The head coach of the Liberian national football team, Kaetu Smith, has been quoted as saying that the press is his enemy.
(CEMESP/IFEX) – 18 September 2012 – The head coach of the Liberian national football team, Kaetu Smith, has been quoted as saying that the press is his enemy.
His comment was reported in the 12 September edition of The Activist newspaper and follows an earlier threat to physically attack Liberian Broadcasting System sports reporter Moses Garzeawu.
The threat occurred when Smith refused to speak to the press, following Liberia’s victory over Malawi in a football match.
The president of the Sport Writers Association of Liberia (SWAL), Fomba Kanneh, reacted to Smith’s unfriendly media stance by saying that “there are always pre and post-match press conferences.” This practice is not observed in a country where coaches and club presidents consistently insult journalists.
SWAL has called on the coach to retract his comment and apologize for his threatening remarks to the press. However, the Liberia Football Association‘s media director, Henry Flomo, has remorselessly maintained that the coach cannot apologize.