The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar will be historic for Africa as all five teams representing the Black continent at the greatest world football fiesta have local coaches.
Morocco is the latest to appoint Walid Regragui, a former Moroccan international for the Atlas Lions, as the other four African nations already have locals at the head of their teams.
It is a step forward towards growth and the desire to take African football to high level with the control of the continent’s destiny in the hands of locals.
Also Read : SAMUEL ETO’O BELIEVES QATAR 2022 IS THE TURN OF AFRICAN TEAMS
Walid Regragui, Morocco
The 47-year old, a former Moroccan international who amassed 45 caps for the national team was recently appointed by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) as coach of the Atlas Lions, taking over from Vahid Halilhodžić who had helped the team secure qualification.
He takes over the national team after a successful season in the Moroccan top flight where he led Wydad Athletic Club to the CAF Champions League title and the local championship as well.
Aliou Cissé, Senegal
Senegal, the reigning African champions, have had a local coach since 2015 when Aliou Cissé was handed the mantle. The decision paid off eight years later when the former national team captain led them to their first ever Africa Cup of Nations title and was also named the coach of the year at the CAF Awards in July.
He will lead the Lions of Teranga to a World Cup for the second consecutive time, having led them to qualification for the 2018 showpiece in Russia.
The Senegalese earned qualification after turning round a first leg loss to Egypt’s Pharaohs, then coached by Portuguese tactician Carlos Queiroz. They won 3-1 on post-match penalties following a 1-1 aggregate draw.
Rigobert Song, Cameroon
Appointed on February 28, 2022, Rigobert Song goes down in history as the second Cameroonian coach to have helped the Indomitable Lions qualify for the global showpiece.
The first Cameroonian to sail the team to the World Cup was the late Léonard Nseke, leading the team to qualify for the 1994 World Cup in the United States.
Song’s Cameroon qualified for Qatar after overturning a 1-0 first leg defeat at the hands of Algeria to win 2-1 in the corresponding fixture in Algiers and qualify on the away goals rule. Karl Toko Ekambi scored the vital goal in added time to take the Lions to Qatar.
The qualification for the World Cup proved to be the result he needed to silence the doubters who had already queried the decision to hire him.
Jalel Kadri, Tunisia
Local boy Jalel Kadri helped Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles to the World Cup for the sixth time in their history.
Kadri was appointed head coach of the Tunisian national team just after they were eliminated from the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon by Burkina Faso. He embarked on a quick rebuild mission and helped Tunisia rise from that disappointment and qualify for the World Cup.
The Tunisians waded off the young side of Mali to qualify with a slim 1-0 aggregate score.
He becomes the third local tactician to help Tunisia qualify for the World Cup after Abdelmajid Chetali (1978) and Nabil Maâloul (1998).
Otto Addo, Ghana
Ghana’s Otto Addo showed brave coaching mettle to aid the Black Stars to the World Cup after victory over the highly fancied Nigeria.
The former International was named head coach of the Ghanaian team shortly after they were eliminated from the Africa Cup of Nations in the group stages, taking over from Milovan Rajevac.
A 1-1 draw in Abuja after a 0-0 draw at home in Kumasi earned Ghana a ticket to the World Cup against all odds.
The tactician, who is also an assistant coach at German Bundesliga club Dortmund managed to put up a perfect tactical plan to outshine a hugely talented Nigerian squad and now has everything to prove when he leads the Ghanaian side out in Qatar.