Comoros: Stefano Cusin sets out his roadmap

Stefano Cusin, how do you feel after signing for the Comoros on a two-year deal?

I'm very happy to have been chosen by the Comoros. Things happened quickly. My contract with South Sudan was up on 30 September. I'd been told the Comoros were interested in me, but I knew there were other coaches in the same situation. I got a call on Thursday 28 September asking me to come to Moroni with my agent. They sent us the plane tickets, and we arrived in Moroni on Saturday morning. We had a first meeting that same day, talks carried on on Sunday and I signed on Monday.

Did you have other offers?

I had offers from clubs, notably in Qatar. First of all, my initial wish was to extend my stay in South Sudan, who wanted me to stay. But I also thought about the fact that working conditions there aren't easy, in the sense that the state helps very little. The federation president works tirelessly and is very involved, but without government support, it's difficult. Sometimes we couldn't bring in players based abroad because we couldn't afford to pay for the travel.

Despite that, we got results. Without ever playing in Juba, we won in Congo (2-1) in qualifying for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, and in Kenya in a friendly (1-0) on 12 September. I had an extraordinary experience with this team, made up of players with an excellent mentality, and a committed president. But I had the feeling it would be hard for us to progress with so few resources. So I wanted to carry on working with a national team, preferably a French-speaking one (Cusin speaks fluent French, editor's note).

The Comoros are a step up…

Yes. You can see the resources are greater and that it's better organised. I'm aware the Comoros are a small country and that the state helps as far as it can. I had an excellent conversation with Saïd Ali Athouman, the federation president, who is calm, intelligent and makes sure the team works in good conditions. The team missed out on qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, so we'll focus first on the friendly on 16 October against Cape Verde in France.

"I'm going to try to convince dual nationals to join us"

Wouldn't you have preferred to play two friendlies?

No. With just one game, we'll have time to get to know each other, exchange ideas and train properly.

What targets has the federation set?

First, to do well in our 2026 World Cup qualifying group. We know it will be tough, with Ghana, Mali, Madagascar, Chad and the Central African Republic, but we'll do our best. The main objective is to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco in 2025. It's a very interesting project.

What do you know about your new team?

I followed their run at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon with great interest. I really liked the football they played and their enthusiasm. I've also watched their last ten games. There's quality there, good players. We'll need to think about gradually bringing in youngsters. I'll first concentrate on the three games we'll play between now and the end of the year. My job will also involve trying to convince dual nationals to join us. And I'll spend time in the Comoros to follow the local league. But first we'll deal with the matches immediately ahead…

Alexis Billebault