Liberia FA expels senior national team playersBy KEMO CHAM in Freetown | Thursday, June 14  2012 at  14:07

Ahead of its African Nations cup qualifiers match with Namibia this Saturday, the Liberian Football Association (LFA) has expelled three of its senior players for indiscipline behaviour.

The FA, in a statement on its website, said it expelled the men - Anthony Laffor (team captain), who plays his club game in South Africa; Dioh Williams, who plays in Sweden; and Francis [Grandpa] Doe, who plays in Malaysia – with immediate effect for “uncontrollable behaviours” and “constant boycott” of camp.

The statement added the expulsion came as a result of recommendation by coach Kaetu Smith, and that the LFA was compelled to do so after the players` constant violation of the national team player code of conduct.

“The three players have been mandated to immediately take advantage of their return tickets and return to their clubs or the tickets will be cancelled in 24 hours,” the statement said.

The affected players featured in Liberia`s Sunday June 10 draw at home with Angola in the 2014 World cup qualifier.

Dioh and Francis were accused of arriving late on camp, while Laffor is reported to have stayed away from camp for three consecutive days.

The Lonestars were set to leave Liberia on Wednesday for Ghana, from where they will head for Namibia in time for Saturday`s encounter with the Brave Warriors.

The LFA statement blames the players` “misconduct” as responsible for the team missing its Delta flight to Ghana.

“As a result, the LFA has lost close to $20,000 in extra charges for the team’s overnight stay in Accra, Ghana,” it claimed.

The expelled players have allegedly condemned the LFA`s alleged attempt to restrict their movement and deny them of their freedom when it could not do same to former national team stars like James Debbah and soccer legend George Weah.

Coach Smith was cited in a report by the Communications Department of the LFA as saying the affected players and three others had been fined $1,000 each for violating the code of conduct following the teams’ arrival from Dakar, after the Lonestars` encounter with Senegal on June 4.

Dioh and Fancis were among three players suspended in 2010 for similar offences by the late Hungarian coach Bertalan Bicskie just a day before Liberia’s opening match in the 2012 African Nations cup qualifier at home to Zimbabwe.
Coach Smith, meanwhile, has named George Gebro as replacement for Laffor as captain of the Lonestars.