The last straw that broke the camel's back...Liberia conceded a 90th minute goal in Cape Verde

BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Even as conscious efforts are being made to get their last home game in the Group C qualifying series to be moved from Accra Ghana to Monrovia in Liberia, the Lone Star are beginning to feel they are already at the end of the road.

They host the Super Eagles in Match day 5 next month. Although, arithmetically, all the four teams have chances of getting into the play-off, the chances are varied.

While the Super Eagles are the most advantageous, Liberia are the least. For the Lone Star to qualify, they will require to win with at least three goals, their remaining two matches against Nigeria and Central African Republic.

In doing so, they will also expect that no other match - Nigeria vs Cape Verde, Cape Verde vs Central African Republic - produced a winner. All those corresponding matches have to end in draws.

It is in the light of that calculation that Liberian newspaper, the Liberian Observer captioned its report: "End of the Road for Lone Star at WCQ?"

Coincidentally, all the goals that dented Liberia's chances came either in added time or close to regulation time.

When they succumbed to a 2-1 defeat to Cape Verde in the Match Day 4 at the  Stadium Aderito Sena in Cape Verde, the back breaking goal came in the 90th minute just as the reversed leg in Accra when Cape Verde also got a late winner.

Liberian Observer concluded that "If Liberia must progress to the next round of the qualifiers, they must win their last two games with not less than three goals margin and hope that none of their group opponents secure a win in their remaining games, a target that is humanly unachievable for the Lone Star"