The CAN is ruthless with the coaches who do not bring the expected results. Six of them out of the 24 teams in the competition were dismissed or resigned after the first round. Overview of the coaches who have already left the door.
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From our special correspondent in Abidjan,
It’s no secret being a national team coach is a difficult job. The six coaches of African teams who paid the price for their poor results at the end of the group stage can attest to this. Of the eight teams eliminated, five have already separated from their selection. The sixth, Côte d’Ivoire, also parted ways with its coach even though it is qualified for the round of 16.
This is undoubtedly the most notable resignation of this competition. The Ivory Coast coach Jean-Louis Gasset left office while the Elephants were not yet officially eliminated. Miraculously drafted as the best third thanks to Morocco’s victory, Ivory Coast is finally qualified and will therefore have to continue with a new coach in the person of Emerse Faé, former Ivorian international and assistant to Jean-Louis Gasset.
The CAN too many for Belmadi
After a second consecutive elimination in the first round of a CAN, Djamel Belmadi also presented his resignation to his federation. The Fennecs coach announced his departure after Algeria’s defeat against Mauritania, synonymous with last place in group D. Winner of the trophy in 2019, Belmadi and his team did not manage to repeat the feat, the fault certainly to an aging group at the end of their cycle.
Already in the hot seat for several matches, Ghana coach Chris Hughton also paid for his team’s poor results. The Ghanaian Federation dismissed him from his post after the incredible disaster of his team during the last match of Group B. While the Black Stars led 2-0 against Mozambique, a result allowing them to qualify, the Ghanaians completely scuttled by conceding two goals at the very end of the match to end in a draw synonymous with elimination.
At the same time, other smaller selections have also ended their adventure with their coaches. Belgian Tom Saintfiet announced that he was leaving his post after the elimination of Gambia after six years at the helm of the Scorpions. The Belgian had achieved the feat of taking the Gambian selection to the quarter-final of CAN 2022 in Cameroon for the first participation in the country’s history.
The incredible Amrouche affair
On the Tunisian side, Jalel Kadri has also failed to spark in two years at the head of the Carthage Eagles. Appointed after the elimination in the quarter-finals of the CAN in Cameroon, the Tunisian technician has never managed to restore the foundation of play to a team lacking inspiration which only scored one goal in the competition. After leaving Tunisia through the back door, Kadri also submitted his resignation.
The last coach on this list not to have survived the first round of this CAN, the story of Adel Amrouche is undoubtedly the most incredible. Although eliminated, the Algerian technician was not sacked for the poor results of his team Tanzania but for controversial remarks made against Moroccan football, affirming that “ Morocco currently manages African football. “. Statements which earned him an eight-match suspension by the African Football Confederation and which pushed the Tanzanian Federation to dismiss him while his team still had two matches to play in this CAN.