Senegal coach optimistic on diversity
The only black coach at this year’s World Cup says there’s a need for more in soccer.
“In European countries, in major clubs, you see lots of African players. Now we need African coaches for our continent to go ahead,” Senegal’s Aliou Cisse said through a translator on Monday, a day ahead of his nation’s World Cup opener against Poland. The percentage of black players at this year’s tournament is far higher.
Three of the other African nations at this year’s World Cup have foreign coaches who are white: Nigeria’s Gernot Rohr of Germany, Morocco’s Herve Renard of France and Egypt’s Hector Cuper of Argentina.
Cisse was captain of Senegal when it reached the 2002 quarterfinals in the nation’s only previous World Cup appearance.
“I am the only black coach in this World Cup. That is true,” Cisse said.
“But really, these are debates that disturb me. I think that football is a universal sport and that the colour of your skin is of very little importance.” FIFA didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Cisse cited Florent Ibenge, the coach of Congo’s national team, as a sign of progress.
“I think we have a new generation that is working, that is doing its utmost, and beyond being good players with a past of professional footballers,” Cisse said.
“We are very good in our tactics, and we have the right to be part of the top international coaches.” Africa’s best performance at the World Cup has been to reach the quarter-finals, accomplished by Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010.
“I have the certainty that one day an African team, an African country, will win the World Cup,” Cisse said.
A lack of minority managers also has been documented at the club level. The Sports People’s Think Tank said in November there were just three minority managers among the 92 English professional clubs as of Sept. 1.
There was only one TV show that mattered in Iceland when the national team kicked off its first World Cup. According to figures obtained by the Icelandic FA, 99.6 per cent of all people in Iceland watching television during the Iceland-Argentina match on Saturday were watching the game. Iceland earned a 1-1 draw against the Argentine team captained by Lionel Messi, a player widely regarded as the best in the game. Iceland has a population of about 335,000 and is the least populous nation to play at a World Cup.
England soccer fans have laid a wreath in memory of the Soviets who died during the Battle of Stalingrad.
In a ceremony at the Mamayev Kurgan — The Motherland Calls — monument in Volgograd, fans James Lockett and Billy Grant helped commemorate the hundreds of thousands who are said to have died during one of the most important battles in the Second World War, a battle that helped turn the tide against the Nazis.
FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against Mexico after its fans used an anti-gay slur in Sunday’s 1-0 win over Germany. Some Mexican supporters chanted the slur when Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer prepared to take a goal kick in the 24th minute. Fans in Mexico use the chant to insult opposing goalkeepers as they take a goal kick. Some soccer fans argue there is no discriminatory intent. Mexico’s soccer federation has been repeatedly fined by FIFA over fans chanting the slur. The Court of Arbitration for Sport cancelled two fines against Mexico in November, ruling the chant was “insulting ” but not meant to offend.
David de Gea will remain in goal for Spain despite his mistake in the team’s 3-3 draw against Portugal at the World Cup. New coach Fernando Hierro says he has full confidence in De Gea and won’t make a change for the match against Iran on Wednesday.