The critical stakeholder indicated that the Henry Browe’s Technical Committee and the Musa Bility’s Liberia Football Association (LFA) should immediately replace Coach Smith.
Mr. Smith intoned that Coach Smith’s card, which includes two draws and a defeat, indicated that the senior national team is an “overload” to the Coach Smith, who has no recent record of coaching adult football club.
He told journalists yesterday in a local resort that he doubts Liberia progression into the third round of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa, in the hands of Coach Smith.
The tough spoken stakeholder was quick to point out that Liberia’s qualification into the second stage was owing to the tactical magic of caretaker Coach Thomas Kodjo.
He urged the LFA to transfer Coach Smith into the junior program, and recruit qualified coach, who has the resounding achieving record.
It can be recalled, Liberia’s football icon George Weah had also criticized the decision of the Liberia Football Association (LFA) headed by Musa Bbility, to appoint Coach Smith over the senior national football team in spite of a game accomplishment by care taker coach Thomas Kojo.
Mr. Weah said the football house should not have overlooked caretaker coach Thomas Kojo for the job of a national team coach, owing to the result he had pulled when serving as a caretaker.
The Africa’s football legend in a brief interview on Tuesday on the BBC, condemned the LFA’s decision and described the newly appointed coach, Kaetu Smith, as low-profile coach.
Former caretaker coach Kodjo stood in as coach for one game after the sacking of Roberto Landi earlier this year and despite a 1-0 win over Namibia in his only match in charge, the job eventually went to Kaetu Smith, who claimed to earned a “A” License from the LFA in 1989 and an A Soccer License from the US Soccer League.
Report has it that the US trained coach, Kaetu Smith has been coaching youths, meanly U-12 for the past 10 years in the US and has been crowned as “thriving coach” owing to his sting he left at the National Fusion Soccer club, while serving as Director for both the male and female teams, comprised of about 2,000 young boys U-12 years.
His success story compelled the United States Soccer Federation to award him an “A” Certificate with ID # 27,293 on January 10, 2010.
He (Coach Smith) and Henry Browne (who is now the LFA Technical Director) managed the U-13, U-14 and U-15 Lone Star teams, where they won laurels in the Gothia and Diana Cups in Sweden and Denmark respectively, from 1997 to 1999.
About 10 years ago, Coach Smith managed the U-17 and U-20 national teams. He also provided technical support as head coach to several local teams; some of them include Bacchus Marrine, Fulani, NPA and LPRC Oilers. He also managed a team in Nigeria, which is Obanta United Football Club.
Meanwhile, when contacted the President of LFA, Musa Bility he categorically stated that the decision of the appointment of Kaetu Smith as the manager of senior Lone Star team was unanimous decision taken by the Executive Committee after his name was submitted by the Technical Committee, chaired by Henry Browne.
He said Coach Smith is the most qualified Liberian coach and had experienced in Liberian football.
The LFA boss regarded the comment of Mr. Weah as his “opinion and which is always welcoming”
Some football connoisseurs argued that assertions of Mr. Weah was in the right footing as a former FIFA World Best Player, while other said his statement was intended to put the LFA against the public owing to the fact that head of the LFA is from the ruling Unity Party, where he (Mr. Weah) is the founder and standard bearer of the main opposition, Congress for Democratic Change (CDC).
For his part, Coach Smith coined the decision of Mr. Weah as his “opinion”, and boost of being a “ good coach.”
