2019 Super Cup Pre-match Press Briefing-Tapha Manneh Targets Win

LOGICSPORT CITES, LISCR Football Club will take on Barrack Young Controllers in the 2019 Liberia Football Association Super Cup on Sunday, February 24 at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium and head coach, Tapha Manneh is confident of his side beginning the 2019 campaign with a win.

Speaking to the media on Saturday, February 23 at the Antoinette Tubman during the pre-match press conference, Tapha said his team is set and their priority is to clinch the super cup.

“The team is set. We have done our last training session and we have our 18-man squad ready for the game on Sunday. Our priority is to win. We are taking it seriously and we will make sure the cup comes to us.”

LISCR FC bowed to a 4-0 defeat to Barrack Young Controllers in the last meeting which was the FA Cup final. Tapha Manneh admitted his team made mistakes but said they have been working hard not to repeat those mistakes and the focus of the team is the super cup on Sunday.

“I think it’s normal in football. It’s not something new to go down. What is important now is to go back and prepare ourselves and make sure we don’t repeat those mistakes. What is important now is to focus on the super cup and the league. It’s true we had problems last year. We had four players from The Gambia that were unable to take part in the competitions. But this year is a different issue because the players are 100% ready for the Super Cup and the league.”

Coach Tapha confirmed the absence of midfielder Sheku Sheriff who was confirmed ill according to medical reports.

“Actually, he is out of the game. Medical reports are very important in football. The reports tell you a player can play or not. When the doctor confirms the player is ready, you can use the player. Otherwise, it’s risky to use a player who is being reported ill. We have already replaced him in the team. The team is open to him and anytime he recovers, he will be back in the team. He’s a registered player and he’s a key player of the team. But for now, we have players that can replace him in the team.”

Addressing the absence of Allen Njie and Saah Nyumah the match against Barrack Young Controllers, Tapha said it’s a joy for him to see Allen Njie moving abroad to a league higher than Liberian league and he’s already gotten players he believes can fill in the gap.

” One of them is out for good and those are type of things coaches get happy for and it’s Allen who has moved to a level higher than Liberia. That is good for the team. As for Saah Nyumah, he’s in Ghana and there’s nothing much on him. However, this is a football team and we believe in developing the team. There are replacements for those names and as a coach, I trust the players. Football team shouldn’t be for specific players. We always try to develop the players because players are moving from one stage to another stage. The more they are going, the more we are finding way to replace them.”

The gaffer further said that there is no problem in his selection of goalkeeper between Ashley Williams and Tommy Songo. Tapha Manneh said the two goalkeepers are good and the club is blessed to have them.

“For goalkeeper, we don’t have any problem as being said always. We have two national team goalkeepers. They are very good and we are lucky to have them in the team. There is nothing like this is the best and this is the worse. We believe whoever is mentally fit for a game will play. We don’t have problems with that and we are going well.”

Since arriving in Liberia, Tapha Manneh has played three competitive matches against Barrack Young Controllers and a preseason game. His first game against Barrack Young Controllers ended with a goalless draw at the Blue Field on March 22, 2017 in the 2016-17 first division league before getting a 1-0 win in the return leg on May 7,2017. The two teams played in the 2018 LISCR Unification Cup which ended 1-1 in full time before Tapha Manneh’s side grabbed a 4-2 win from penalty shootout. His first defeat was the 4-0 loss in the 2018 FA Cup.

SOURCE CREDIT: LISCR Football Club