Morocco’s Walid Regragui. (X)
An all-African coaching battle will define the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final, as Morocco’s Walid Regragui and Senegal’s Pape Thiaw prepare for a high-stakes tactical duel. The matchup guarantees that an African coach will once again lift the continent’s most coveted trophy, underscoring a seismic shift in the landscape of international football.
As the Ivory Coast’s reign as champions officially draws to a close, Morocco and Senegal will vie for the throne. The Atlas Lions advanced following a gruelling semifinal victory over Nigeria on January 14. After 120 minutes of scoreless football, Morocco triumphed 4-2 on penalties. They now stand a single victory away from securing their second-ever continental star, exactly 50 years after their inaugural win in 1976.
Standing in their way are the Lions of Teranga, hungry to add a second star to their crest following their breakthrough 2021 title. Senegal secured their place in the January 18 finale by overcoming Egypt, the continent’s most successful side. The decisive blow came via a thunderous strike from Sadio Mané, effectively ending the title hopes of his longtime contemporary, Mohamed Salah. For the 33-year-old Salah, the defeat was particularly poignant, as the window to capture an elusive AFCON trophy narrows with every passing season.
Ditching the Eurocentric Model
Beyond the individual brilliance on the pitch, the tournament reached a landmark milestone in the semifinals: for the first time in history, every remaining team was led by an African mentor. This shift marks a profound evolution in the continental game, suggesting that African federations are finding unprecedented success by ditching the Eurocentric model and trusting local tactical minds.
While Egypt’s Mourad Fahmy secured the inaugural AFCON title in 1957, the decades that followed were often dominated by European and South American coaches. However, the tide has officially turned.
Of the 24 nations in the 2025 field, 14 were led by African head coaches, outnumbering international counterparts for the third consecutive tournament.
Interestingly, the last four AFCON titles have been won exclusively by African tacticians, including Emerse Faé (Ivory Coast, 2023), Aliou Cissé (Senegal, 2021), and Djamel Belmadi (Algeria, 2019).
The era of foreign dominance, last highlighted by Hervé Renard’s historic wins with Zambia (2012) and Ivory Coast (2015), is facing its most sustained challenge yet.
The preference for local leadership is no longer just a trend; it is a demand from players and legends alike. Before his team’s exit, Egypt’s Hossam Hassan expressed immense pride in the homegrown semifinal sweep. “With all due respect for foreign coaches, I am one of those who favour countries hiring local coaches,” Hassan remarked.
This sentiment was echoed by Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi, who urged the Nigeria Football Federation to maintain stability despite their semifinal exit under Malian coach Éric Chelle. “For continuity, I feel like they should keep the coach… he’s a wonderful manager,” Ndidi said. “The only thing we need now is continuity, not to try to change things because we didn’t get to a final.”
Trust African coaches, but export players to Europe
Interestingly, Hassan wants the opposite when it comes to the players. “Any player playing in Europe becomes more mature physically and tactically. Our team has the least number [of exports – three in Europe]. We need more players playing in European leagues,” Hassan told journalists.
He believes even with a limited number of European-based stars, the team remained highly competitive. “With the three players we have in Europe, we were able to get to the semifinal,” he added.
Despite the push to export players, Hassan emphasised that players remaining in Egypt must face the highest level of competition possible. He challenged Egyptian clubs to prioritise deep runs in the CAF Champions League to bridge the gap.
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos says South Africa needs to export players to the biggest leagues to reach the next level.
“Our players have to be challenged more, I said from the beginning, the level of PSL and the level we were up against is a very big [difference],” said Broos after being booted out of the AFCON in the Round of 16.
“You can only make that gap smaller when you have players in big competitions. So, let’s hope we have players who can get chances to move to the big competitions in Europe.”
Thiaw will place his hopes on Mané, who rose to prominence during his time at Liverpool, while Achraf Hakimi of PSG will be expected to steer the hosts to the podium.
19 out of 35 Editions Won By Africans
While the landscape is changing, the bar for success remains set by two African icons. Ghana’s Charles Gyamfi (1963, 1965, 1982) and Egypt’s Hassan Shehata (2006, 2008, 2010) share the record for the most decorated coach in tournament history with three titles each.
For Egypt, the shadow of Shehata’s three-peat has grown long. Their quest for an eighth star was dismantled by Senegal’s clinical efficiency, ensuring the Pharaohs’ post-Shehata drought continues.
By the time the final whistle blows on Sunday, African coaches will have guided their teams to victory in 19 of the 35 editions of the tournament. Whether it is Regragui’s tactical discipline or Thiaw’s attacking flair that prevails, the ultimate winner is already decided: the rising prestige of the African coach.