BYC II in prep talk after training
Liberia’s travelling record in football in the 1980s was relatively fair. It was as well in the 1990s. But the 2000s have been very terrible, said former Lone Star player and coach, Josiah N. Johnson.
Coach Johnson, popularly known as JNJ, told journalists about two years ago, that owing to Liberia’s poor traveling record, Liberian coaches should and must strive for netting three points, while a point would be considered reasonable.
The former Lone Star striker and tactician said “lesser aim contributes to defeat and higher aim might be a draw.” He further argued that “football is like biscuit, which breaks anywhere.”
Probably based on JNJ’s analysis, some football fans have disagreed with BYC II head coach Emmanuel Kaykay’s announcement about his game plan objective of securing a “point in Morocco against the Kawkab Athletic Club Marrakech.”
The well-liked adage to “think big” has been overlooked by Coach Kaykay, according to Jonah Diggs and Anthony Bah, who argued that the coach should say “BYC II is going to fight to win.”
Reginald Teah and Morris Weiah also differ with the License A coach, that “BYC’s game plan is to be observant-and-defensive football to get a draw, but if the chances come, it would be converted.”
They said such tactic is not forceful when juxtaposed with the very ideology of BYC, which says “We Fight to Win.”
Fans argue that Coach Kaykay’s pattern would subject the players to fear and mistrust in their ability to whip the Moroccans.
“Let the coach change his objective of going to draw but rather going to play to win and hope to covert the all chances,” Reginald said. “He needs to change his game plan… to disabuse the players’ minds…”
They, however, expressed confidence in the players to win and should therefore go with a “single mind to win than draw.”
It may be recalled that on Monday, Coach Kaykay told journalists at the Blue Field that they are going with a “game plan to play an observant-and-defensive football to get a draw.”
He added: “Our tactical scheme would be interchangeable as 4-5-1, 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 to get our desired result.”
BYC II, Liberia’s representative to the 2016 CAF Confederation Cup, has arrived safely on Tuesday in Maroc City, Morocco to honor her first leg against Kawkab Athletique Club de Marrakech on Saturday, March 12, 2016 in the second round of the 2016 CAF Confederation Cup.
BYC II got a bye in the first round to meet Marrakech, who defeated Burkina Faso’s USFA in 5-4 in a lottery shot.
BYC 11 squad: Goalies Alpha Jalloh (captain) and Allenton Senqeh; Solomon Zeah, Prince Kennedy, Prince Nagbo, Boimah Sonii, ockoDennis Wesseh, Koffa Dougbeh, Randy Dukuly.
The remaining players include Cyrus Harmon, Chrisian Doe, Sam Jackson, Olando George, Abubakar Dunnoh, Terry Sackor, Varney Dukuly, Milton Browne and Santee Nimely.
This is BYC II’s second appearance in the CAF Confederation Cup in nine years. The ‘Go Blue Boys’ made a historic move during the first meet in 2013 to be the first Liberian football team to qualify for the second round in a CAF competition in decades.
BYC II whipped Sierra Leone’s FC Johansen in Monrovia, and pulled a pulsating and goalless draw in Freetown.
In the second round, BYC II bowed 2-1 at home to Tanzanian side Azam and drew away 0-0.