LFA President Mustapha Raji and Coach Butler (right) at the announcement ceremony in Monrovia

The Liberia Football Association (LFA) has officially confirmed the appointment of Peter James Butler as the new head coach of the Liberia national team after agreeing a one-year deal, reports Joseph M. Vincent.

The Englishman replaces Thomas Kojo, who was sacked after he failed to qualify the Lone Star for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2019 African Nations Championship (CHAN). 

The signing of the new coach comes less than two weeks to the Lone Star’s World Cup qualifiers against Sierra Leone next month.

According to the contract, Coach Butler was given a mandate to qualify Lone Star the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. 

Confirming the appointment on Wednesday in Monrovia, the Liberian capital, LFA President Mustapha Raji declared: “We are delighted to welcome Peter Butler to our national team. He has a mandate to qualify us for the Africa’s Cup of nations and the World Cup 2021 & 2022 respectively.

“We hope and believe that Mr. Butler will bring the needed change to Liberian football to help other coaches to develop football in Liberia,” the LFA President said.

For his part, the 52-year-old coach said he was very pleased to become the new coach of Liberia.

He added that “It was not a money move, I can assure and it is not about financial gain. It is about a great challenge that I will contribute into the rise of Liberian football and not just on the senior national team front but also on the respective levels.”

The details of Butler contract was not reveal by the Liberia Football Association.

Brief Profile of Peter Butler

Peter James Butler (born 27 August 1966 in Halifax) is an English professional football player and coach. As a player, he made more than 450 appearances in the Football League and the Premier League.

He then took up coaching, first in England and then in Australia and South-East Asia.

He was in charge of the Botswana national team from 2014 until 2017. He is the manager of Indonesian Liga 1 club PSMS.