Casualties of AFCON 2023
Adel Amrouche, Tom Saintfeit, and Chris Hughton are the first coaching casualties of the AFCON 2023 war. The three coaches will not be going to their offices after leaving Cote D’Ivoire.
The well-traveled Amrouche was a victim of his mouth, but Tanzania were already facing elimination when he left the tournament. His fate was sealed by an 8-match ban by CAF after insinuating that Morocco controlled African football and had match officials in their pockets. Tanzania Football Federation released a statement minutes after the CAF verdict relieving Amrouche of his duties as coach.
Tom Saintfeit could have kept his job. There was no indication that The Gambia Football Federation wanted to sack the Belgian, he had a contract until 2026. After leading West African nation to the quarterfinals of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, Saintfeit was held in high regard by Gambians. A group stage exit in 2023 was not what he signed up for, maybe.
“After everything is said and done, Gambia will indeed miss a great tactician. Five and a half years of incredible service to our nation, qualifying us to back-to-back AFCON was no fluke. Always the best of luck,” a statement released by The Gambia Football Federation after Saintfeit’s resignation stated.
Chris Hughton’s firing is not a surprise. Ghana Football Association always go for the coach when the team performs below expectations at AFCON. The entire technical team has also been shown the exit door by the powers that be in Ghana football. After six coaches in seven years, maybe it’s time for the GFA to look in the mirror for a solution.
