Returning to Belize yesterday was the Football Federation of Belize (FFB) delegation, including the Belize national football team which played their hearts out but fell 7-nil to Mexico in Monterrey on Saturday, June 21, after losing 2-nil in their previous meeting in Houston, Texas on Sunday, June 15. Like in game 1, our Belize team was totally outplayed in midfield, where we couldn’t maintain possession of the ball. That is a matter of training and coaching, and that is the responsibility of those in charge of our national team – the FFB. It has been the same for a decade. With such a record, any other CEO or democratically elected president would be booted out. Why not the FFB?
In 2004, the FFB took the Belize national team to Canada and received an aggregate score of 8-nil in two matches. Canada is presently ranked #4 in Concacaf and #60 in the world. This time the FFB led the Belize team to a 9-nil aggregate loss to Mexico, ranked #1 in Concacaf and #14 in the world. But almost 25 years ago around 1984, with only two weeks training, Belizean coach Winston Michael led a hastily organized Belize national selection to a hard fought and respectable 2-nil loss against the Canadian national team at the People’s Stadium in Orange Walk in front of thousands of Belizean fans.
Apparently, not much has changed with the FFB over the years. Belize’s victory over St. Kitts/Nevis was a step in the right direction, but hardly a leap forward; the FFB promptly followed up the victory by firing the national coach. St. Kitts/Nevis, a country of only 40,000 citizens and an area of 261 sq km, is ranked ahead of Belize at #156 in the world and #22 in Concacaf. Belize is ranked #172 in the world and #26 in Concacaf. None of those games were played in Belize.
Hopefully (?), the FFB will soon hold a press conference to discuss immediate plans to begin the campaign to get our football up to the next level to compete in four years time in the next World Cup qualifier rounds. Perhaps they will also field some questions from the public regarding the finances from the Houston game, the possible setback of the team with the sudden firing of coach Palmiro Salas, payment to national team players, the venue for the up-coming Hankook Verdes “home” game in the Concacaf Champions League, a report from the National Team Committee on the World Cup qualifiers, a long overdue FFB General Assembly meeting, etc., etc.
Or maybe, the FFB will quietly retire to its Academy in Belmopan to lick its wounds and make its own private plans for the Houston millions. That is more in keeping with the FFB’s traditional disdainful treatment of the Belizean fans, who, nevertheless, still faithfully ride with our Belize team, wherever and however the FFB takes them. We should always ride with our boys; but they deserve better, and the Belizean fans deserve better than what this FFB administration has been doing for Belizean football.