The Liberia national team manager, Thomas Kojo, has stood firm regarding his choice to keep Justin Salmon on standby during the latest World Cup qualifying matches versus Tunisia and São Tomé, despite increasing backlash.
Salmon, an important member of the Norwegian second-tier team Egersund, remained the sole overseas-based player who did not see game time across both matches. Despite showcasing strong performance with five goals in 26 games for his club, he stayed on the sidelines.
The scarcity of game opportunities for him has led to criticism from supporters, ex-athletes, and key figures, who are challenging the choice to include him only to subsequently deny him even a moment of playtime on the pitch.
After the 1-0 loss to Tunisia, during which Salmon was not used from the bench, and following the game against São Tomé, where he did not play at all, the choice to favor domestic players like Jayhbah Konneh, Sabastine Teclar, and William Gibson over the overseas-based Salmon has sparked varied responses.
The former Liberian forward Sam Johnson voiced his discontent on social media about the expenses involved in transporting salmon from Norway for both qualifiers, putting the price tag at approximately $6,000.
Johnson wondered why Salmon was kept on the sidelines even though he is a seasoned pro playing in a strong league. He pointed out that they had invested approximately $6,000 to transfer Salmon from a competitive Norwegian league to Liberia for two matches but ended up not using him at all, keeping him benched throughout both games, as per Johnson’s statement.
The former national team player and coach James Debbah likewise expressed his discontent, stressing that Salmon, who accumulated 1,802 minutes during his tenure at Egersund, deserved to see some game action.
Debbah asked how they could sidelines a player who has so much potential, simultaneously voicing worry over the restricted game opportunities provided to Divine Teah, yet another talented player.
Following the match against São Tomé, Coach Thomas Kojo spoke to the press and clarified that it’s common for a player to be selected without actually playing. “We have a national squad with talent from European clubs as well as domestic ones,” he stated. “Playing abroad does not make one more important.” He further elaborated, “The choice to bench Justin was based on what our coaching team believes serves the team most effectively.”
Kojo emphasized that, from his perspective, whenever a player joins the national squad—regardless of being based locally or abroad—they deserve an equal opportunity. He also mentioned that the reduced playtime for Salmon was due to strategic choices made within the game plan, not because of any individual assessment against the player.
This is the fifth occasion where Justin Salmon has remained an unused substitute for the Lone Star, even though he has participated in 12 games since making his debut.
Questions have been sparked regarding his prospects with the national team, particularly since he keeps excelling in matches for his club.
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