MONROVIA, Montserrado – Liberia’s captain Teah Dennis believes the best is yet to come from his team under Coach James Debbah following the team recent winning form in the Gabon 2017 Nation’s Cup qualification.
Liberia, who has failed to qualify for the African Cup of Nations since 2002, has recorded three consecutive victories in Group A and is now on top of the group with nine points. That is two points over second and third place Tunisia and Togo, with two matches to play.
The next game will be at home to Togo on Sunday, June 5.
With the Lone Star’s brilliant displays in recent matches, particularly their back-to-back win over Djibouti, Dennis said the team has begun to gel.
“I can assure you have not seen anything yet, there is far more to come from this team,” Dennis told The Bush Chicken. “We are really relishing these games. There is a confidence about the side – a confidence that we are looking to maintain.”
Importantly, Dennis believes Liberian football fans are finally back on board after a strained relationship with their national team during past Nations Cup qualifications.
“There were times when people were on our back a little bit, and we took a lot of criticism, but we have ridden that out now, and the fans are showing the appreciation of the football we are playing,” Dennis said.
Since Debbah took over the Lone Star as head coach, the former Paris Saint-Germain striker has guided the team to four wins, and the Jordan-based defender seems to like his style.
“The boss has stressed the importance of maintaining the high standard that we have set,” Dennis said. “We are working extremely hard, but we are not there yet. We’re in a good position, but taking nothing for granted. We’ve got Togo at home, and they can sit back and make it difficult. If we can get our fourth victory, it will be fantastic.”
Dennis, who has captained Lone Star since their 1-0 win over Tunisia, said there is no danger of Liberia getting complacent with qualification not yet sealed.
“What we are all conscious about is qualifying for the African Cup [of Nations]. Missing out on the previous competitions has been a massive blow. What we need to do now is to pay the fans back and qualify for the Nations Cup,” Dennis said.
Featured photo by T. Kla Wesley, Jr.
