Dissatisfied with the management of the Etalons of Burkina Faso at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, the executive committee of the Burkina Faso Football Federation (FBF) has decided not to renew the contract of Hubert Velud and his entire technical staff. This decision was made public on February 09, 2024 by the FBF in a press release. Who will replace him?
It's the end of the adventure between Burkina Faso and French coach Hubert Velud. As was the case after the 2021 African Cup of Nations, Burkina Faso's soccer authorities have decided to shake things up. With Velud gone, the time has come to find a successor, as the Etalons will be out on the pitch in March.
"Local or expatriate coach, it's not the most important thing"
Antoine Battiono, of Editions Le Pays and spokesman for the Fédération burkinabè de soccer (FBF), believes that the best profile is one that will bring rigor and discipline. "As Aristide Bancé said in an interview with us, the national team is made up of the players who are in form at the time. I learned that lesson from him. And that's what we used to say every day," says the journalist.
Battiono continues: "We're going to need more rigour, more discipline, more management in the squad, because at times, people just want to make do with names. In soccer, names don't necessarily matter. With the new staff or technical management team, we need to have a project, set objectives like internal rules and then agree on how to operate. Anyone who doesn't comply will be punished. It doesn't matter what name you go by. As a local or expatriate coach, that's not what's most important to me. He's the one who's going to bring us rigour and discipline, and after that, the tactics will work".
"We don't necessarily need a foreign coach"
On the other hand, Inoussa Ouédraogo, a fervent supporter of the Etalons, believes that local expertise should be trusted. "We don't necessarily need a foreign coach to come and manage the Etalons. We need someone who can keep the team in shape. Don't listen from left to right. Just concentrate on making the Burkina Faso national team better in terms of performance," he confides.In 2022, Burkina Faso finished 4th at the AFCON 2021 with Kamou Malo, a Burkinabe coach on the bench. But which other local coaches have what it takes for the senior national team?
Brahima Traoré led the Étalons cadets to the World Cup in Indonesia, with young boys who dominated the UFOA West Zone B tournament and the AFCON U17. Seydou Zerbo and Amadou Sampo have also exported their talent to the continent. There's also Brama Traoré, who recently won a silver medal at the 9th Francophonie Games in DR Congo, in a tough competition with limited resources. And let's not forget Oscar Barro, who was interim technical coach of the Burkina Faso Etalons in March 2022.
In the meantime, the Executive Committee of the Fédération burkinabè de Football (FBF) is calling for the mobilization of all those involved in the Etalons.
