Analysis
CAN 2024: the rise of binational coaches
For a long time, the selections in Africa have been the place of opposition between the “white wizards” and the local coaches. But in recent years, binational coaches have started to assert themselves like Aliou Cissé, Djamel Belmadi or Walid Regragui. For the quarterfinals of the CAN 2024 final which begins Friday February 2, there will be three binational coaches aiming for the last four, Kaba Diawara (Guinea), Éric Chelle (Mali) and Emerse Fae (Ivory Coast). A little gentle revolution?
From left to right, the coaches of Côte d'Ivoire, Emerse Fae, of Guinea, Kaba Diawara, and of Mali, Éric Chelle. © Kenzo Tribouillard (AFP), Sunday Alamba (AP), Themba Hadabe (AP)/ RFI montage
By: Ndiasse Sambe Follow
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From our special correspondent in Yamoussoukro,
The last two winning coaches of the
CAN
are not white wizards. Nor pure “locals”. Djamel Belmadi (Algeria 2019) and Aliou Cissé (Senegal 2022) come from 9-4. From Champigny-sur-Marne precisely. The first was born in this town in the Val-de-Marne department. The second arrived there at the age of 9, from Senegal. Portrayed as “African” coaches, the two nevertheless have dual French-Algerian and Franco-Senegalese nationality. What if this dual culture had played a role in their past success? As she certainly played for Walid Regragui, Franco-Moroccan coach, who led the Atlas Lions to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup. The three coaches are recently at the basis of the greatest successes of their selection, to the point of wondering if the future of the African selections would not pass through these “mixed races” of the game.
Morocco coach Walid Regragui, born in France, in the arms of his player Hakim Ziyech, native of the Netherlands © FRMF
“
It will always take skill and talent
,” explains Claude Le Roy, who coached several selections in Africa for more than 30 years.
But, it is true that having dual nationality, knowing the cultural realities of your first country, while being imbued with the other subtleties of the second, saves time. This is a form of shortcut for these binational coaches
. »
Aliou Cissé can happily chat in Wolof with Ismaïla Sarr, in Mandinka with Sadio Mané, or in French with Iliman Ndiaye or Abdou Diallo. Just like Djamel Belmadi could communicate in Arabic and French with his players.
“
When you see Aliou Cissé holding on for so long at the head of Senegal, you have to do it. Restoring order as Regragui did is also a great success,
says Claude Le Roy
. When you have been on both sides, both countries, you don't waste time understanding local realities, it goes faster.
»
Only one “real” local...
Today, on the eve of the quarter-finals, three of the eight qualified coaches are dual nationals, Kaba Diawara (Guinea), Éric Chelle (Mali) and Emerse Fae (Ivory Coast) against four “white wizards”, Sébastien Desabre ( DRC), José Peseiro (Nigeria), Hugo Broos (South Africa), Pedro Gonçalves (Angola), and only one “
real
” local: Bubista (Cape Verde).
Kaba Diawara, Éric Chelle, and Emerse Fae all have French nationality in addition to that of the country they coach. Their journey in this CAN could confirm the success of its binational coaches. Born in Toulon, 48 years ago, former Guinean international, Kaba Diawara managed to qualify Syli for its first quarter-final since 2015 and could lead it to the semi-final for the first time since 1976.
Read alsoCAN 2024: what you need to know about the quarter-finals
In Mali, Éric Chelle ended the series of four CANs without reaching the quarters for the Eagles. His team will challenge Ivory Coast to dream even bigger.
For his part, Emerse Fae, native of Nantes, resurrected Côte d'Ivoire, overtaken in the first round and heroic in the round of 16 against the reigning champion Senegal. His speech to galvanize the Ivorian players certainly had more resonance than that of Jean-Louis Gasset who arrived in Ivory Coast only in May 2022 and was sacked after the first round of the CAN. “
The coach (Fae) was born in France, he knows Ivory Coast very well
,” says Yahia Fofana, goalkeeper for the Elephants, born in Paris.
In this team too, there are dual nationals, he manages to sort things out and understand each of the players
.”
Read alsoCAN 2024: Calendar and results
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