Football - Togo: The presidency involved in the selection of the coach
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All original articlesAfter announcing the departure of Daré Nidombé, the Togolese Football Federation is waiting to appoint its next coach. If several names have been placed on a shortlist, the FTF will not have the final decision since the file goes directly to the head of state, Faure Gnassingbé.
Unsurprisingly, given disappointing results and a management that was criticized internally (some players no longer wanted to return to the national team), Nidombé was dismissed with his technical staff by a statement from the federation published on 30 December.
To replace him, the FTF will obviously have a role but does not really manage the file that goes directly to the President of Togo, Faure Gnassingbé, and his son. An unsurprising political influence that recalls notably the Claude Le Roy years, a choice with a lot to do with Vincent Bolloré and the presidential family.
Dupuis, Dupraz, Ibenge...
Several coaches have been placed on a shortlist, starting with Florent Ibenge who has been coaching the Tanzanian club of Azam for a few months. The Congolese, however, will be in competition with a regular on the continent, Nicolas Dupuis, whose move to South Sudan will not remain in the annals after his two adventures in Madagascar punctuated by numerous scandals.
Apparently little aware of Dupuis' 'affairs' and the different businesses in Madagascar, Togo is interested in his profile as well as that of another French technician, Pascal Dupraz, who has never worked in Africa.
If the name of Victor Zvunka also has some supporters, the final decision will not fall to the federation, nor to the Ministry of Sports. Not necessarily a surprise even if some names on the shortlist may be surprising; especially when the Togolese position interests many coaches who are convinced that the Éperviers can do much better than watching the last four AFCONs at home...