Sierra Leone striker cites Sellas Tetteh as reason for quitting international football
Sierra Leone striker Kei Kamara has cited the appointment of veteran Ghanaian coach Sellas Tetteh as one of his reasons for quitting international football.
According to the 35-year-old, who plays for MLS side Colorado Rapids, Tetteh is an old man who cannot improve the Sierra Leone national team.
“Coach Tetteh is a good man and has good intentions. But he’s an old man who I do not believe is able to really improve us and to move us forward.” Kamara told the BBC on the eve of Sierra Leone’s opening 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Lesotho.
“Buya Turay, Mustapha Bundu are playing in top leagues around the world and we’re learning new things every day when we are with our clubs but not with Sellas, with him it feels like we are going backwards.
“I put my ego aside and decided to come for the upcoming matches to work with Sellas because I want to see the growth of Sierra Leone football”.
“We tried over and over to talk to him to work together with us the senior players in the team me and captain Umaru Bangura but he didn’t listen to us, he’s not doing the right things to help the players grow.”
It is the second time that Kamara has called a halt to his international career after doing the same in October 2015, because he said national team players were not respected and treated fairly.
He has also had several other disagreements with the Sierra Leone Football Association that led to disciplinary suspensions from the national team.
Kamara made his debut for Leone Stars in a 2-0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea in Malabo in June 2008 and went on to make 29 appearances scoring five goals.
Tetteh’s appointment
Tetteh was appointed as head coach of Sierra Leone for the second time in August 2019 by the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA).
The 62-year-old, who won the 2009 FIFA Under-20 World Cup with Ghana, filled the vacant position previously occupied by local coach John Keister.
Tetteh beat off competition from other shortlisted coaches including Goran Stevanovic, Peter Butler, Tahseen Jabbary and Keister who won the 2019 Sierra Leone Premier League with East End Lions.