A TOTAL of six foreign football coaches have been shortlisted to be interviewed for the Solomon Islands Men’s National Team Head Coach job, the Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF) Technical Director Moses Toata confirmed.
Toata made the confirmation at a press conference at the SIFF Academy in Honiara on Wednesday.
“All the six shortlisted candidates for interviews are all foreign coaches. Almost hundred applications have been received for the position and after subjecting them to the screening and verification process, only six candidates were left to be interviewed,” he said.
Toata explained that hiring a National Coach is a long process.
“To hire a National Coach is not a quick but very long process. However, after screening all applications, we were left with 10 applications and after some time of further screening, we were left with six candidates and these six are the ones shortlisted for interviews.
“Right now, we are still doing background researches on all the six candidates. The process will not be quick as I have already mentioned because we want to be more transparent to get the best candidate out of the six candidates shortlisted for interviews.”
Toata said the interviews will possibly be conducted next week.
The SIFF Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Leonard Paia also reiterated that the recruitment of National Coach would take time in order to get the best coach out of the six shortlisted candidates.
And Paia added that since there is little time left before the OFC Nations Cup 2024, the SIFF Technical Department had appointed Jacob Moli as the interim Head Coach to lead the National Men’s Team to the tournament in Vanuatu in June.
“The successful candidate from the interview will come in after the OFC Nations Cup 2024 and will lead the National Team at the OFC World Cup Qualifiers later this year and beyond. For the meantime, Moli and Stanley Waita will lead the team at the OFC Nations Cup,” he said.
The OFC Nations Cup 2024 will be staged in the Vanuatu Capital Port Vila from June 15 to 30.
By FLOYD TERRY JNR
Solomon Star, Honiara
