Information gathered by our sports desk reveals that one of the applicants for the position of head coach of Lone Star, German Coach Antoine Tony Hey, is now in the picture to take over the affairs of the national football team of Liberia, the Lone Star.

The information further said that the German coach has been preferred over his colleagues who also traveled from Italy to sit for the interview for the Lone Star head coach position.

Although sports authorities have not confirmed this information, sources close to sports experts who conducted the interview told this paper that the 37-year-old German has already been given the go-ahead to take over the affairs of the national team along with veteran Liberian coach Kadala Kromah as deputy.

The officials are to assume the positions as part of the government’s effort to ensure that the Lone Star qualification for the 2010 World Cup and Cup of Nations in Angola are secured.

Coach Tony Hey is one of the two foreign coaches who applied and sat the interview before a panel of Liberian sports experts.

The other foreign coach, Roberto Landi from Italy, arrived in the country on Monday, February 4, 2008 and sat his interview on Wednesday the 6th of February at the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MYS).

When officially accredited by the MYS and the Liberia Football Association (LFA), Antoine Tony Hey will immediately commence his job as of next month.

His job, many claim, would be a difficult task especially in the area of scouting Liberian players in and out of the country for possible recruitment into the nation’s pride and joy, the Lone Star.

It has not also been confirmed as to how many years the German coach will be signing for but information says that he has been given a challenge to qualify the nation for the 2010 African Cup of Nations to be held in Angola and the World Cup slated for South Africa.

Several sports pundits have described the move by the government to appoint a foreign coach to steer the affairs of the national team as prudent and timely, but considered the time frame as very limited to prepare a winning team.

They have however expressed confidence in the ability of the number of young talents Liberia has and are optimistic that with a better collection and coordination, Liberia can put up a surprise.

“If Namibia can get a foreign coach then what more about Liberia who has produced a former African, European and World Best player; recognition no country has ever achieved,” they added.

Culled from The Inquirer (Monrovia) by sports editor Sainabou Kujabi.