East End Lions Football Club has appointed, Ibrahim Sillah, as Head Coach, assisted by Gebrial Woobay and Kai Gborie. The three were officially unveiled as the coaches of the killers, on Thursday 17th September, 2020 at the facilities of Africa Young Voices Media Empire on Wesley Street in Freetown.
Officials of the club also used the opportunity to present the club’s 2019 Annual Report which captures financial statements to the Secretary General of the Sierra Leone Football Association as mandated.
The appointment of the coaches was made necessary when John Keister who was at the helm, departed following his appointment as head coach of the senior male national football team, Leone Stars.
Sillah, the newly appointed head coach, is not a stranger to East End lions as he was part of Keister’s back room staff when the killers, with an unbeaten run, won the 2019 Sierra Leone Premier League.
During the ceremony the Club Chairman, Anthony Navo Jr., remarked that the presentation of the report was commendable because East End Lions football club presented their 2019 Annual Reports which captures the club’s financial statements.
He furthered that the Club’s National Executive has invested Le 2.5 Billion in development programs, of which 27 % is proceeds from gate takings, 8% from sponsorship and 62 % came from the personal contributions of the club’s Executive members. Chairman Navoe revealed that East End Lions Football Club has received Le 100 Million as part of the COVID-19 relief package from FIFA through the Sierra Leone Football Association.
“We do not only want to win trophies and seat back, but rather we are working towards the development of the club,” Navoe emphasized. He expressed gratitude to John Keister, whom he acknowledged as someone who had worked tirelessly for the good of the Club and the laurel it won in the 2019 Premier League season.
In response, John Keister, the club’s former Head coach expressed appreciation for the club’s recognition of his strides and successes, and also for having been accorded the platform to display his expertise as a football coach, for which he remains humble. He said he is grateful to East End Lions Football club for vesting confidence in him, when it gave him the responsibility of managing the club.
“I have left the club with well experienced players and a technical team which will take the team to a higher level, and I wish them all the best in subsequent competitions,” Keister concluded.
The National Secretary General of the club, Alpha Jalloh, presented the club’s 2019 Annuial Report. He described the current Executive as very proactive.
“It is our obligation to submit Reports on an annual basis, which they have done and to the General Secretary of the Sierra Leone Football Association Chris Kamara,” he said.
Mr. Jalloh Esq, presented the Reports to the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA), the East End Lions Elders Committee, and the East End Lions Fan Club.
While responding SLFA General Secretary, acknowledge that East End Lion was the first club to have presented its reports. He thanked the Executive of East End Lions and called on other clubs to follow its good example in meeting CAF club license requirements.
The Global Coordinator of the East End Lions Football Club, Dr. Fatu Taqi, presented Certificates of Appreciation to the former Head Coach of the club, John Keister, and others for their good work in the club.
By Desmond Tunde Coker
21/09/2020. ISSUE NO:7923