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Atlanta, USA: The ever-growing soccer talents in Liberia and the inability to harness them win or make significant impact in competitions has been one area that has kept top Moroccan-born coach, Youssef Darbaki, wondering why.
If Liberian authorities believe Liberia’s future in soccer lies in the youths, then Coach Darbaki, giving the opportunity, will be able to transform the talents to imminent success, he said in a telephone interview with me, from his base in Minnesota, USA.
“It is a wonder that such massive talents have not been used to make the country proud,” he said, and he did not end there. “Liberia deserves to be among the best in Africa.”
Clearly coach Darbaki is speaking from personal experience. He has one of the impressive records in African soccer history, and he believes Liberian youths deserve better.
Coach Darbaki is presently the head-coach of the Minnesota Twin Stars, and his playing record with clubs in Africa and Europe is inspiring.
He played in Morocco, France, Spain and the United States.
Among the first division clubs he featured back in Morocco, France, Spain and the USA, where he is currently residing was TAS de Casablanca, Matra Racing, UD Marbella and Chicago Power.
He later sojourned to France and played for Matra Racing from 1983-84, and moved on to the Spain, featuring for UD Marbella from 1984-96. He returned to Morocco after the season and featured for TAS de Casablanca in 1987 and by 1989 he was a top flight player with Chicago Power in the United States.
He was a member of the Morocco national team, Atlas Lions, from 1979-82, and remembers with fondness when the team visited Liberia in a friendly match against Lone Star.
The late Liberian president, Samuel Doe, a soccer enthusiast was gratified when his invitation to the Kingdom of Morocco resulted favorably and the Moroccans came to Monrovia. The match itself favored the Moroccans despite the hot weather in which the game was played at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium.
The vacuum created by the murder of President Samuel Kanyon Doe, who financially supported the national soccer team has been felt by players and coaches. It was no wonder that the recently deceased ex-national coach Wilfred Lardner, who it had been reported suffered financial hardships, would often say, “Doe died with Liberian football,” according to Coach Kasumu Sillah, in an apparent low-level interest by war-wrecked successive administration officials.
For Coach Youssef Darbaki, the friendly encounter in the eighties was one he had not been able to let go, especially when George Weah and many of his colleagues took European soccer by storm afterwards.
“It was my first time in Liberia,” he remembers with satisfaction, during the interview with me, “the stadium was parked with people and they cheered us on, though the home team was losing.”
Though his memories of Liberia are distant, he remembers his one-day stay in the country, and has increased his knowledge by associating with Liberian soccer players in Minnesota. Presently, there are four Liberian players under his tutelage, who are members of the Minnesota Twin Stars, including Clarence Weah, junior brother of the retired king of the turf, George Weah, Richard Kamara and Andrew Wallace.
In the United States coach Darbaki has managed seven teams, including his present club, Minnesota Twin Stars.
The other clubs are South High (MN 1992-94), Cougars FC (MN 1996-06), Minnesota Select State Team (1996-1999), Minnesota All Star African Team (1996-06), Minnesota Blast (2002-04) and his current club St. Paul Twin Stars, which he started managing in 2005, according to wikipedia.
He said he is overwhelmed by the soccer potential in Liberia and all he needed is sound policies to make them fruitful.
At his current team, he has a game philosophy, and according to their website: http://twinstarsfc.us/index_goal.html, coach Darbaki’s role is to develop players on the essential skills of the game as well as the discipline that goes with it.
Coach Darbaki believes that the education of the youth in basic programs and the in-house disciplines are very important.
The structure of club philosophy is important too, he says, “Brazilian and European style of play is important…Creating a family environment for all players... Working hand to hand with coaching directors to create a certain platform for the club's style.”
On Lone Star, he said, “I have been working with Liberian players for several years and I can say with certainty that I understand their orientation,” a situation he claims gives him the upper hand to manage the national soccer team players.
This may be a good start since the Lone Star is presently grounded, after its poor showings in the last elimination series in the CAN Angola and the World Cup to be hosted in South Africa.
“I will consider any offers from Liberia,” he told me, “I am an African and I must give something back to Africa.”
He has followed the regression of Liberian soccer with interest, particularly the national soccer team.
“I spoke with Coach Mohammed,” he said, referring to the Egyptian coach loaned to Liberia, who had to leave his job unfinished, due to unpublished reasons. He is aware of the recent crashing failure of German Anton Hey, and previous to that he is aware of the good old Frank Jericho Nagbe, whose insistence to use youthful players and the poor results spelled his doom.
Coach Darbaki currently holds the Brazilian "B" National License and the Dutch National License and he is also a FIFA accredited certified coach.
Said striker Clarence Weah: “Coach Darbaki knows his game. He respects players and his training is always directed at making a player more useful to his team-mates on the field.”
Clarence Weah believes that Coach Darbaki will be the right choice for Lone Star at the time Liberian sports authorities are considering rebuilding the team.
“He has a passion for his game,” Clarence said in a telephone interview from Minnesota, “and also good at building a team. He places emphasis on the regularity a player gives for his own improvement on and off the field.”
Minnesota Twin Stars soccer team’s general captain, Richard Kamara in a telephone interview said he is convinced Coach Darbaki has the experience and passion to rebuild the Lone Star, once he is considered by sports authorities in Liberia.
“He is familiar with our style of play,” Kamara said, “One thing about him I like is his ability to build a team from scratch.”
Coach Darbarki is also providing coaching instructions to ex-Liberian players who formed part of PRO-USA, an organization planning to make its second visit to Liberia in December.
Coach Darbaki was born on 15 February 1964 in Casablanca, Morocco. He was at home in the midfield position and was a participant in the 1982 World Cup Qualifiers.
Coach Darbaki currently lives in Minneapolis, MN with his wife and five children and one of his sons, Karim P. Darbaki plays for the Minnesota Twin Stars. He has coached talented players such as Francis Doe and Ansu Toure.
He said he is prepared to make a trip to Liberia when he is invited by sports authorities, and below is his contact information: 763-360-4676.
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