By Desmond Tunde Coker
Former Sierra Leone International and renowned footballer, Mohamed Kallon, has been recommended by the appointment committee of the Sierra Leone Football Association to take on the role of head coach for the Sierra Leone senior male football national team, Leone Stars. This recommendation follows the resignation of Amidu Karim and his technical team due to poor performance in the recent AFCON qualifiers.
Kallon’s appointment is pending approval from the Ministry of Sports and the National Sports Authority.
Born on October 6, 1979, Mohamed Kallon is a Sierra Leonean football manager and former player, celebrated for his career as a striker. He played for Inter Milan from 2001 to 2004, where he competed with notable players like Christian Vieri, Ronaldo, Álvaro Recoba, Adriano, Hakan Şükür, and Nicola Ventola. Widely regarded as the most famous footballer from Sierra Leone, Kallon also had stints at Serie B club Genoa and Serie A clubs Bologna, Cagliari, Reggina, and Vicenza before joining Inter Milan. After leaving Inter in 2004, he played for AS Monaco for three years, followed by brief periods in Greece, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and China.
Kallon made 39 appearances for the Sierra Leone national team during his career. He is the younger brother of former Sierra Leonean international footballers Kemokai Kallon and Musa Kallon. At 46, he holds a PRO license and is currently the head coach of his team, Kallon FC, in Freetown.
The football community eagerly awaits the official announcement, hoping that Kallon’s extensive experience and leadership will bring success to the Leone Stars.