CAPE TOWN, Sept 23 (Reuters) - World Cup winner Patrick Vieira headlines a lengthy list of new coaches in charge of African national teams as the group qualifiers for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations finals kick off on Thursday.
Vieira takes charge of Senegal, where he was born, as they look to recover from a disappointing World Cup where they were expected to pose Africa’s best challenge at the tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the United States but delivered an underwhelming performance that cost their former coach Pape Bouna Thiaw his job.
A total of 21 new coaches will be in charge this week as 48 countries begin the group phase of the qualifiers. The list includes six of the 10 African countries who competed at the World Cup.
Vieira was only a child when he and his mother left Dakar for France, whom he helped win the 1998 World Cup.
“I have lots of flashes, such as the place where I used to play football with a tennis ball,” he said after returning to the country as an adult.
However, there is no home debut for Vieira this month with Senegal playing Mozambique and Ethiopia away and then playing a friendly against the Comoros in Marseille.
PAST CUP OF NATIONS WINNERS BACK IN COACHING ROLES
Winning Cup of Nations coachesAliou Cisse (Senegal 2021) and Herve Renard (Zambia 2012 and Ivory Coast 2015) have new jobs, with Cisse coaching Angola, who face Egypt in Cairo on Friday. Renard has an equally tough return to the role of Ivory Coast coach as they host neighbours Ghana.
Renard was drafted in as an emergency to coach Tunisia at the World Cup, after Sabri Lamouchi was dismissed following a heavy defeat in their first game. The North Africans have since appointed Moin Chaabani, a former international defender, to revive their fortunes.
Sebastien Migne is the new coach of Gabon, who begin their campaign away to Morocco on Friday. The Frenchman should know their opponents well, having coached Haiti when they twice led Morocco in a World Cup group game in Atlanta before losing 4-2.
There is also a return for 78-year-old Claude Le Roy, as coach of Congo, who are away against Namibia on Thursday. Le Roy last coached Togo five years ago.
It will be the veteran French coach’s 12th national team appointment and a second stint with the Congolese, where he was coach from 2013 to 2015.
Le Roy holds the record for the most tournament appearances (9) and matches (38) coached at the Cup of Nations finals.
(Editing by Toby Davis)
