Afcon managers no longer in jobs

It is certainly not uncommon to see managers lose their jobs or resign after disappointing performances at major tournaments, but the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations has been especially unforgiving on those who couldn’t inspire their players in Ivory Coast. With the final of the competition set to be played in Abidjan this weekend, Soccer Laduma’s international team looks back at the tacticians who might have started the competition hopeful, but have since found themselves unemployed, including one coach who was incredibly relieved of his duties midtournament!

Chris Hughton (Ghana)

Lasting less than a year in charge of the Black Stars, former Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion manager Chris Hughton was the first coach to be sacked after failing to guide them out of Group B. Following a loss to Cape Verde in their opening match, the four-time winners drew with Egypt before conceding two stoppage-time goals against Mozambique in their final group encounter to draw 2-2, a result that ultimately cost the 65-year-old his position. Hughton oversaw 13 games during his time as Ghana manager, winning on only four occasions. The Ghana Football Association’s decision to part ways with the former Tottenham Hotspur player came only a day after their third and last group game, with his entire technical team also told to pack their bags. Speaking after their draw with the Mambas, Hughton admitted the dressing room was a difficult place to be, saying, “It’s an angry place at the moment, but when you are unable to see games through, it becomes very difficult. Our performances have not been good. We played three games, conceded two goals in each game and have ourselves in a difficult situation.” The emotional damage Ghana’s disastrous Afcon campaign caused was shown on Mohammed Kudus’ face as the talented West Ham United midfielder appeared almost inconsolable moments following their final result.

Jean-Louis Gasset (Ivory Coast)

In arguably one of the most discussed moments of the Africa Cup of Nations, West African giants Ivory Coast decided to continue without experienced coach Jean-Louis Gasset before eventually making it out of Group A as one of the best third-placed teams. The call to replace the French tactician with his assistant, Emerse Fae, followed the Elephants’ humiliating 4-0 defeat on home soil to Equatorial Guinea, whose show-stopping right backturned-striker Emilio Nsue scored twice in the game, only for it to later be confirmed that the hosts would progress to the next round. This set up an unmissable clash against reigning champions Senegal, whom they then defeated 5-4 in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes. The astonishing turnaround, however, wasn’t over! Ivory Coast later progressed to the semi-final of the competition after two injury-time goals, one after the allotted 90 minutes and one after the 30 minutes of extra-time, saw them beat Mali 2-1 in Bouake. Prior to the tournament, Gasset had only lost twice in 14 matches in charge of the Elephants, a run that included only three draws. After their 2-0 win over Guinea-Bissau in their first group game, the 70-year-old would have likely been confident of a smooth ride, but it was not to be for Gasset and his coaching staff.

Tom Saintfiet (Gambia)

The first official casualty of the tournament, but seemingly on his own terms, Tom Saintfiet announced his decision to quit his job as Gambia manager just minutes after their elimination. The Belgian stated that his contract was running out in August, but his decision to leave his role was effective immediately. The 50-year-old was appointed by the Scorpions in 2018 and earned widespread praise when he guided the West African nation to its first-ever Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon two years ago, where Gambia made it all the way to the quarter-final stage following a 1-0 victory over Guinea in the Last 16. He was then able to qualify the Scorpions for a second successive Afcon, but defeats to Burundi and Ivory Coast ahead of the competition left fans worried that the team wouldn’t be able to replicate their achievements from 2022. Gambia suffered a heavy 3-0 loss to Senegal in their Group C opener before losing to Guinea in their second game. In their final group encounter, Saintfiet’s side, leading Cameroon 2-1 in the 87th minute, suffered a dramatic collapse, starting with an own goal from centre-back James Gomez and ending with a late Christopher Wooh strike. Saintfiet has coached 10 national teams in his career to date, with his most recent job by far being his most successful.

Jalel Kadri (Tunisia)

“The defeat against Namibia in the first match affected us psychologically, and we shouldn’t have lost. We improved against Mali, and today against South Africa, but we were not efficient in attack,” said 52-year-old Tunisian tactician Jalel Kadri after Tunisia were eliminated from the Africa Cup of Nations in January. Kadri also announced his resignation after their 0-0 draw with Bafana Bafana in Group E, saying that, while the decision was his, reaching the semi-finals of the competition in the Ivory Coast was stipulated in his contract. The Tozeur native’s first match in charge came at the 2021 Afcon, when thenhead coach Mondher Kebaier contracted COVID-19 ahead of their Round of 16 match against Nigeria. Kadri led the Carthage Eagles to the quarter-finals, where they lost to Burkina Faso, and he was then officially appointed as the team’s permanent manager after helping them qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. After Tunisia failed to make it out of their group in Qatar, the tactician offered to vacate his role, but instead had his deal extended by the Tunisian Football Federation for a further 12 months. That decision by the country’s footballing body ultimately didn’t pay off as Tunisia crashed out of the tournament after failing to win a single match and shockingly scoring just one goal.

Djamel Belmadi (Algeria)

Algeria’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign ended in bitter disappointment for both Belmadi and his players, who were unable to win any of their three matches in Group D despite being handed seemingly favourable opposition in Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Angola. This was the second consecutive time the Desert Warriors were eliminated from Afcon at the group stage, a fate at the 2021 edition many would have seen as a once-off event under Belmadi, who took Algeria all the way in 2019. His tenure got underway in difficult circumstances after the team’s concerning performances heading into his first tournament, but Belmadi answered his critics when the Desert Warriors beat every single opponent they went up against, including two victories against Senegal, whom they defeated in the group stage and the final. Following their elimination in Ivory Coast, the 47-year-old, who represented Algeria 20 times as a player, agreed to terminate his deal. He, however, now finds himself in a dispute with the Algerian Football Federation after he asked for a severance package worth 29 months of salary. His request was denied by the body, whom he later threatened to report to FIFA. Belmadi leaves with an impressive record, having claimed 43 victories in 66 matches as manager of the North African giants, during which he only recorded six losses across all competitions.

Rui Vitoria (Egypt)

The Portuguese tactician became the latest manager to be sacked following a fallout from this Africa Cup of Nations, after Egypt were eliminated by DR Congo at the Round of 16. Vitoria was appointed by the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) in July 2022 and saw his first real test come in the form of the biggest competition on the continent but was unable to produce the goods from the sidelines. The Pharaohs drew all three of their Group B games, although they managed to progress to the Last 16 before their eventual penalty shootout defeat to DR Congo. It was a bumpy ride for the seven-time Afcon winners, who lost their captain and talisman Mohamed Salah to injury in their second group match, a 2-2 draw with Ghana, and the noise surrounding his hamstring issue created a storm Vitoria could ultimately not recover from. The EFA announced that the 31-year-old forward would be returning to Liverpool to continue his rehabilitation, but said he would return if the team progressed to the latter stages of the competition. Salah ended up staying in England as Egypt crashed out in miserable fashion, with Vitoria having since been relieved of his duties as a result. Egyptian legend Hossam Hassan has since been appointed as his replacement, as confirmed by the EFA this week.