AFCON
Coach Le Roy holds a special piece of Africa Cup of Nations finals history
Claude Le Roy’s first two Africa Cup of Nations finalstournaments saw his team finish on the podium but the achievement that the popular Frenchman is most famous for is a record nine appearances as a coach.
His is a record that might take decades to beat. “Records are meant to be broken! But for me it’s a privilege that I had all these opportunities and even more important for me is the fact I was never sacked, I always decided to leave. And that’s a big privilege,” recalls the 76-year-old, who still follows the African game with a keen eye.
“And everywhere I worked, people always asked me to come back. I’m proud of that.”
His first game in 1986 was a thrilling 3-2 win over Zambia in Alexandria where Cameroon slipped a two-goal lead but then won the match with a late penalty while a burst of three goals in the space of six minutes saw them beat Algeria 3-2 to finish top of the group.
After Roger Milla’s goal accounted for Cote d’Ivoire in the semi-final, Cameroon met host Egypt in the decider, going down on penalties 5-4 after a goalless draw.
Two years later, however, the Indomitable Lions were crowned champions, overcoming hosts Morocco in a fiery semi-final and then edging Nigeria in the final in Casablanca with Emmanuel Kunde’s second half penalty settling the outcome.
Le Roy coached Senegal at the 1990 and 1992 finals, finishing fourth the first time in Algeria but then being disappointingly eliminated by his old Cameroon charges in the quarter-finals when Senegal hosted the 1992 finals.
Le Roy missed the next six Cup of Nations finals before taking the Democratic Republic of Congo to the 2006 tournament in Egypt, where they reached the last eight.
In 2008, he coached a host nation for the second time, this time Ghana but there was a disappointing semi-final exit to Cameroon again.
In 2013, Le Roy was back with the Leopards but three draws in their first round meant they finished third in the group. It was the first time in seven tournaments the coach had not taken a side beyond the first round.
Congo had missed six successive finals before Le Roy qualified them for the 2015 edition in Equatorial Guinea and saw them to the quarter-finals as they won their group.
Le Roy’s last tournament was in Gabon in 2017 with Togo and his record 38 games as a coach at the finals has seen 16 wins, 12 draws and 10 losses with a positive goal tally of 44 scored to 38 conceded.
Le Roy at the Cup of Nations finals
1986 (Cameroon)
Cameroon 3 Zambia 2
Cameroon 1 Morocco 1
Algeria 2 Cameroon 3
Cameroon 1 Cote d’Ivoire 0
Egypt 0 Cameroon 0
1988 (Cameroon)
Cameroon 1 Egypt 0
Cameroon 1 Nigeria 1
Cameroon 0 Kenya 0
Morocco 0 Cameroon 1
Cameroon 1 Nigeria 0
1990 (Senegal)
Kenya 0 Senegal 0
Cameroon 0 Senegal 2
Senegal 0 Zambia 0
Algeria 2 Senegal 1
Senegal 0 Zambia 1
1992 (Senegal)
Senegal 1 Nigeria 2
Senegal 3 Kenya 0
Senegal 0 Cameroon 1
2006 (DR Congo)
DR Congo 2 Togo 0
Angola 0 DR Congo 0
Cameroon 2 DR Congo 0
Egypt 4 DR Congo 1
2008 (Ghana)
Ghana 2 Guinea 1
Ghana 1 Namibia 0
Ghana 2 Morocco 0Ghana 2 Nigeria 1
Ghana 0 Cameroon 1
Ghana 4 Cote d’Ivoire 2
2013 (DR Congo)
DR Congo 2 Ghana 2
DR Congo 0 Niger 0
Mali 1 DR Congo 1
2015 (Congo)
Equatorial Guinea 1 Congo 1
Congo 1 Gabon 0
Burkina Faso 1 Congo 2
Congo 2 DR Congo 4
2017 (Togo)
Cote d’Ivoire 0 Togo 0
Morocco 3 Togo 1
DR Congo 3 Togo 1
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Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe has praised Morocco’s King Mohammed VI for what he described as a powerful gesture of unity and reconciliation following the royal pardon granted to Senegalese supporters convicted over offences linked to the final match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
In a statement released on Saturday, Motsepe expressed deep appreciation on behalf of CAF’s 54 member associations, hailing the Moroccan monarch’s decision as a demonstration of football’s ability to foster peace and solidarity across the continent.
