Dulee: I'm Committed to Lone Star

Dulee Johnson is rallying support for the new German Coach of the Lone Star, Antoine Hey.

The midfield supremo of the Lone Star says with total commitment and cooperation the coach will deliver up to expectation.

"He can’t do it all alone. We (players), the Liberia Football Association and the entire people of Liberia need to give him our full support and encouragement. This is the time Liberia need to go forward in international football and we can do it," DJ tells his personal website.

The Swedish-based player adds: "I have full confidence in him and I think it was based on his competence and experience that gave him the job. We must help him to help us grow our football."

"Liberia can go far if people move away from criticizing when there is nothing to talk about. We must make constructive criticism that would help build up the team instead of passing comments that would bring division among us.

"A national team grows well and strong when everyone keeps a positive eye on it and guides it when necessary. I’m not against criticism but what I am saying is that any comment about the coach or the players should be in good faith.

"The Lone Star is gradually gaining its grounds on the continent and with Angola 2010 qualifiers ahead, I want to encourage my fellow colleagues to respect the decision of the coach and the technical team. When we develop this attitude we shall definitely qualify to the African Cup and the World Cup too.

"With determination and hard work we can rub shoulders with the so-called bigger national teams. We have the caliber but there is more room for improvement. Let’s come together to take the Lone Star forward," Johnson, who is the current best player of his club, AIK, concludes.

Dulee's father, Josiah N. Johnson has also expressed support for the new coach. He says the time of his selection is quite disturbing looking at the proximity to the qualifiers. But calls on Liberians to give Coach Hey full support.

Hey is a former player of the German Bundesliga side Schalke 04. He who also played professional football in Switzerland and England for 14 years before retiring from active football at the age of 31 to pursue a coaching career.

Hey became head coach of the national team of The Gambia on September 26, 2006, replacing Sang Ndong, who was sacked in 2003.

Born in 1970, Hey’s previous coaching experience has been with Lesotho for 13 months as well as a German lower division side Neumunster for nine months in the 2003-2004 season.

He is a holder of the highest coaching license worldwide -the UEFA/FIFA Pro-license, having attended a UEFA coaching instructor course.

Hey made his presence felt in Lesotho by qualifying the South-African nation to the 2005 CAF U-20 Youth Championship finals in Benin 2005 -the same tournament The Gambia had just qualified for.

The German defeated the Italian Roberto Landi in the race to coach Liberia Lone Star last month.

Photo: BBC