
