The Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) is set to sign a fresh contract with Abdullah Almutairi as the National Team’s head coach following last week’s decision by the latter to move out from his job, The Sunday Morning Sports learns.

The Kuwaiti national, who took over from Scotsman Andy Morrison, confirmed through a Facebook post on 23 January that he had decided to conclude his two-year tenure as Sri Lanka football Head Coach, during which the island nation had improved its FIFA World Ranking from 204 to 193.

However, sources within the FFSL stated that they had decided to extend Almutairi’s contract by a further 24 months following detailed negotiations with him.

It is learnt that both parties had reassessed the progress made by the National Team under Almutairi and the importance of continuity by the latter ahead of crucial international fixtures. 

FFSL President Jaswar Umar also expressed his optimism of retaining Almutairi’s services for the foreseeable future in the aftermath of the latter taking to social media to confirm his exit from the National Team, stating that both he and the FFSL had reached a mutual agreement to part ways.

Under Almutairi’s watch, Sri Lanka emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the South Asian football arena, and one of the standout moments of the 44-year-old’s time in charge was their qualification to the second round of the ongoing 2027 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup Qualifiers.

It was also under his guidance that Sujan Perera’s team beat Turkmenistan 1-0 for the first time in history in Colombo in early October 2025.

Sri Lanka have a packed international football calendar this year with their immediate assignment being their final Group D clash against Chinese Taipei to be played away on 31 March, as part of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualification Tournament.

Afterwards, they will prepare for the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship in Bangladesh and the South Asian Super Cup at home during the final quarter of 2026. 

(JK)