AFCON
MOROCCO’S COACH, HERVÉ RENARD TIPS SUPER EAGLES AMONG AFCON 2019 FAVOURITES
Super Eagles of Nigeria may get their fourth Africa Cup of Nations’ title in Egypt later this year if they live up to the rating ascribed to them by Morocco’s manager, Hervé Renard.
The coach who is preparing his already qualified AFCON 2019 team to face Argentina in a prestigious friendly match mentioned Nigeria as a team to watch at the now expanded championship.
He was answering questions from CAFonline which asked him to confirm whether Senegal and Egypt are the favourites to lift the first 24-team Africa Cup of Nations.
The three-time CAF Coach of the Year Award winner responded: “By showing humility, it’s very difficult to win a CAN and I know what I’m talking about.
“Statistically, football lovers know that Egypt is a great country especially when you can count on Mohamed Sala. And even more so at home with strong popular support.
“It will be very difficult for all their opponents. Which team today has individual qualities like Sadio Mané or Koulibaly for Senegal? Let us not forget also the Ivory Coast of Nicolas Pépé and Serge Aurier, the defending champions of Cameroon or Nigeria. I’d rather not be a braggart for Morocco but make the opponents fall on the field.”
Further answering questions especially on his past exploits with Zambia and Cote d’Ivoire, Hervé Renard remarked that the memories engraved forever in his heart. “I never thought I’d be working on the African continent and it’s thanks to Claude Leroy. There’s also a small luck factor that I benefited from. ”
He is equally elated that he won the CAF Coach of the year for the third time since his first success in 2008. So in 10 years, he had won it thrice.
“It’s exceptional! It is also the recognition of collective work because I work with high quality assistants and federations that have given me the means to work.
“In Morocco, I have a lot of people working for me. You have to know how to delegate, and you also have to constantly question yourself. What motivates a coach is to go out and get titles.”
The Libyan Football Federation (LFF) has sacked its Serbian coach, Milutin Sredojević who is popularly known as Micho.
This is coming ahead of Libya’s back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations clashes with Nigeria next month.
Paradoxically, Sports Village Square gathered that the coach’s contract was only recently renewed for six months before the axe fell on the Serbian.
His sack was precipitated by the results obtained in their teo matches of the AFCON qualifiers.
Libya drew 1-1 with Rwanda at home and lost 2-1 away to Benin Republic despite beig a goal up at half time.
The Libyan side, Mediterranean Knights are due to play against the Nigeria Super Eagles in Uyo on 6 October while the return leg holds on 14 October at the 11 July Stadium in Tripoli.
According to information Sports Village Square gathered from Tripoli, the Mediterranean Knights’ coach, Micho led the Libyan national team to win nine matches since taking over in October of last year, he failed to build a strong team due to his poor choices.
He also took a risk with the footballers chosen in the AFCON qualifiers, and the result was shocking to the Libyan sports audience.
According to sources close to the Libyan Football Federation, there is a strong tendency to sign a national coach to lead the Libyan team during the remaining qualifiers for the African Cup of Nations.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe has lashed out at Ghana and some other African countries whose home grounds were recently banned from hosting CAF matches owing to inadequate facilities. He made the remarks in Nairobi, Kenya during a press conference,
After the MatchDay 2 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, CAF ruled Ghana’s Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi as being inadequate to host international matches. Being the only approved ground in the country, Ghana will now look towards either Cote d’Ivoire or Togo for their remaining home matches of the Afcon qualifiers.
Other African countries without approved home grounds are: Djibouti, Chad, Niger, Eritrea, Gabon, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, São Tomé and Burundi.
Motsepe voiced his frustration over the recurring issue of nations being unable to host home games.
“Nothing frustrates me more than a national team or club side having to play home matches outside,” he stated.
He stressed the significance of playing in front of home fans, adding, “You can’t grow football if the national teams or club sides aren’t playing in front of their home fans.”
Motsepe reiterated CAF’s commitment to working with countries to ensure they have at least one suitable stadium to host international fixtures.
“Our conversations in every country are to make sure there is at least one stadium capable of hosting a CAF category C game,” he emphasized.
The on-going CAF AFCON Cote d’Ivoire 2023 Coaches Symposium in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire has brought together, the last three coaches that handled the Nigeria national football team.
Gernot Rohr, Jose Peseiro and Austin Eguavoen are part of the the elite coaches currently gathered in Abidjan.
Gernot Rohr whose tenure of 5 years and 55 matches is the longest ever by any coach in Nigeria, is currently handling Nigeria’s Africa Cupof Nations and World Cup qualifying rivals, Benin Republic. He was succeeded in the interim by Austin Eguavoen who is currently having another interim stint.
Peseiro left his position after the Africa Cup of Nations
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