A host of African football legends have landed new jobs as national team coaches on the continent and ahead of the March World Cup qualifiers, who are those looking to impress?
As the 2026 World Cup qualifiers approach, a host of teams in Africa will be taking to the pitch under new management in the dugout.
Since the last international window in November 2024, there have been changes as a number of national teams shook up their technical benches in a bid to get success in the future.
Some African giants like Nigeria and Senegal have appointed new coaches with the likes of Kenya and Libya also getting fresh faces in the dugout.
Among the new coaches who will be seeking to impress starting this month are a host of well-known African football legends, who were lauded for their talents on the pitch and now want to translate it into coaching.
Benni McCarthy
Benni McCarthy when he was unveiled Harambee Stars coach. Photo/FKF Media
South Africa’s all-time leading scorer Benni McCarthy was unveiled as head coach of Kenya’s Harambee Stars on march 3, 2025, taking on a new role after coaching clubs such as Cape Town City and AmaZulu in South Africa as well as Manchester United as attacking coach.
McCarthy is the man tasked with lifting the standards of perennial underachievers Kenya and he has vowed to ensure he wakes up what he terms a ‘sleeping giant’ of East Africa, starting with qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
McCarthy has little time to impress as an away tie against The Gambia and a home match with Gabon are penciled for March 20 and 23 respectively.
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Aliou Cisse
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Aliou Cisse is now coach of Libya after parting ways with Senegal. © Imago
Senegal legend Aliou Cisse has secured a new job as head coach of the Libya national team following his appointment in February 2025.
Cisse replaced Libyan coach Nasser Al-Hadeeri, who had taken over after the departure of Serbian coach Micho.
He brings a wealth of experience both as a player and coach, having been Senegal’s captain when they reached a surprise 2002 World Cup semi-final, while he was the longest-serving coach of an African team, having been in charge of the Teranga Lions from 2015-2024.
Cisse won AFCON 2021, having reached the final in 2019, and led Senegal to the 2018 and 2022 World Cup, and those are the heights that Libya are hoping he can take them, starting with this month’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Angola and Cameroon.
Rigobert Song
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Cameroon legend Rigobert Song has landed a new job as Central Africa Republic coach. || Imago
A two-time AFCON winner, Cameroon legend Rigobert Song is among African football legends who have secured new jobs as national team coaches following his unveiling as the tactician of the Central Africa Republic this month.
Handed a two-year contract, Song will be expected to use the knowledge gathered as Cameroon national team coach from 2022-2024 to lead the team to glory.
Song’s appointment is, however, the subject of a tussle between the CAR football federation and the government after the FA refused to recognize him, claiming they were not involved in the hiring process.
The former defender’s first assignment will be the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Madagascar and Mali.
Pape Thiaw
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Pape Thiaw as confirmed as Senegal head coach in December 2025.
Former Senegal star Pape Thiaw is the man who walked into the big shoes vacated by Aliou Cisse as the Teranga Lions coach.
Thiaw held the position on an interim basis since October 2024, when Cisse was dismissed, but he was officially confirmed in December 2024, beginning a new chapter with the African giants.
The 43-year-old, who was part of the Senegal team that reached the 2002 World Cup quarter-final, led the nation to victory in the 2022 African Nations Championships (CHAN) and that experience will be vital at AFCON 2025 and the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, with matches against Sudan and Togo this month.
Eric Chelle
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Eric Chelle was appointed Super Eagles coach in January 2025. | Credit: X(@NFF)
Former Mali coach Eric Chelle is the man who took on the ‘pressure cooker’ that is the Nigeria national team coach job.
Chelle joined Nigeria with his stock high after leading Mali to the quarter-final of AFCON 2023, becoming the first non-Nigerian African coach to handle the Super Eagles.
Born in Ivory Coast, the former defender won five caps for Mali and played most of club career in France. Eric Chelle has a big job on his hands as Nigeria are in dire straits as far World Cup qualification is concerned.
The Super Eagles are second from bottom in their World Cup qualification group with three points from four matches, four behind Rwanda, South Africa and Benin, and there is massive pressure to revive their fortunes, starting with an away match to Rwanda and a home clash with Zimbabwe this month.
