War has been declared between Patrice Neveu and Thierry Mouyouma.The former Gabon coach has not taken kindly to his successor's insinuations about discipline at the Panthères.
In an interview with RFI a few days ago, Gabon's new coach Thierry Mouyouma discussed his working methods. He spoke of his desire to instill a sense of patriotism and discipline in the squad. A remark which apparently offended his predecessor, Patrice Neveu. The latter was also very upset, and gave an interview to French radio. " It's pathetic. Before I left the national team, I had nothing against this gentleman. He came into my office, I gave him my key and I said to him: 'Mouyouma, you were saying that we were taking too many goals and that we didn't know how to score them, be careful, don't work like that because you can't teach me. I'm a BEPF (France's highest soccer coaching diploma), he's got his diploma, let him do his job. He replied: "Yes, excuse me coach, it's the Federation's press office that misinterpreted what I said". Then he tells me that I'm an emblematic coach and that he wants to take a photo with me ," says the technician.
Clearly wound up, Patrice Neveu continued. " Since I left, I haven't made a statement to the press (Patrice Neveu has spoken out in several local French newspapers, editor's note). But today, it's not possible to have a coach like me buried for free by a little man like that. "
But Patrice Neveu doesn't stop there.The Frenchman, even though he was not mentioned by name by his successor, is convinced that he alone is being targeted and no one else." In a national team, who is responsible for discipline?The coach!So without mentioning my name, he names me, and I say, I can't let that happen. I'm a coach, I've made five selections. I'm a passionate and committed coach. We know there are difficult situations, I've been away, I've had to leave and I know the conditions. When I left, I took responsibility, but this is too much. This man lies and shines his own shoes.
Patrice Neveu also rejects the accusation that the players lacked patriotism under his watch." When he says: "We need to restructure the entity at all levels.From the state of mind, discipline, patriotism, mental...".But that's a joke!My players were patriots, and you yourself at RFI know that players have slept on the ground before matches. I myself slept on the floor to go and play matches, and we won them and still qualified for the AFCON! Even if we slept on the ground in Gambia (the Gambian authorities had blocked the selection overnight at the airport, citing a lack of valid Covid tests, on the eve of a AFCON 2021 qualifier, Editor's note). And aren't my players patriots? When we went to play in Congo (DRC) and the plane was about to crash and we stopped in Spain, the players went to play at 13 or 14, aren't they patriots? (Patrice Neveu is referring to a technical failure that forced their aircraft to land in Barcelona in a hurry during a trip between France and the DRC to play a AFCON qualifying match in Cameroon, which they won 1-0, Editor's note)".
