John Keister has informed the management of East End Lions Football Club through a letter that he is resigning as Head Coach of the club. He said that serving as coach of the club during a very competitive local Premier League season was quite a tall order.
“We became the target of others within the realm, as is the case in many competitions. We received verbal attacks and other vitriolic spins from opponents, but we were all good together,” he said.
Coach Keister further said that during his stay at the club the team never allowed bad results to define their future matches; nor did they dampen their quest for success.
“We played well in our different wings, we endured the criticisms and condemnations, bemoaned our failures, celebrated our triumphs and felt proud together,” he added.
He thanked the Almighty God, for guiding him during his service as coach of East End Lions football club, and added that the club would never have been as exciting and memorable as it has become without the fans. He added: “whose endless trust and ceaseless praises and words of encouragement, spurred me into actions of excellence.”
He said he was engulfed with mixed feelings after he was appointed as Head Coach of Leone Stars, and added that the memories of his stay at the club was fresh with sounds of the applauses of its fans, and said “but ebbs and flows are parts of life.” “Whilst I shall surely miss you all, I am comforted with thoughts of encountering you all, within the realm of football in Sierra Leone,”
John E. Keister in the revamp of the countries football in 2019/2020 season won the league with East End Lions when Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai chaired the Premier League Board when they went unbeaten throughout the league that season. Before the 2020/2021 season East End Lions was 5th position in the Sierra Leone Premier League which has been indefinitely put on hold because of the current coronavirus in the country and are one of the three team that have opted to represent Sierra Leone in the next CAF Champions League/Confederations cup.
By Desmond Tunde Coker
01/09/2020. ISSUE NO: 7899