Robert Nouzaret, former coach of Ivory Coast, Guinea and the DRC talks about his African experiences

Text by: Martin Guez

At 76, Robert Nouzaret retired. The end of a 46-year adventure spent on the benches of French clubs but also at the head of three African selections: Côte d'Ivoire (twice), then Guinea and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The opportunity to return to his experiences in Africa and the discovery of a certain Didier Drogba, whom he launched with the Elephants.

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RFI: You were twice coach of the Ivory Coast (96/98 then 2002/2004), what memory do you keep of this double experience?

Robert Nouzaret: The big difference is that during the first period I had 90% of players playing in Africa. And the 2nd period I had 100% of players who played in Europe. Today being responsible for an African selection, it no longer represents African football, it represents the individual qualities of the players you are trying to play as well as possible. While during my first visit, it was really something related to African culture, to African customs, with guys that I already saw much more often because I was there. One day, they had put a pig in the locker room of the Algerian team ... Olala ... For a CAN qualifier match. We had won elsewhere! While for my 2nd period, I only went to Abidjan when there were matches to be played. Because I no longer needed to go to local matches to pick up players who could take an international place on the national team. There was too much difference! During the first period, I really knew what African football was. And I admit that I really enjoyed myself! Because I lived in Africa without having to worry about going back and forth in Europe to see matches and players.

You took over an African selection in 2006, at the head of Guinea. How did it happen ?

It was a very pleasant passage. But under very different conditions. Guinea did not have the financial and administrative potential that Côte d'Ivoire could have. She had all the more merit. I also came across a period with a very good workforce. Good kids, and above all very complementary: Pascal Feindouno, Ismaël Bangoura, Habib Baldé. During my three years spent in Guinea, I knew a completely different context: I came from a much more ambitious and developed country (Côte d'Ivoire), and I discovered another country much more destitute, with financial and other difficulties. But I have met great people at the leadership level, and good players, especially in their heads. I only have good memories in this area. It was not complicated: the players were too talented, and above all were very receptive. For them, joining the national selection was really an important objective. They were proud to wear the jersey of their country, but above all it allowed them to find their family, which they did not see regularly while playing in the European championships. And it gave a quality of osmosis in the group which was very interesting. They were not at all complicated to manage. You know African players, the only time to watch them is when they want to go out. Because they are really party people. And since they were very intelligent kids, well that was part of their oxygen and their motivation. They needed that and they had to understand it.

Finally your last visit to a bench was in 2010/2011 with the DRC. And it didn't go very well ...

It went wrong at first due to my fault. Because, between the time I was contacted and the time they asked me to come, there was too much time. And when in doubt, I made the mistake of not learning about DRC football and the Congolese players, to save time when I arrived. Because I was not at all sure that they would accept my proposals. It was my first mistake. When I got there, I made a second mistake. The first game was against Senegal, and it was the first time in all my African experiences that I didn't know most of the Congolese players at all. And I based myself on one or two assistants that I had at my disposal and there I made a mistake. I should have taken the TP Mazembe team squarely and replaced the 2 or 3 foreigners they had in the team with Congolese players. And I think we would have gone there in a much safer and much more realistic and efficient way.

How do you observe the evolution of African football, and the fact that there are more African coaches than in your time?

I am very happy. I think that many African coaches have the qualities to reach the European level. They did not have the chance to be supervised as the Europeans were supervised. There is no secret. When you live in these countries, you meet very competent people. We European coaches who come to the African continent, apart from our duty of sports results with our teams, we have a role of trainer when we are there. And you will see more and more Africans coming to train in Europe, that makes sense. It is the fair return of things compared to Europeans who come to Africa.

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