Sierra Leone government rejects Sellas Tetteh’s appointment

The decision follows his appointment as coach of the Leone Stars after successfully going through an interview session conducted by the Sierra Leone Football Association on Tuesday.

A statement released by the Sierra Leonian Football Association reads.

"After a thorough interview process by the Sierra Leone Football Association Head Coach Recruitment Committee and based on scores earned by the various candidates, the Executive Committee of the Football Association wishes to announce to the general public and the football family the appointment of Mr. Sellas Tetteh Teivi as the Head Coach of the National Senior Team (Leone Stars).

"The newly appointed coach is expected to assume office and take up his duties within the next 48 hours.

"Please know that it is the responsibility of Mr. Tetteh, as Head Coach, to appoint his backroom coaching staff.

However, in less than 24 hours following his appointment, the Ministry for Sports of Sierra Leone has turned down the decision by the FA to name Sellas Tetteh as coach of the Leone Stars.

Below is the full statement from the Sierra Leone Sports Ministry:

“The attention of the Ministry of Sports has been drawn to the recent appointment of coach Sellas Tetteh as the head coach of the National Team Football A by the Sierra Leone Football Association.

"The Ministry of Sports was represented by the Director of Sports and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry on the interview panel of the shortlisted coaches. The Ministry is in receipt of reports from both the Director of Sports and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry expressing their dissatisfaction on the process on the process which did not come to a logical conclusion.

"The report of the Ministry’s representatives also observed that representatives from the Sierra Leone Football Association on the interview panel came with a premeditated mind of appointing the said coach.

"Therefore, the Ministry does not recognise Sellas Tetteh as the Head Coach of the Sierra Leone National A Team because the process was incomplete.

"The Ministry of Sports wants to assure all Sierra Leonans that the Government is committed to supporting sports in the country and the process of appointing the National Team A coach will soon come to a conclusion".

Before his appointment as Sierra Leone coach, he was a member of the scouting team of Ghana in the just-ended Africa Cup of Nations staged in Egypt.

The 60-year-old has vast experience- he served as the assistant coach of the Black Stars from 2004 to 2008.

Sellas Tetteh also boasts of coaching the Rwanda senior national football team after his U-20 coaching success with the Black Satellites.

He also emerged as the first coach to win the FIFA U-20 World Cup with an African country in 2009 when the Black Satellites beat them all to make history.

The coach is well known for his tactical intelligence and ability to discipline in his players.