Emerys Faye assumed the coaching duties of his native country, Ivory Coast, and the position of head coach following the dismissal of Frenchman Jean-Louis Gasset after the conclusion of the group stage of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Fate would have it that he would enter the annals of history, leading the Elephants to clinch the title.
Ivory Coast embraced the Africa Cup of Nations trophy in 2023, which they hosted for the third time in their history, under the guidance of their national team coach, Emerys Faye.
Throughout the history of the Africa Cup of Nations, 29 coaches have inscribed their names in gold by clinching the coveted title.
Among them, Egyptians Hassan Shehata and Ghanaian Charles Gyamfi stand tall, having led their respective teams to three triumphs each.
Fourteen national coaches have managed to clinch the Africa Cup of Nations title, with Emerys Faye being the latest to achieve this feat with Ivory Coast, after assuming his role starting from the Round of 16 in the 2023 edition, in a rare occurrence.
Renowned figures such as Egypt’s Mahmoud El-Gohary and Nigeria’s Stephen Keshi have achieved the rare distinction of winning the title both as players and coaches.
El-Gohary secured the title as a player in 1959 and as a coach in 1998, while Keshi won it as a player in 1994 and as a coach in 2013.
Egyptian national coach Morad Fahmi was the first coach to secure an Africa Cup of Nations title, leading the Pharaohs to victory in the inaugural edition in 1957, alongside assistant Mohamed Latif.
Additionally, Congolese coach Adolphe Bibanzoulou led his national team to their only title in their history in the 1972 edition, while Ghanaian Fred Osam Duodu guided the Black Stars to victory in 1978.
Abdelhamid Kermali achieved success with Algeria’s Desert Warriors in the 1990 edition, a feat repeated by Djamel Belmadi in 2019.
Yeo Martial led Ivory Coast to claim the title in 1992, while South African coach Clive Barker guided Bafana Bafana to the podium in the 1996 edition.
Lastly, Ethiopian coach Yidnekatchew Tessema achieved success with his national team in the 1962 edition.
Indeed, the legacy of national coaches in the Africa Cup of Nations continues to be a source of pride.
From Aliou Cisse leading Senegal to their first-ever title in 2021 to Emerys Faye’s recent achievement with Ivory Coast, these coaches have left an indelible mark on African football.
