International Football
Historic: All African World Cup-bound teams to be handled by local coaches
The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar will be historic for the African continent as all five nations which have booked a ticket for the quadrennial extravaganza will be handled by local coaches.
Morocco have appointed Walid Regragui at the Atlas Lions head coach and now, he will join a stellar cast of four other African coaches to lead their countries. This is a massive step for the growth of African coaches, who have now borne the courage to take over at the highest level.
Walid Regragui, Morocco
The 47-year old, a former Moroccan international who amassed 45 caps for the national team was recently appointed by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) as coach of the Atlas Lions, taking over from Vahid Halilhodžić who had helped the team secure qualification.
He takes over the national team after a successful season in the Moroccan top flight where he led Wydad Athletic Club to the CAF Champions League title and the local championship as well.
For the World Cup, Morocco have been drawn in Group F and will face off with Croatia, Belgium and Canada.
Aliou Cissé, Senegal
Senegal, the reigning African champions, have had a local coach since 2015 when Aliou Cissé was handed the mantle. The decision paid off eight years later when the former national team captain led them to their first ever Africa Cup of Nations title and was also named the coach of the year at the CAF Awards in July.
He will lead the Lions of Teranga to a World Cup for the second consecutive time, having led them to qualification for the 2018 showpiece in Russia.
The Senegalese earned qualification after turning round a first leg loss to Egypt’s Pharaohs, then coached by Portuguese tactician Carlos Queiroz. They won 3-1 on post-match penalties following a 1-1 aggregate draw.
Rigobert Song, Cameroon
Appointed on February 28, 2022, Rigobert Song goes down in history as the second Cameroonian coach to have helped the Indomitable Lions qualify for the global showpiece.
The first Cameroonian to sail the team to the World Cup was the late Léonard Nseke, leading the team to qualify for the 1994 World Cup in the United States.
Song’s Cameroon qualified for Qatar after overturning a 1-0 first leg defeat at the hands of Algeria to win 2-1 in the corresponding fixture in Algiers and qualify on the away goals rule. Karl Toko Ekambi scored the vital goal in added time to take the Lions to Qatar.
The qualification for the World Cup proved to be the result he needed to silence the doubters who had already queried the decision to hire him.
Jalel Kadri, Tunisia
Local boy Jalel Kadri helped Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles to the World Cup for the sixth time in their history.
Kadri was appointed head coach of the Tunisian national team just after they were eliminated from the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon by Burkina Faso. He embarked on a quick rebuild mission and helped Tunisia rise from that disappointment and qualify for the World Cup.
The Tunisians waded off the young side of Mali to qualify with a slim 1-0 aggregate score.
He becomes the third local tactician to help Tunisia qualify for the World Cup after Abdelmajid Chetali (1978) and Nabil Maâloul (1998).
Otto Addo, Ghana
Ghana’s Otto Addo showed brave coaching mettle to aid the Black Stars to the World Cup after victory over the highly fancied Nigeria.
The former International was named head coach of the Ghanaian team shortly after they were eliminated from the Africa Cup of Nations in the group stages, taking over from Milovan Rajevac.
A 1-1 draw in Abuja after a 0-0 draw at home in Kumasi earned Ghana a ticket to the World Cup against all odds.
The tactician, who is also an assistant coach at German Bundesliga club Dortmund managed to put up a perfect tactical plan to outshine a hugely talented Nigerian squad and now has everything to prove when he leads the Ghanaian side out in Qatar.
Who is Walid Regragui the new head coach of the Atlas Lions?
Born in Corbeil-Essonne, in the Southern suburbs of France, Walid Regragui, 46, started his career playing for several French clubs including Toulouse, Ajaccio, Dijon and Grenoble, He earned his caps for the Moroccan national team as well.
After retiring from football, Regragui began his coaching career as an assistant coach with the Moroccan national team in 2012-2013 under Rachid Taoussi. He went on to become the head coach of FUS Rabat until 2020 when he moved to Qatar to coach top tier side Al Duhail.
In August 2021, he returned to Morocco and took over as the head coach of Wydad Club Athletic, helping them to the league title as well as the CAF Champions League in his maiden campaign.
The presence of the five African coaches at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar represents a giant step towards the development of African football.
