By Alie Bitter
The National Sports Authority (NSA), in consultation with the Ministry of Sports, has communicated that they have formally “terminated” the contract of Leone Stars head coach Amidu Karim and his backroom staff.
This pronouncement was communicated through an official letter to the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA). Additionally, the NSA has requested that the SLFA appoint a new coaching staff, according to the country’s football body, SLFA.
It remains unclear – what will happen if the SLFA insists on retaining Karim as head coach.
Meanwhile, this medium has approached a senior executive official of the NSA for comment, but there has been no response at the time of writing.
Karim was appointed by the SLFA in a deal from October 3, 2023, to October 15, 2025, covering both the ongoing qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. But, the paymasters are the NSA, the body set up by government legislation to regulate and develop sport in Sierra Leone.
The National Sports Authority (NSA), which has been handling the salaries of the national team coaches through the government Finance Ministry, has cited Leone Stars’ poor performances as a primary reason for their termination.
It is common in most African countries for the government to issue the pay cheque to the head coach. But with World Cup qualifiers ahead, Sierra Leone has just two months to resolve the matter.
During the AFON 2025 qualifiers, the Leone Stars conceded ten goals while only managing to score five, marking yet another unsuccessful attempt to qualify for this year’s premier continental football event in Morocco.
Amidu Karim and his team were brought on board in October 2023 to guide the Leone Stars through the African Cup of Nations 2025 qualifiers and the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. However, the West African team struggled to secure the vital victories needed for advancement.
Karim, who had previously served as an assistant coach for six years before taking on the head coaching role, had a mixed record in his time in charge. He notably led the team to a memorable victory against the reigning African champions, Ivory Coast, with a late goal from Amadou Bakayoko in the Liberian capital.
However, the team was unable to secure wins against Chad, resulting in consecutive draws that hindered their chances of qualifying for Morocco 2025.
At present, Sierra Leone is in fourth place in Group A of the World Cup 2026 campaign, with five points from one win, one loss, and two draws. Their next crucial matches are set against Guinea-Bissau and Egypt in March 2025.
