Give African coaches time to work – Emerse Faé urges African football leaders

Former Ivory Coast head coach Emerse Faé has called on African football leaders to exercise greater patience with national team coaches and provide them with the necessary resources and working conditions to succeed.

Faé, who guided the Elephants to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations title on home soil, believes African football can make significant progress if coaches are given sufficient time to implement their ideas and build competitive teams.

The Ivorian tactician delivered his message during a strategic conference organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in Cape Verde last week, where he highlighted the need for a more supportive environment for coaches across the continent.

His comments come amid concerns over the frequent changes of national team coaches in African football, with technical handlers often facing pressure to deliver immediate results despite limited preparation time and resources.

Faé believes such an approach can undermine the long-term development of national teams, insisting that building a successful side requires patience, consistent support and a clear technical direction.

“For progress to be made and for African football to continue to grow, African leaders must give coaching staff time to do their work: they have ideas, but football doesn’t happen overnight, it takes hard work and time,” he said.

“So let these coaches get on with their work, and we must also provide the conditions for them to do their jobs properly. We’re every bit as good as the Europeans or the South Americans, but we really need the same conditions and the same mindset as those teams that are winning.”

Faé’s remarks underline his belief that African coaches possess the technical knowledge and ability to compete with their counterparts in Europe and South America. However, he argues that their potential can only be fully realised when football authorities create an environment that allows them to work effectively.

Access to adequate training facilities, quality technical support, proper preparation programmes and sufficient time to implement tactical plans are among the factors that can help national teams achieve sustained success.

The former Ivory Coast coach also believes that football administrators must adopt a longer-term approach to team development rather than judging coaches solely on short-term results. While winning remains a major objective for national teams, he stressed that meaningful progress requires a consistent vision and the commitment of those responsible for managing the game.

Faé’s own experience with the Elephants offers an important backdrop to his argument. He took charge of Ivory Coast during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations after the dismissal of Jean-Louis Gasset, initially serving as interim coach before leading the team to a remarkable triumph on home soil.

The Elephants recovered from a difficult group-stage campaign to defeat Senegal, Mali, DR Congo and Nigeria in the knockout rounds, eventually beating the Super Eagles 2-1 in the final to secure their third continental title.

That achievement strengthened Faé’s reputation as a coach capable of guiding a national team through difficult circumstances and delivering success under pressure.

However, his tenure eventually came to an end after the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the Ivorian Football Federation opting not to renew his contract.

Despite his departure, Faé continues to advocate for improvements in the way African football authorities manage their technical departments, particularly regarding the treatment and development of coaches.

His message is that African football has the talent and technical expertise needed to compete with the world’s leading football nations, but sustained progress will depend on giving coaches the time, resources and institutional backing required to translate their ideas into results.

As African national teams continue to pursue success on the continental and global stages, Faé believes greater stability and improved working conditions for coaching staff must become central to the continent’s football development strategy.