- Mosimane said Keshi has laid the foundation for African coaches
- Challenges African coaches to emulate him
- Mosimane does not see expatriate coaches as superior
WHAT HAPPENED? All African countries in the 2022 Fifa World Cup will be coached by indigenous tacticians – a shift from what has happened in the past. According to the South African, African coaches have what it takes to excel at the highest level in the beautiful game, insisting that the former Nigeria and Togo handler set up a good template for others in the continent to follow.
WHAT HE SAID: "What Keshi did by beating foreign managers on his way to continental success was to break that notion of an African coach," Mosimane told BBC Sport Africa. "He also laid the foundation for others to follow. I think his round of 16 achievements also set the tone globally.
"The last two winners of the Nations Cup are Africans [Djamel Belmadi of Algeria and Cisse of Senegal] which shows that most African coaches are as qualified as their foreign counterparts.
"It is ridiculous that people continue to hold on to the belief that only foreigners are good for African teams. These coaches also played for top teams in Europe and elsewhere - they are exposed to modern ideas and deserve the respect of our players, fans, media and other cynics."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Aliou Cisse led Senegal to win the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon. There, he defeated Egypt handled by Carlos Queiroz in the final. This feat, among other things, has inspired optimism that African coaches can lead their countries to glory when the global football showpiece gets underway in the Middle East.
AND WHAT'S MORE: Africa’s representatives at Russia 2018 crashed out in the group stage, with Mosimane stating that happened due to poor preparation and unnecessary distractions.
IN THREE PHOTOS
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DID YOU KNOW? African football great Keshi remains the only African coach to have led an African team to the knockout phase of a World Cup.
WHAT NEXT FOR MOSIMANE? After leading Al Ahly to two Champions League triumphs, the 58-year-old stepped down as coach of the Egyptians on June 13, 2022. He is expected to announce his next destination in the coming days.
