OBETZ, OhioāIn the hope of spurring change within the Sierra Leone national team that he loves, Kei Kamara is taking a drastic step.
The Columbus Crew SC striker announced October 3 via social media that he is stepping away indefinitely from international consideration. At Crew SC training Thursday, Kamara clarified why he decided to distance himself from the Leone stars.
āItās something that Iāve seriously been thinking about for the last couple of years,ā he said. āI was just giving them a shot to see what the vision of soccer in the country would be, and giving it a shot over and over. Iām not seeing any change; Iām not seeing anything.ā
For Kamara, leaders at the Sierra Leone Football Association simply are not willing to match the commitments offered by the players.
āI just see players making a lot of sacrifices,ā he said. āBut the people that control us, that organize all the games and everything, arenāt making sacrifices (like) players for the country. I canāt keep making those sacrifices, now that I have a family and all that. I have to look out for myself a little bit more.ā
Considering the differences between working with the national team and his club in Columbus, Kamara laughed.
āItās almost everything,ā he said.
From travel to preparation, the striker says thereās no structure: āThereās never been any trip that was any easier on us. Itās never less than 24 hours when it could be a 6-hour trip. Everything is just chaotic, everything in general. As players, we just have to really sacrifice and mentally be strong enough to overcome these obstacles. But it has not been anywhere close to good enough.ā
Though his conviction is strong, stepping away is a difficult decision for Kamara. While his compatriots are in camp without him, he says heās staying strong.
āItās tough,ā he said. āEven yesterday, seeing messages and pictures from the guys in camp, I miss them a lot. But itās not just me hanging out with the guys. Itās, āWhatās the goal for everything?ā It wasnāt an easy decision.ā
Kamara says he is not sure if anyone else will follow his lead. Perhaps, he says, the difference in point of view comes from spending time in the United States, where he experienced the structure of Cal State-Dominguez Hills and MLS clubs.
āNo disrespect to any of [the players who continue to play for Sierra Leone],ā he said. āI grew up in a system [in the US], and I believe in a system. I believe having a system will give you success. Iāve been trying to implement some of the system over there for so many years, and Iām not seeing any little bit of progress. If no progress is going [to happen], thereās no chance [Iāll] keep wasting my time on it.ā
The striker is open to a return to the team if things change. But first, the team will have to develop and build toward having āa shot, a better shot,ā at qualifying for a meaningful tournament. Sierra Leone have not qualified for a major tournament since the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations and are currently third out of three teams in their qualifying group for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.
āObviously, my options are open to be back there,ā he said. āIāve had a lot of phone calls since I made that decision from ex-players, legends and family members and teammates saying, āPlease come back, we need you,ā and stuff like that. But itās not about that. Itās not about the phone calls. I didnāt do it so people could call me and beg me to come back. I did it because I want to see the best for the national team.ā