Coach of Sierra Leone national team, John Keister claims he received death threats before releasing his final 28-man squad for the Africa Cup of Nations, set to kick-off on Sunday in Cameroon.
Keister was said to have received death threat twice regarding the inclusion of certain players – a day before announcing his 28-man squad and reported them to police in the west African country.
Speaking to BBC Sports Africa, he said:
“I think it’s very, very sad that it has to come to this,” the Manchester-born Keister said.
“Whatever walk of life you are in, nobody deserves that.
“I don’t think it should get to that point where my life is being threatened because people feel players should be in [the squad] – and if they are not, this is what they are going to do,” the former Sierra Leone international added.
“We have come a long way [so] there’s no reason for [the death threats.
“I’ve got family, I look after these boys and I have a job to do. It gets me angry and for me, where I have come from and my background, I feel there is something I need to do about it.
“Regardless of the job, I need to do something about it,” continued Keister.
John Keister’s final 28-man squad for Cameroon included one-time England defender Steven Caulker and former Middlesbrough striker Kei Kamara, 37. They will face holders Algeria, Ivory Coast and Equatorial Guinea in Group E at the Nations Cup.
