Dear Editor – I read with interest comments the national soccer coach Moses Toata made in your paper after their semi-final loss to Papua New Guinea.
I appreciate his taking responsibility for the loss and his efforts towards the national side.
Let me however say this.
The time is right of the country to recruit a full-time overseas coach if we are to further develop our soccer.
I made this call on the basis that our soccer appeared to be stagnant compared to our Melanesian neighbours Vanuatu and PNG.
The situation will remain as it is unless we look overseas and recruit a soccer coach.
Yes, it will be expensive but the government and SIFF have a responsibility towards soccer, our national pride.
In my view, local coaches will never take our soccer further than where it is now.
The best place for local coaches is at the club level.
If you look at the development of soccer in the region, some eight years ago, PNG and Vanuatu are no match to our national side.
But look at them today? Where are they now?
It’s a testament that their soccer is improving, while we are not.
Why are they improving?
Because they invest in their soccer and have sacrificed to bring in overseas full-time coaches to look after their national teams.
We should do likewise if we are to improve our standard of soccer.
Let it be known that miracles don’t happen in soccer so that we bring in an overseas coach a few weeks to assist our national side ahead of international games.
We need a coach who comes here, live with us and develop our national team.
Only then will we see an improvement in our standard of soccer.
Otherwise, we will remain where we are now for the next 10 years.
George Toiro
Honiara
