2015 AFCON: Indigenous coaches largely in minority, says CAF

Malabo, Equatorial Guinea (PANA) - Examining the number of Coaches at the 2015 Orange African Nations Cup, beginning here Saturday, the CAF media outlet has indicated that "Never have there been a low number of indigenous coaches at the final tournament of the Africa Cup of Nations since 1996."

It said "For this edition, there are just three of them; Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba (South Africa), Florent Ibenge (DR Congo) and Honour Janza (Zambia), all of whom will be making first time appearances at the championship.

It listed the number of local coaches by edition (since 1996) as -- 1996 (7), 1998 (8), 2000 (6), 2002 (9), 2004 (7), 2006 (7), 2008 (4), 2010 (5), 2012 (7), 2013 (7)

France is the biggest supplier of coaches at this edition, with six (6) trainers - Michel Dussuyer (Guinea), Alain Giresse (Senegal), Christian Gourcuff (Algeria), Claude Le Roy (Congo), Henri Kasperczak (Mali) and Herve Renard (Cote d’Ivoire).

There are two Belgians, George Leekens (Tunisia) and Paul Put (Burkina Faso); 2 Portuguese, Rui Aguas (Cape Verde) and Jorge Costa (Gabon), and one (1) from the following countries: Germany - Volker Finke (Cameroon); Argentina - Esteban Becker (Cape Verde), and Israel – Avram Grant (Ghana)

It said that Claude Leroy is the most faithful coach -- This is the 8th AFCON for the Frenchman in about 30 years. Finalists in 1986 with Cameroon, he won the title with the Indomitable Lions two years later. He was third with Senegal in 1990 and semi-finalist again in 1992, quarter-finalists with DR Congo in 2006, third-place with Ghana in 2008 and finally in 2013 with DR Congo, where the Leopards failed to go past the group stage.

For Henri Kasperczak, this is his sixth appearance since 1994, where he guided the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire to third place. He was on the podium again two years later with Tunisia, this time silver. He was a quarter-finalist with Tunisia in 1998, fourth in 2002 with Mali and a first round exit at the helm of Senegal in 2008.

This is the fourth for yet another Frenchman, Michel Dussuyer. He reached the quarters in 2004 with Guinea before suffering a first round exit with Benin in 2010, same with Guinea in 2012.

Alain Giresse was a quarter finalist with Gabon in 2012 and managed a third place with Mali in 2013. This will be his third participation at the flagship continental championship.

Same for compatriot Herve Renard, who won the title with Zambia in 2012 before crashing out at the first round at the ensuing edition a year later. The Frenchman will be guiding Cote d’Ivoire on his third appearance at the biennial championship.

Paul Put will be making a successive appearance at the showpiece event. He guided Les Etalons of Burkina Faso to the final in 2013, where the lost 1-0 to Nigeria and will be at the helm of the Burkinabes yet again in 2015.

Ten (10) coaches will be making the debut at the tournament, namely Ephraim ‘Shakes’ Mashaba, Christian Gourcuff, Volker Finke, Rui Aguas, Jorge Costa, Avram Grant, Esteban Becker, Florent Ibenge, Gorges Leekens and Honour Janza.

List of coaches is as follows:-



Country Coach Nationality

Algeria Christian Gourcuff France

Burkina Faso Paul Put Belgium

Cameroon Volker Finke Germany

Cape Verde Rui Aguas Portugal

Congo Claude le Roy France

Cote d’Ivoire Herve Renard France

DR Congo Florent Ibenge DR Congo

Gabon Jorge Costa Portugal

Ghana Avram Grant Israël

Guinea Michel Dussuyer France

Equatorial Guinea Esteban Becker Argentina

Mali Henri Kasperczak France

Senegal Alain Giresse France

South Africa Ephraim ‘Shakes’ Mashaba South Africa

Tunisia Georges Leekens Belgium

Zambia Honour Janza Zambia
-0- PANA VAO 17Jan2015