“I would like to express our deep gratitude to His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, for granting His Royal Pardon to the Senegalese supporters convicted of offences relating to the final match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025,” Motsepe stated.
The CAF president said the pardon reflected Morocco’s enduring commitment to African unity and highlighted football’s growing role as a bridge between nations and cultures.
“CAF has consistently emphasised its commitment to utilise football to contribute to uniting our people from different racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds,” he said.
“The pardon by His Majesty King Mohammed VI is an uplifting and motivating illustration of the power of football to unite and bring our people together in Africa and worldwide.”
Motsepe also revealed that during recent visits to both Morocco and Senegal, he had been struck by the deep historical and cultural bonds shared by the two countries.
“I was amazed and impressed when I was briefed about the historic and extensive ties between the people of Senegal and Morocco,” he added.
The statement further reinforced Morocco’s rising influence within African football, especially after successfully hosting the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and positioning itself as one of Africa’s leading football destinations ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which it will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
Motsepe also extended CAF’s best wishes to Africa’s representatives at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, expressing confidence that the continent’s teams would perform strongly on the global stage.
Among the African nations mentioned were Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Ghana, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Cape Verde and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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By Kunle Solaja.
Former African champions Algeria and Zambia are set for an early showdown after the release of the Group I fixtures for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Algeria host Zambia on Matchday One on September 21, 2026, in what is expected to be one of the headline fixtures of the qualifying campaign, while Togo entertain Burundi in the group’s other opening tie.
The Desert Foxes are favourites to qualify, but Zambia’s growing consistency and Togo’s unpredictability could make the race highly competitive.
Algeria travel to Burundi on Matchday Two before facing Togo in back-to-back encounters across Matchdays Three and Four. Zambia also meet Burundi home and away during the same period.
The potentially decisive fixture comes on March 22, 2027, when Zambia host Algeria in a clash that could determine the final standings.
Group I Fixtures
Matchday 1 — September 21, 2026
- Algeria vs Zambia
- Togo vs Burundi
Matchday 2 — October 6, 2026
- Zambia vs Togo
- Burundi vs Algeria
Matchday 3 — October 2026
- Algeria vs Togo
- Zambia vs Burundi
Matchday 4 — November 17, 2026
- Togo vs Algeria
- Burundi vs Zambia
Matchday 5 — March 22, 2027
- Zambia vs Algeria
- Burundi vs Togo
Matchday 6 — March 30, 2027
- Togo vs Zambia
- Algeria vs Burundi
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By Kunle Solaja.
African heavyweights Senegal will launch their quest for another Africa Cup of Nations appearance with a home clash against Mozambique in Group J of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.
The Lions of Teranga, among the continent’s strongest teams in recent years, headline a group that also includes Sudan and Ethiopia.
Senegal host Mozambique on Matchday One on September 21, 2026, while Sudan tackle Ethiopia in the other opening encounter.
Senegal are strong favourites to dominate the group, but Sudan and Mozambique are expected to battle fiercely for qualification points.
The key fixtures may emerge in the double-header between Senegal and Sudan across Matchdays Three and Four, while Mozambique and Ethiopia also face each other home and away.
Senegal travel to Mozambique on Matchday Five before ending their campaign at home against Ethiopia on March 30, 2027.
Group J Fixtures
Matchday 1 — September 21, 2026
- Senegal vs Mozambique
- Sudan vs Ethiopia
Matchday 2 — October 6, 2026
- Mozambique vs Sudan
- Ethiopia vs Senegal
Matchday 3 — October 2026
- Senegal vs Sudan
- Mozambique vs Ethiopia
Matchday 4 — November 17, 2026
- Sudan vs Senegal
- Ethiopia vs Mozambique
Matchday 5 — March 22, 2027
- Mozambique vs Senegal
- Ethiopia vs Sudan
Matchday 6 — March 30, 2027
- Sudan vs Mozambique
- Senegal vs Ethiopia
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