François Zahoui Appointed Head Coach of Niger National Team
Niger have named François Zahoui as their new national team head coach, the Nigerien Football Federation (FENIFOOT) confirmed on Tuesday.
The Ivorian tactician was selected from a pool of 24 applicants to succeed Gernot Rohr, who recently left the post to take charge of Burkina Faso. Zahoui’s immediate task will be guiding Niger through the qualifiers for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Gabon.
The Mena are drawn in Group K, where they face a challenging path to qualification alongside Senegal, Namibia, and Burundi. The qualifying campaign is set to begin in June.
Zahoui, 53, has been without a club since his departure from Guinean side AS Kaloum last week. A former professional forward, he played in Europe for clubs including Ascoli in Italy and Nancy and Toulon in France.
He is perhaps best known for his time as head coach of Ivory Coast, where he led the Elephants to the 2012 AFCON final, narrowly losing to Zambia in a dramatic penalty shootout.
Niger will hope Zahoui’s experience on the continental stage can provide the leadership needed to revitalise the team and steer them to just their third AFCON appearance.
— BBC News-style report
