Five African Teams Going to the FIFA World Cup to be coached by African Coaches

At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which will feature five African nations, history will be made for the continent. The teams from Ghana, Tunisia, Senegal, Morocco, and Cameroon are led by nationals of those nations. All African teams will be led by local coaches for the first time ever when they compete in the world’s largest football festival, a development that analysts say is good for the game on the continent.

Rigobert Song

A 46-year-old football icon from Cameroon, Rigobert Song has played in four World Cups and twice led the Indomitable Lions to the Africa Cup of Nations title.

His club career as a center-back included stops in France, Italy, England, Germany, and Turkey, as well as stints with West Ham United and Liverpool. He was known as the “Big Chief” and experienced a stroke in 2016. He spent a number of days in a coma.

Toni Conceicao, a Portuguese coach, was fired by Cameroon after his team finished third as the 2021 Cup of Nations hosts and he led the team to an unexpected victory over Algeria in the World Cup play-off. Thoughts have been dimmed by warm-up defeats to Uzbekistan and fellow qualifiers South Korea.

Aliou Cisse

The 46-year-old Aliou Cisse wants to make amends for Senegal’s agonizing World Cup departure, which came only because they accrued more yellow cards than Japan and missed out on a spot in the second round. He made apologies by leading his nation to victory in Cameroon this year with a penalty shootout triumph over Egypt at the conclusion of a goalless final after losing as a player in the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations final.

He played in the midfield for French and English clubs, including Paris Saint-Germain, and was a member of the Senegal squad that advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals in South Korea in 2002.

Otto Addo

Otto Addo, a 47-year-old former Ghana World Cup midfielder, had never held the position of head coach before taking over the Black Stars in February of last year. He was given a demoralized team to work with after the team’s shocking defeat to the Comoros eliminated the four-time African champions from the 2021 Cup of Nations.

Contrary to expectations, they drew twice with their bitter rivals Nigeria to advance on away goals. The national football association organized two national days of prayer and fasting — one for Christians and one for Muslims — to rally support as Addo has struggled to persuade many Ghanaians that he can advance the team past the first round.

Walid Regragui

The 47-year-old Walid Regragui, who took over for Bosnian Vahid Halilhodzic on the last day of August this year, has had little time to prepare the Atlas Lions. He was born in Paris, played right back for many French clubs as well as one in Spain, and earned 45 caps for his parents’ country of Morocco.

His coaching career began in 2012 as an assistant coach for the Moroccan national team. He later led clubs in Qatar and the kingdom of North Africa. His coaching career’s pinnacle was this year when Wydad Casablanca defeated Egyptian powerhouse Al Ahly in the CAF Champions League final.

Jalel Kadri

Jalel Kadri’s challenge was made abundantly clear a month ago in Paris when five-time world winners Brazil thrashed Tunisia 5-1 in a warm-up game. The 50-year-old stated that France and Brazil, their other group competitors, are also of the same caliber as Brazil. “Tunisia has been placed in a very difficult section by the World Cup draw.”

Kadri has been in command since March after being elevated from an assistant position when Mondher Kebaier was fired as a result of a quarterfinal loss to Burkina Faso in the Africa Cup of Nations. Kadri has worked as a club coach for 20 years and has done so in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Tunisia, and Libya.