This is enough proof that local expertise can also work well when and if given a chance. This will be an opportunity for the whole world to discover the ability of African tacticians and also a nod of approval to the training program for African coaches at the Pro License of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The program launched for the first time in 2018 aims to obtain the highest certification of the CAF coach education system, the qualification of top level coaches in the world.
The said license is strictly reserved for coaches actively exercising at a professional level, having demonstrated a certain level of performance and success, and having previously acquired a CAF A license or an equivalent qualification recognized by CAF.
More and more African coaches have shown enthusiasm at work both in CAF competitions with first division clubs or in the league, as well as in national teams.
-Cafonline
Former Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has been named new coach of the United States men’s team, U.S. Soccer announced on Tuesday.
Pochettino, who parted ways with Premier League side Chelsea in May after one season in charge, will take the reins of the national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Mexico, Canada and the United States.
The Argentine, a former Paris St Germain and Tottenham Hotspur manager, said his decision to join U.S. soccer was not just about football, but about the journey the country was on and he could not pass up the opportunity.
“The energy, the passion, and the hunger to achieve something truly historic here – those are the things that inspired me,” he said in a statement.
“I see a group of players full of talent and potential, and together, we’re going to build something special that the whole nation can be proud of.”
U.S. Soccer Sporting Director Matt Crocker said Pochettino was a “serial winner with a deep passion for developing players”.
“His track record speaks for itself, and I am confident that he is the right choice to harness the immense potential within our talented squad. We are thrilled to have Mauricio on board as we embark on this exciting journey to achieve success on the global stage.”
The U.S. have been without a permanent coach since a humiliating early exit from the Copa America on home soil in July led to the sacking of Gregg Berhalter after his second stint as head coach.
The 51-year-old boss was first appointed in 2018 and led the Americans to the knockout stages of the 2022 World Cup, but just weeks later found himself embroiled in a bitter public row with one of the team’s brightest emerging talents, Gio Reyna.
U.S. Soccer’s search for a new coach when Berhalter’s contract expired at the end of 2022 included names such as Canada coach Jesse Marsch, but they ultimately rehired Berhalter in June last year with the full support of the players.
However, it proved unsuccessful as the U.S. failed to progress beyond the group stages of the Copa America after a shock 2-1 defeat to Panama and a crushing 1-0 loss to Uruguay.
Pochettino will take over after Mikey Varas, who has been appointed interim coach, oversaw friendlies against Canada last Saturday and New Zealand on Tuesday.
The U.S. drew 1-1 with New Zealand in Cincinnati after Christian Pulisic’s goal was cancelled out by Ben Waine’s late equaliser.
The U.S. will next play friendlies against Panama on Oct. 12 and Mexico three days later.
-Reuters
At last, Nigeria’s striker Victor Osimhen is out of the limbo. He has accepted to join Galatasaray on loan.
He is now asking for a release clause at Napoli to become €75m instead of €130m
He also wants a break clause for January in case top clubs approach him over move.
The final points are being discussed. He has been videoed celebrating with the Turkey club’s fans.
Uruguay striker Luis Suarez announced his international retirement on Monday, ending a 17-year career with his national team as their top scorer with 69 goals.
The 37-year-old, who has 142 caps for his country, made his international debut in 2007 and was key in the squad that reached the semi-finals of the 2010 World Cup and won the Copa America a year later.
“Friday will be my last match with my country’s national team,” an emotional Suarez told a press conference.
“The fact that is my decision to retire and that I’m not retired because of injuries or that they stop calling me for one thing or another, that gives me a lot of comfort, it helps me individually.
“It’s difficult but it gives me peace of mind that until the last game I have given my all, and that flame has not been extinguished little by little,” the striker added.
Uruguay take on Paraguay at the Centenario stadium in Montevideo on Friday in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup before facing Venezuela four days later.
Suarez scored the stoppage-time goal against Canada that secured third place at the Copa America in July and the striker added that one of his aims was to show he could continue to contribute to the national team.
“My dream was for my children to see me win something important with the national team … that last goal was very nice for them and even though it wasn’t a trophy to take home, it was very nice for them,” he said.
“I wanted to show people again that I can continue to contribute to the national team and, well, I had the Copa America and yes, I could have done it (retired) perfectly after that, but having analysed the situation, I want to do it with my people, in my stadium.
“I want my children to live this experience. Saying goodbye with the people here is something that I don’t know if many have done.”
Suarez has already said Inter Miami will be his last club after joining the Major League Soccer side last year to reunite with former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.
-Reuters
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