Fulham first team coach Luís Boa Morte accepts Guinea-Bissau coaching position
Morte will leave for a full-time job in Bissau after the end of Fulham's season.
BISSAU — Fulham first-team coach (different than a manager) Luis Boa Morte will leave his side for a job as Guinea-Bissau national team head coach at the end of the season.
Boa Morte, who joined the club in the summer of 2021 when longtime friend Marco Silva took the position of head manager, has never taken an international football role or a head coaching position before, aside from a stint in the fourth division of Portuguese football with SU Sintrense.
"Everyone at Fulham would like to thank Boa for his efforts since his return to the club, and wishes him the best of luck in this next chapter when he departs following our season finale away to Luton Town," Fulham wrote in an official club statement.
He will succeed former coach Baciro Candé after a disappointing 2023 AFCON that saw them lose all three of their group-stage games.
Boa Morte has a rich playing history, boasting stints at Arsenal, Southampton, West Ham, Fulham, and more. Although he was born to parents from São Tomé and Príncipe, he chose Portugal over his parents’ country, as he was born in Lisbon.
Boa is also recognized as a club legend for Fulham, appearing in 205 games for the Cottagers and winning the Intertoto Cup with them.
Guinea Bissau, affectionately nicknamed the Djurtus, has never qualified for a World Cup nor advanced to the AFCON knockout rounds in their 67-year-long history. Star players like Mamá Balde and Franculino will aim to change that.
Boa Morte took charge of the Djurtus for the first time in a 1-0 friendly loss to Sudan. Despite their fifth straight loss, many fans noted positives for Guinea-Bissau under their new manager, such as better control of the ball and pressure on passers.
Guinea-Bissau resumes World Cup qualification in June with ties against Ethiopia and Egypt. They rest in third in a group of six with four points, just two away from first place.