Sierra Leone name caretaker coach
Former Sierra Leone international Christian Cole has been named caretaker coach of the Leone Stars’ African Nations Championship (CHAN) team by the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA). (Photo: Christian Cole – back at the helm of the Leone Stars)
Cole will guide the team of home-based players while remaining at the helm of the local Premier League side Mighty Blackpool.
According to the SLFA General Secretary Alimu Bah, Cole will be in charge until a new full-time coach is appointed.
The 63-year-old replaces his former club and international team-mate Daniel ‘Diamond Toes’ Koroma who died last month after long illness.
“I’ve accepted my appointment and I’m delighted to serve my country,” Cole told BBC Sport.
“I’m going to do my best to make sure that I produce good results.”
His immediate task is to prepare a team to face the Guinea CHAN side in two separate friendly matches in Freetown on 5 and 7 March respectively.
He’ll use these matches to prepare for next month’s first round CHAN qualifier against Senegal.
Cole has named a provisional squad of 40 players.
The squad includes former Leone Stars captain Mohamed Kallon who now plays for his own club Kallon FC in the Sierra Leone Premier League.
Cole has previously been in charge of the Leone Stars during the 1992 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
He briefly served in the same capacity for two matches in the qualifiers of the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.
He has also coached the national U-17 side.
By Mohamed Fajah Barrie, BBC Sport, Freetown
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