Liberia is about to complete its first month of weekly get-together training camp for March’s back-to-back 2023 AFCON Group K qualifiers against Bafana Bafana.
The 25-member, home-based Lone Star team has been busy since February 7 under new coach Ansu Keita in Monrovia.
Keita has yet to name his foreign-based call-ups for the two dates against Bafana.
“Coach Ansu Keita has taken charge of his eighth training session as Liberia coach with the local lads as the Lone Star continue preparation for back-to-back AFCON Qualifiers with Bafana Bafana of South Africa,” a Liberia Football Association statement read.
LIBERIA HARD AT TRAINING FOR BAFANA BAFANA
“It’s a third week of three times-a-week training sessions that Coach Keita is supervising since he started on Tuesday, 7 February.”
Keita took over as Liberia coach from Englishman Peter Butler in late January after the latter’s contract was not renewed.
The LFA has handed Keita a two-year contract.
Keita was before his appointment Liberia’s CHAN team coach for the 2022 qualifiers and also had a stint as Under-17 national team coach.
Liberia will host Bafana on March 28 at Samuel K. Doe Stadium after travelling to South Africa for the first-leg fixture on March 22.
SKD Stadium is set to host its first competitive international match involving the Lone Stars since 2019 while it underwent an upgrade.
The stadium has reportedly been given provisional clearance by CAF for the game against Bafana.
Meanwhile, both Liberia and Bafana are seeking their first points in Group K following defeats to leaders Morocco.
Morocco on the other hand is on bye in the three-team race in Group K while the fourth team Zimbabwe is dormant because of the protracted FIFA ban that has been in place due to government interference in ZIFA affairs.
But Morocco is using their March downtime to play friendlies against South American opposition.
The Atlas Lions will kick off their friendly itinerary with a marquee date against Brazil at home on March 25 in Tangier.
Morocco will later fly to Spain to play Peru on March 28 at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid.
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