AFCON 2025: First timer coaches

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The AFCON, Africa's most rated football competition kicks off this weekend in Morocco. With all the excitement and fanfare from players and supporters, coaches will carry a brunt of the pressure especially for those making it to the competition for their first time. Many will not want to be in their shows right now. These are the coaches going to the AFCON for their first time.

Alongside the old hands, familiar with the ups and downs of the AFCON, some new faces of African national team coaches will light up our screens, some with ambitions as wild as winning in their first attempt.

New faces, capital ambitions

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Pape Thiaw to continue the work of Aliou Cisse

First up is Pape Thiaw, coach of Senegal, who will lead his first AFCON as head coach. The technician, who guided the local team to their first coronation at CHAN in 2022, had the heavy task of succeeding Aliou Cissé at the end of the year 2024, who was dismissed after 9 years of reign. Despite a setback at the 2023 AFCON (elimination in the last 16 against Côte d'Ivoire, future champions), he left a gigantic legacy. Cissé indeed led the Lions to the final in 2019, and to the coronation in 2021, with also two successive qualifications at the World Cup (2018, 1st round, and 2022, 1/8th of the final). It is therefore after this crazy epic that Pape Thiaw was appointed, and since his arrival, we can say that he has done a great job: 11 victories, 2 draws and only one defeat, against Brazil, in 14 games, for 36 goals scored and only 6 conceded.

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Vladimir Petkovic wants to revive Algeria.

Finally, another great name from Africa will advance to the AFCON 2025 with a coach who will make his debut in the competition. Vladimir Petkovic. The Swiss technician has been at the head of Algeria since the end of AFCON 2023 and the dismissal of Djamel Belmadi. With a squad at the end of the race, he managed to boost a new dynamic with players like Zerrouki, Anis Hadj Moussa or even Amoura. Big players who even make us forget that Amine Gouiri is out for injury.

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Hossam Hassan wants to make the Pharaohs shine again.

It is about Egypt, which entrusted the reins of its destiny to Hossam Hassan after AFCON 2023. Despite a qualitatively lower workforce than his other colleagues, the former Pharaons striker has managed to win qualification for the 2026 World Cup, and can count on a revanguardent Salah for the AFCON.

Cameroon, which fired Marc Brys three weeks from the AFCON, will be led by David Pagou, parachuted at the head of the Indomitable Lions by Samuel Eto'o for a mission that, if it is not impossible, still promises to be perilous.

The other new comers

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Traore to lead Burkina Faso

Considered as an outsider for several years, Burkina Faso presents themselves at the 2025 AFCON with Brama Traoré, who will be only the third Burkinabe coach to lead the team. What if it was time for him to become the first winner?

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Mouyouma to lead Gabon

In Gabon, the qualification for AFCON 2025 bears the mark of Thierry Mouyouma, appointed in 2023. He thus becomes the 2nd Gabonese coach to send the Panthers to the African Cup. He will certainly want to achieve a feat in a group with Côte d'Ivoire and Cameroon.

In the Comoros, Stefano Cusin allowed Cœlacanthes to offer themselves their best qualifying campaign: 3 victories, 3 draws, 0 defeats, 12 points taken out of 15. Housed in group A with Morocco, Mali and Zambia, the group can create sensation.

They will also play their first AFCON: Moses Sichone (Zambia), Miguel Gamondi (Tanzania), Morena Ramoreboli (Botswana).