Forceful Resignation’: George Gebro Relishes Return to Lone Star

Monday, 30 May 2011 15:11

Written by FrontpageAfrica Online

Utility player George Gebro was one of several former international players recalled to help Liberia qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations to be held in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea in January.

Louis Crayton, George Weah, James Salinsa Debbah and Dionysius Sebwe were also recalled by the Liberia Football Association president Musa Bility when he appeared on Truth Breakfast Show on Truth FM 96.1 on May 12.

But it is not clear whether Weah, who was at the Ohene Djan Sports Stadium in Accra, Ghana to see Liberia go down 0-4 to the Ivory Coast in the first leg London Olympic Games 2012 qualifier on March 27, will return to the playing pitch or in the dugout.

Our reporter, who traveled with the team, gathered that Weah discovered that first-choice goalie Gallay James was injured upon seeing him during the pre-match warm-up and even joke Bility as to whether they brought a handicap from Monrovia.

But all efforts to get to the technical staff yielded no result and an injured Gallay conceded two elementary goals before signaling for his replacement, which was effected at half-time.

In truth, Gallay had only one light training session a day before the game as the medical staff fought over his fitness. Team doctor Jallabah had warned the coaching crew it would be a risk fielding Gallay but then goalkeeper trainer Raymond Moulton, who is alleged to have a family link to Gallay, insisted to coaches Thomas Kojo and Gray Hazel that the goalie was fit, an advice that was too costly.

Weah’s coaching instincts was first noticed when he converted Gebro, a left-winger into a left-back (defender), to police right winger Pius Ikedia when Liberia surprisingly beat Nigeria 2-1 at the Samuel Kanyon Doe (SKD) Sports on July 9, 2000 during the 2002 World Cup qualifiers. Nestor Sandy, then a midfielder with LPRC Oilers, was also tasked to police Sunday Oliseh for the duration of the match since they were fairly of the same height.

It was part of many tactics and techniques taken by Weah, who was functioning as technical director and player, which greatly reduced the threat of the visitors and heralded a new wave for the national team. It is this talent that Bility wants to make maximum use of as Liberia’s participation in international competitions has been reduced from four to one.

FrontPageAfrica (FPA) understands Kelvin Sebwe and Joe Nagbe, who were recently appointed as deputy and assistant coaches respectively, have resumed training in anticipation of once more donning the red, white and blue colors when Liberia take on Cape Verde on June 5 at the SKD.

In an interview with FPA, Gebro said he was happy to be back after almost nine years. “I am happy to be part of my national team once more. I am one of the players that are always willing to play at all times for my country. I and other former players were not ready to leave the national team at the time but we were forced out.

“We have been called back but we can’t say no because our country and people need us at this time and we need them too. I hope we will not let them down,” he said. Gebro emphasized that the just ended West African Football Union (Wafu) Cup of Nations, which was held in Nigeria, was very important for the national team.

“Liberia aim of participating in that tournament was to help prepared us for our next match against Cape Verde Island in the qualifying round of the Africa Cup of Nations. And I can tell you we gained more experience in that competition even though we came third,” Gebro narrated. With a debate in the football arena over the recalled of the aging veterans ahead their youthful but inexperienced colleagues, Gebro believes there is so much at stake.

“There is a possibility that we can come up with a shining star. All we need is to put our act together. And I will encourage my colleagues that are coming to join the team to know that yes we can make it.

“Our group is wide open. We are going against Cape Verde on June 5 and they are the group leaders. If we can come up with three points then we will definitely be in a better position for our two remaining games against Mali and Zimbabwe,” the left back mentioned.

International career

Born on September 13, 1981, Gebro was first called to the national team by the late coach Wilfred Tijani Lardner immediately after the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa, where the team failed to progress beyond the group stage. He made his debut in a 0-5 defeat to Egypt in Cairo during the qualifying rounds of the 1998 World Cup while playing for Invincible Eleven (IE) in the national league.

Gebro became an integral part of the famous George Weah-eleven during the 2002 World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Nicknamed IE Jartoe (a name given to albino by Liberians) by his admirers, the left back and winger was annoyed with media reports that he signed for LISCR FC ahead of the national league in November 2010.

In October 2010, Gebro told Liberiansoccer.com that his reported move was a bad public relation for LISCR FC. “I've been hearing the same rumors that I signed a contract with LISCR. This is strange to me. It is not to my knowledge and I don’t think it is a positive news for me that they [are] carrying around that I've a contract with LISCR,” he stated.

“…I don’t know any official of LISCR and it is not my intention to play in the national league,” he emphasized. Since arriving home late August 2010, questions have lingered on the minds of many concerning the career of the no-nonsense defender. And Gebro, who has been without a club, rebuffed insinuations from within the football association that his best days are over.

“I think people saw me this gone game on the [November] 29 during the vice president tournament. And I think they [are] going to make their judgment from there because I am in good form,” he argued.

He said he will shortly depart Liberia to continue his professional career as soon as his agent makes a selection from several offers. Having watched the once flying Liberia forced Zimbabwe to a 1-1 draw on September 5, 2010 and narrowly lost 1-2 to Mali on October 9, 2010, Gebro contended that the team still need veterans.

“There are a lot of things that need to be put into perspective. And I will say that the people have to be patient in order to get result because they are building up a team. Am not saying that they are not bad. They need some experience to blend up with the team so that they can be able to go further but I see a lot of good things in them,” he pictured.

But his display in the just ended Wafu Cup of Nations will give his critics a ‘food for thought’ as he prepares for the June 5 qualifier on home soil, his first international match after three years.