East End Lions newly appointed Coach John Keister says he is looking forward to working with an ambitious club, ahead of the anticipated Sierra Leone Premier League.
The club’s new Chairman Ambassador Anthony Navo confirmed the 47-year-old appointment, on Friday.
The former Sierra Leone international was an assistant coach under Ghanaian technician Sellas Tetteh before been named as the national team head coach in 2017.
Read…Sierra Leone to unveil new head coach John Keister
“I am Looking forward to the challenge, and working with an executive that is very ambitious towards the development of football,” he said. “Not only for Lions but Sierra Leone as a nation… hence why I have decided to work for the club,” Keister told Football Sierra Leone.
“The Leone Stars Coach sealed the club contract for an undisclosed amount in the afternoon hours of October 26 2018,” Ambassador Anthony Navo posted on his Facebook account.
Keister guided Sierra Leone to their opening 2-1 win over Kenya in Freetown June 2017 in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations first qualifier.
However, lost to Ethiopia 1-0 at the Hawassa Stadium in matchday two of the Afcon qualifying campaign.
The former FC Johansen coach was still in charge of Sierra Leone until Fifa suspended the country ahead of the Ghana doubleheader this month.
According to the new Lions executive led by Ambassador Anthony Navo, Keister’s appointment is the first step in his executive’s ‘strategic plan to return the club to its past glory.’
The executive committee has further announced that the team will resume training soonest under the leadership of the new coach.
The former Dover Athletic captain had previously served as head coach of the Leone Stars home-based team as well as the Sierra Leone under-17 and under-23 national teams.
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