Monrovia- Liberia national football team has been without a coach since December 29th 2023 following the termination of the contract of Ansu Keita as head coach.
By: Christopher C. Walker 0777898224/0886723075 [email protected]
The decision was taken following poor form of result under Keita who failed to qualified the team to the 2024 African Cup of Nations and two home defeats to Equatorial Guinea and Malawi in World Cup qualifiers.
The LFA reached this agreement over the immediate termination of Keita’s services as the head coach of the men’s senior national team during an executive committee meeting on December 18.
In a communication dated today, December 29 (the same date Keita agreed to a two-year contract with the Football House), LFA Secretary-General Kollie A. Dorko stated that a majority decision was reached to immediately end the contract for sporting just cause without compensation.
The LFA expressed gratitude to Keita for his contributions to football development and wished him the best in his future endeavors. However, they also announced the commencement of the search for a new coach.
Meanwhile weeks after the sacking of Keita the LFA open vacancy for the job.
The Football house on Wednesday January 3, 2024 announced the vacancy for the position of a new head coach of Liberia.
A communication on the FA Facebook page said “The Liberia Football Association announces a vacancy for head coach of the men’s senior national team,”
According to the Liberia Football Association the deadline for all those interested in the hot seat is January 15 2024.
As per the requirements to secure the job LFA said the duration of selected coach will be a two-year contract subject to extension.
Sources within the football house say over 600 coaches have applied for the Lone Star hot seat including some top coaches who have made name in Africa and other parts of the world.
As the deadline for the submission of application has expired, let’s explore some of the top names hoping to get the job.
Herve Renard
The French coach has worked in west Africa and other countries and has opted to take on the hot seat of Liberia.
He was part of Claude Le Roy’s technical team during Ghana’s attempt to host and win the AFCON in 2008, but left with his French boss and went on to become a successful coach in his own right.
Renard led Zambia and Ivory Coast to AFCON victories in 2012 and 2015, respectively,
He is currently the head coach of the France’s women’s team, after a successful spell with Saudi Arabia, where he secured a comeback win over 2022 World Cup champions Argentina in Qatar. He has been named CAF Coach of the Year three times (in 2012, 2015, and 2018) and is widely regarded as one of the top coaches in African football. With his contract with France expected to expired in August 2024, it remains to be seen whether he will get the chance to serve as Liberia head coach.
Antoine Hey
Antoine Hey (born 19 September 1970) is a German football coach and former professional player.
He spent most of his playing career in the top two divisions of German football and went on to manage a number of national teams.
Hey began his management career in Germany with VfR Neumünster before moving to Africa to manage Lesotho. Hey was also manager of the Gambia from September 2006[until March 2007. His spell with Gambia was marred by concerns over money He was appointed manager of Liberia in February 2008 In February 2009, he was appointed coach of the Kenyan national team,After disputes with the governing body over team selection,Hey walked out on Kenya’s national team shortly before the final World Cup qualifier against Nigeria.
Later on, he worked as a Technical Director for the Libyan Football Federation from 2010 until 2014, and in the same role for the Bahrain Football Association from 2015 until 2016. In November 2016, Hey returned to management with Sudanese club Al-Merrikh, but he was sacked in January 2017 due to poor results, directly after the draw with ASAS Djibouti Télécom in the 2017 UAFA Club Championship.
In February 2017 he was one of a number of managers on the shortlist for the vacant Rwanda national team manager role. He was appointed manager of the Rwanda national team in March 2017.He asked to quit in January 2018.
In May 2018, he was appointed in a dual role as manager of Myanmar and its under-23 team on a one-and-half-year deal.[ In the 2018 AFF Championship, Myanmar drew with Vietnam under controversial circumstances. Hey was criticized for his aggressive behaviour in this match towards the Vietnamese players and their manager Park Hang-seo. He was sacked in December 2018. He returned to Myanmar in October 2019.
Roberto Landi
Roberto Landi (born 2 January 1956) is an Italian football manager and former player.
Coaching career
Landi served as goalkeeping coach for the United States National Team during their 1990 and 1994 world cup campaigns.] From 1992 to 1995 he served as head coach of Italian amateur team Marignano. In 1998, he became head coach of the Georgia U21 national team and later filled the same position for the Lithuania U21 in 2001. He obtained a UEFA Pro License in 2003, and was part of Messina managing staff in their 2002–03 campaign.
In January 2005 he became head coach o National Bucharest where he achieved a record 17 wins in a row. He left the post in September 2005, citing personal reasons, later being appointed as Qatar U21 head coach. He then briefly moved in Hungary, serving as FC Sopron head for three matches in the 2006–07 season before being sacked for losing their local derby to Gyor.
In October 2007 he was linked with the managing position at Port Vale FC through his agent Bryan Yeubrey.
In June 2008 Landi was linked with Scottish first division side Livingston. He was appointed manager of the club on 11 June, August 2008 best coach of the month.
In June 2009, he was unveiled as new head coach of Royal Union Saint Gilloise. He was however dismissed later in December due to money problems with the club.
He was hired in January 2011 to be the Liberia National team coach, but was sacked in February 2012. He was linked to the position again in May 2014.]
Thomas Kojo
Thomas Kojo (born May 22, 1972) is a former Liberian footballer who played as a defender. He also currentlycoached FC AK a South African football club from the West Rand . Johannesburg which was established in 2006.
Kojo attended Lindsey Wilson College where he was a 1996 first team All NAIA soccer player.
Kojo was an assistant coach with FC AK. On July 9, 2008, Kojo was appointed interim coach of FC AK after the surprise resignation of Ali Akan.
In November 2013, Kojo became the interim technical advisor for the national team for the second time, and was placed in charge of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
He also worked as the technical director of Barrack Young Controllers Football Club
Kojo served as interim coach of the national in 2012, 2013 and was head coach of the team in 2018 and as interim coach 20223 and assistant coach also the same year.