Another day, another star signing.
That seems to be the case these days with the Malaysian Super League as Sam Johnson, Liberia’s national team captain, adds to the extended list of marquee players arriving on Malaysian shores to embark on their footballing journey for 2021.
Johnson was officially unveiled by his new club, Sabah FC, this week and has signed with the team on a one-year deal.
Never one to resist chasing his football pursuits in far-flung countries, Sabah marks his eleventh club after spells in his native Liberia, Sweden, China, Norway and the United States.
Securing the services of Johnson is also considered a magnificent coup for Sabah. Since his 2016 move to China for €4.2 million, Johnson remains the most expensive Liberian player after the country’s footballing legend, George Weah.
Johnson became a most sought after commodity following his truncated tenure with Major League Soccer (MLS) side Real Salt Lake, which ended in October last year.
It was evident that despite the circumstances of his departure, he remained in the crosshairs of several rich club owners around the world, including 2018 Super League Greece champions AEK Athens and Sudan Premier League powerhouse Al-Merrikh SC, a clear recognition of his exceptional talents.
In the end, the thought of partaking his football life amidst the beauty and serenity of Northern Borneo became a notion he could not resist.
But despite its picturesque surroundings, Sabah, once a Malaysian football powerhouse that has more recently turned into a sleepy backwater, is currently undergoing rapid improvements via its new leadership and taking correct steps in line with its recent path towards privatisation.
They have retained Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto, one of Indonesia’s finest former players and now on his second spell as head coach, and recently appointed Scott Ollerenshaw, a decorated former Australian international who once donned the colours of Sabah, to be their technical director.
These actions, together with the inclusion of Johnson as part of its foreign legion, also highlights the serious challenge Sabah plans to mount in the upcoming season.
In addition to Johnson, Sabah also snapped up another African international in the form of Levy Madinda, Gabon’s midfield strongman who has featured in two Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournaments, aside from having a wealth of La Liga experience with Celta Vigo between 2013 to 2016.
But for many that are privy to what transpired during Johnson’s time at the MLS, his signing has raised many eyebrows, even concerns.
To those that are familiar with his exploits, there is no question as to what he is able to produce on the field. A clinical marksman, he was once touted as Liberia’s next best prospect, linked with many of European football’s household names, such as Sevilla FC, Bordeaux and CSKA Moscow, only to make a big money move to China’s second tier side Wuhan Zall.
Many had thought that he was being led up the garden path, but he was swift to have them mince their words again, following his return to European football with Norwegian side Vålerenga in 2018. By becoming their top goalscorer, he sparked great interest from Real Salt Lake who went on to sign him as one of their Designated Players in 2019.
Dismally, the MLS, which was meant to elevate his path towards global football recognition, proved a costly misadventure from the beginning.
Throughout his two years there critics opined that he was a hefty investment with minimal returns. On a personal level, he was described as having motivation issues, despite being perfectly capable of scoring when he wanted to.
But more grievously, he was said to have had “stormy” relations in the locker room. The final straw came when he threw massive parties during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite Utah’s strict lockdown regulations. With hundreds of people attending and one guest ending up being shot, Johnson had crossed the point of no return.
Notwithstanding, with the Liberian national team, famously known as the Lone Stars, it is beyond doubt that Johnson is not just one of its best players but an integral one, a fact that even coach Peter Butler acknowledges.
Everyone saw how his explosive burst of pace and strength helped the team beat a tenacious Sierra Leone side during a thrilling World Cup Qualifying showdown in September 2019.
Yet, despite the plaudits he had received at the international level, this is also a player that had once publicly expressed his grievances over his teammates at Real Salt Lake.
Learning how such transgressions had cost him, he needs to guarantee that there will not be a repeat of similar indiscretions while donning Sabah’s jersey, who have graciously opened the door for him to turn over a new leaf and be the fine player that we all know he is.
While Johnson begins to adapt to his new surroundings, he needs to first understand and be patient with his new coach and teammates, as they try to bring the best out of him.
Sabah will provide him time to assimilate with the team and more significantly, enlighten him on what is and isn’t acceptable in its locker room, especially in a very conservative Asian society.
Uniquely, Malaysia has been a special place for many Liberian players such as Francis Doe and Kpah Sherman who have plied their trade here, won accolades and changed their lives forever. For Johnson, this would be an opportunity for him to not just replicate but surpass what others had accomplished before him.
While Butler did not make his views on Johnson’s exit from Real Salt Lake known, it is obvious that he would be monitoring his sojourn in Borneo closely.
Although the Malaysian Super League may not be on par with some of the leagues Johnson has played at previously, he should never treat his time in Sabah as a walk in the park.
As far as Kurniawan is concerned, Johnson will be given the tall order of proving himself as the marquee signing Sabah has been yearning for and to spearhead them out of the football wilderness they have been living in for the past few decades.
If he can accomplish that, he would have proven that his “eviction” from the MLS was a temporary setback that has only strengthened his resolve to attain further successes on the field.
As Liberia’s captain who is exalted by his fellow countrymen, Johnson is a meritorious Lone Star. But for the fans of Sabah that have long hungered for success, he needs to help them reach for the stars.
Photo: Real Salt Lake
