Commentary

Drama Looms Over SKD Ban By Caf….

Liberians woke up Monday to news of the famous Samuel Kenyon Doe Sports Complex (SKD) being banned by the Confederation of African Football (Caf) for what the African body of Football considered “the SKD doesn’t meet the set CAF stadium minimum requirements” and consequently is not approved for the qualifying matches.

This news was widely discussed across the nation’s capital Monrovia with mix-reactions from all sides of the divide.

Many football fans got furious with the news of a ban on hosting international football games at the SKD Sports Complex, especially at a time when the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers are about to go into full swing.

Operatives in the Opposition block in Liberia saw it as joy, as many of them took to social media to make mockery of the matter, where operatives on the side of the ruling establishment fired back.

Caf said it was imposing a ban on Liberia’s biggest football area on several counts which the country has failed to correct since it was requested to do so 2019.

But as the deliberations were on going across both sports and political corridors, Liberia’s Minister of Youth and Sports D. Zeagar Wilson was holding frantic discussions with Liberia’s Chief Patron of Sports, as he was also appealing to Caf.

Minister Wilson on State Radio Monday morning said Liberia was doing its best in upgrading the stadium as instructed by Caf, but said was shock hearing the news of the SKD suspension.

According to the Minister, some level of work had been done since the Caf instruction and that Liberia was awaiting an inspection team of Caf to visit the country to inspect the progress at the stadium, but the Caf team did not come as planned.

President George Weah, former African Best Footballer stepped into the matter, speaking with Caf and on Fifa bosses on the issue, asking the African Football Body to halt the sanction.

The Liberian Leader, a famous football king was listened to and a halt to the sanction was immediately announced by Caf.

Caf said it was halting the plan action against Liberia until a zoom meeting between Liberian football authorities on Thursday of the week to make a further determination.

This lay to rest the mix-feelings about the possibility that Liberia will have to search elsewhere for home grounds for its Fifa 2022 world cup qualifiers.

But, why is the SKD Sports Complex still locking those essential things needed at modern stadia when over $25 million USD was spend between 2008 and 2013/14? This one question on the minds of many football followers in the country has the debate continues.

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