Published: July 18, 2025
MONROVIA — The Liberia Football Association (LFA) has denied reports out of Sierra Leone alleging that Liberia offered national team head coach candidate Mohamed Kallon a $40,000 monthly salary to take over the Lone Star.
The claims, circulated by Sierra Leonean journalist Hawa Dauda and several sports bloggers, suggested that Liberia was prepared to double Kallon’s current salary with the Sierra Leone national team, reportedly $10,000 per month. The reports further alleged that Kallon sought a raise to $20,000, but Liberia had stepped in with an even larger offer.
LFA President Mustapha Raji dismissed the rumors in an interview with The Liberia Investigator, stating unequivocally that no such offer had been extended to Kallon.
“No formal proposal was made,” Raji said.
Kallon, a Sierra Leonean football icon, did apply for the Lone Star coaching job in 2023 but has not engaged in formal talks with Liberia since then.
Liberia’s coaching position has been held on an interim basis by Thomas Kojo since the resignation of British-Romanian coach Mario Marinica. Marinica stepped down amid frustrations over unpaid salaries and logistical challenges.
The Liberia Investigator has also learned that the Liberian government still owes outstanding payments to several local hotels that hosted the national team during international assignments dating back to 2024.
Marinica, along with his five-member technical staff, reportedly went three months without pay and had threatened to boycott upcoming matches before government officials intervened.
Kallon, 45, was appointed head coach of Sierra Leone in February 2025 to guide the Leone Stars through the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in Sierra Leonean history, Kallon played in Europe for clubs including Inter Milan, Monaco and Genoa. He scored more than 115 goals in his professional career and earned 39 caps for his national team.
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