Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) President Babadi Kamara has rejected claims that Mohamed Kallon’s removal as Leone Stars head coach was linked to their respective positions during the association’s presidential election.

Speaking on AYV’s State of the Nation maiden edition, Kamara said he has no personal dispute with Kallon and maintained that the decision to terminate his appointment was based on issues relating to his work with the national team.

Kamara dismissed suggestions that Kallon was removed because he did not support his candidacy during the SLFA presidential election.

He acknowledged that Kallon, like many others in Sierra Leonean football, did not support his election, but said such opposition was understandable because people were accustomed to working with the previous leadership.

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Kamara said that during the election, almost everyone within the federation was against his candidacy, explaining that those who had worked with the previous administration were naturally more comfortable with the leadership they already knew.

He instead pointed to what he described as several issues involving Kallon’s conduct and compliance with the federation’s technical requirements.

Kamara explained that the SLFA has a technical committee responsible for technical matters concerning the national team and stressed that he is not a member of the committee.

According to Kamara, the committee requested Kallon’s coaching credentials to establish whether he met the requirements to lead the national team. He said Kallon initially declined to provide the documents and instead discussed the matter publicly on social media.

Kamara further explained that the qualification issue had been raised before he became SLFA president, saying the Confederation of African Football (CAF) had already directed that national team coaches should hold an A Licence or UEFA Pro Licence.

He said the requirements were particularly important because FIFA requires national associations to submit details of teams travelling for international competitions, including members of the technical team and their qualifications.

Kamara said the issue became more pressing ahead of Sierra Leone’s trip to Azerbaijan, when the federation was required to provide the relevant team information.

According to the SLFA president, Kallon told officials that his coaching licences and related documents were in the United States and were not readily available to him.

Kamara said that, after receiving the response, he instructed the technical committee to give Kallon 10 days to obtain and submit the required documents.

He said Kallon was granted the additional time but, according to the committee, failed to submit the requested qualifications within the 10-day period.

Kamara’s explanation comes amid continuing public debate over the circumstances surrounding Kallon’s dismissal. The SLFA terminated Kallon’s appointment on April 2, 2026, following a decision by its Executive Committee.

The licensing issue, however, has been publicly disputed. National Sports Authority Executive Director Dr. Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai previously said he had personally verified that Kallon holds a UEFA Pro Licence.

Former SLFA Secretary-General Chris Kamara has also defended Kallon’s qualifications, saying the former coach holds a UEFA Pro Licence and was therefore qualified to lead the national team.

The conflicting claims have placed Kallon’s departure within a broader dispute over his coaching qualifications, technical compliance and the handling of administrative matters, while the SLFA president continues to deny that personal or electoral differences influenced the decision.