The 34th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, held in Ivory Coast, has unfolded with unprecedented surprises, including Equatorial Guinea topping Group A and Cape Verde leading Group B.
Notably, the early elimination of Algeria and Ghana from the tournament has led to the departure of several coaches, as poor group stage results proved to be the decisive factor for some.
Tunisia’s Coach Resigns
Jalal Al-Qadri, the coach of Tunisia, is the latest to bid farewell after resigning following Tunisia’s group-stage exit.
The team finished at the bottom of Group E, securing only two points from three matches, prompting Al-Qadri to step down.
Ghana Sacks Coach
The Ghana Football Association decided to part ways with Chris Hughton, the coach of the Black Stars, after their premature exit in the group stage.
Ghana managed to gather only two points from three matches, marking the second consecutive early elimination for the national team.
Gambia Parts Ways with Coach
The Gambian Football Federation officially expressed gratitude to head coach Tom Saintfiet, who played a crucial role in Gambia’s historic qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations in 2021 and 2023.
However, following a group stage exit without securing a single point, the federation decided to part ways with him.
Ivory Coast Ousts Coach
Ivory Coast’s Football Federation decided to dismiss head coach Jean-Louis Gasset and appoint Emery Faye, coach of the Ivory Coast Olympic team, after the team suffered a significant defeat against Equatorial Guinea in the final group stage match.
Algeria’s Belmadi Departs
Continuing the trend of managerial changes, the Algerian Football Federation announced the departure of Jamal Belmadi, the head coach of the Desert Warriors.
The decision followed Algeria’s group stage elimination, culminating in a narrow loss to Mauritania.
Tanzania Fires Coach
In a noteworthy incident, Adel Amrouche, the head coach of the Tanzanian national team, became the first manager to be sacked after the first round of group matches in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Amrouche faced an eight-match suspension and a $10,000 fine from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for his criticism of the Moroccan national team and accusations of CAF’s leniency towards the Moroccan Football Federation.
In response, the Tanzanian Football Federation decided to relieve him of his duties and appointed his assistant, Hamid Moroko.
