|
Pionnier des portails web sportifs africains.En ligne depuis 2000 ...
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
African Football: Coaches in Turbulent Waters (21.03.2006)
Football coaches are often on hot seats. Reason: they bear the brunt of defeat and can be fired at any time. The verdict of the of 2006 African Cup of Nations and the imminent start of the eliminatory round of the 2008 continental football jamboree poked fire in the world of coaches of African national football teams and provoked an unprecedented turbulence. This is understandable. Coaches are always recruited for specific tasks and with specific objectives. Victory is usually the watchword. Failure of their teams to deliver the goods is often synonymous to failure on their part.
Over the past couple of weeks therefore, several coaches whose teams performed poorly at the 2006 African Cup of Nations have lost their jobs. Confidence has been renewed in just a few of them. New coaches have been recruited with new missions; the greatest being to qualify the teams for the next Nations Cup in Ghana. The coaches of World Cup bound countries, have an added task to ensure that their teams put on an honourable performance in Germany.
Without being exhaustive, Cameroon Tribune, in this special report, looks at the situation of coaches in some African countries. Generally, coaches with African roots, are treated poorly. It is an ungrateful profession as they are sometimes expected to perform miracles. Good results are expected irrespective of the means and working conditions. It is for this reason that Africa can hardly boost of a coach who has put in ten years with a team. They come and go all the time. This waltz of coaches is not doing any good to football in the continent. Most teams lack a vision and continuity as there is an eternal reconstruction.
Take Togo, for example. Nigerian born Stephen Keshi who qualified the Hawks for their first ever World Cup finals has been booted out. Besides the poor results at the 2006 Nations Cup in Egypt, Keshi is blamed for being at loggerheads with the star player, Adebayor. Most players are against this decision, but find themselves helpless.
|
A similar situation prevails in Nigeria, where the acting Secretary General and the Chairman of the Nigerian Football Association are at daggers drawn over the choice of the coach. Two weeks ago, Fanny Amun the acting Secretary General announced that Eguavoen would stay on as coach of the Super Eagles. But the chairman, Ibrahim Galadima, has distanced himself and the NFA board from the decision.
The knack for European coaches is also having its tool on football in the continent. Most African teams are presently in quest of foreign coaches despite the impressive output of some African professionals. The case of Egypt’s Shehata immediately comes to mind. In Senegal the succession of Abdoulaye Sarr is open to Europeans only. Malawi has already hired a foreign coach. The Malawi Football Association signed a two-year contract with the German coach Burkhard Ziese recently. Tanzania and Uganda are also eying permanent foreign coaches.
As expected, Egypt, winners of the African Cup of Nations maintained coach Shehata despite his differences with key player, Mido. The Egyptian Football Association extended Hassan Shehata’s contract by two years. Shehata, will take charge of Egypt`s title defence, as they seek a place at the 2008 Nations Cup finals in Ghana.
The case of Cameroon is the on-going coach saga is unique. Artur Jorge resigned despite the fact that his contract runs till June, 2006. It is uncertain who would take the Indomitable Lions through the 2008 Nations Cup qualifiers as nothing has been said about the replacement of Artur Jorge.
A similar situation prevails in DR Congo where Claude LeRoy has warned he will not sign another contract to manage the national team if his working conditions do not improve. LeRoy, who took DR Congo to the quarter-finals of the last African Cup of Nations in Egypt, will come to the end of his contract in June. From all indications, the turbulence among coaches on the African continent as well as their predicament are far from over.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hits: 17678 | cameroon-tribune.cm
|  |  | Toutes les ( 0 ) Réactions
|
|
|
Pour réagir, vous devez être connecté. Enregistrez vous et connectez vous.
|
Première page
Toute l' actualité
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
