African coaches under spotlight as World Cup qualifiers near climax

As the race for the 2026 FIFA World Cup intensifies across Africa, a growing number of homegrown coaches are seizing centre stage, Sport360NG reports.

With the September international window set to be decisive, 24 of the continent’s 53 FIFA-ranked men’s national teams are currently led by African coaches, a significant shift in approach by federations that long relied on Europeans.

Even when nations turn to outsiders, many are now opting for coaches from within Africa itself. Among the most high-profile appointments are Mali’s Eric Chelle, now in charge of Nigeria, and South African Benni McCarthy, who took over Kenya earlier this year. Libya also made headlines by naming former Senegal boss Aliou Cissé, reportedly making him the second-highest paid African coach in history.

“In Africa we have a lot of good coaches and we deserve these posts,” Chelle told BBC Sport Africa. “I’m happy some countries are giving us the chance to show the world how we can do our job.”

A long-standing debate

The momentum for trusting local talent was accelerated in 2019 when Algeria, coached by Djamel Belmadi, beat Cissé’s Senegal in the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) final. Since then, every Afcon winner has been led by an African coach, including Ivory Coast’s Emerse Faé earlier this year.

At the 2022 World Cup, Morocco’s Walid Regragui went further than anyone before him, guiding the Atlas Lions to a historic semi-final while all five African representatives were overseen by indigenous coaches, a continental first.

Cissé believes standards have risen due to sustained investment in CAF and FIFA coaching programmes. “Football is now universal. Race, colour or nationality doesn’t matter anymore, it’s about qualities and competency,” he said.

Breaking barriers

For many coaches, the landscape has shifted. Where once African managers felt overlooked, they are now being given space to grow.

McCarthy, 47, says federations are starting to believe in local expertise:

“We’ve dedicated our lives to the game. For years, we weren’t considered good enough for leadership roles. Now people believe we are just as capable as Europeans.”

Beyond cost advantages, local coaches often bring stronger emotional investment and a cultural understanding that outsiders may lack. As Chelle put it: “We need to know how African players think. That connection matters.”

Successes and setbacks

Not every gamble has paid off.

Cape Verde’s Bubista has the island nation pushing Cameroon hard for a World Cup spot.

Egypt’s Hossam Hassan has revitalised the Pharaohs, putting them on course for just their third finals appearance.

But Senegal’s decision to replace Cissé with Pape Thiaw has coincided with a dip in firepower, leaving them battling DR Congo and Sudan.

Big-money deals have also produced mixed results. Cissé’s early games with Libya yielded only one point from six, while Chelle has already faced criticism in Nigeria despite an opening win. McCarthy has impressed with his attacking philosophy in Kenya, but poor results have left the Harambee Stars out of contention.

With four qualifying matchdays left, the pressure is only increasing. Success could cement a new era of faith in African coaches. Failure could see federations revert to the familiar cycle of appointing Europeans.

African coaches in World Cup qualifying