Patrick Vieira leads wave of new coaches into 2027 Afcon qualifying
World Cup winner Patrick Vieira headlines a lengthy list of new coaches in charge of African national teams as the group qualifiers for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals kick off on Thursday.
Vieira takes charge of Senegal, where he was born, as they look to recover from a disappointing World Cup where they were expected to pose Africa’s best challenge at the tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the United States but delivered an underwhelming performance that cost their former coach Pape Bouna Thiaw his job.
A total of 21 new coaches will be in charge this week as 48 countries begin the group phase of the qualifiers. The list includes six of the 10 African countries who competed at the World Cup.
Among these, former SuperSport United, Mamelodi Sundowns and Al-Ahly (Cairo) coach Pitso Mosimane returns for his second stint at the helm of Bafana Bafana, who meet Guinea at Orlando Stadium on Saturday (3pm) and Eritrea ion neutral Cairo on Wednesday.
🇸🇳 “I was born here, my parents were born here, and it really is a homecoming”Patrick Vieira says it is “an honour” to become Senegal head coach, with the decision to take the job “one from the heart”., pic.twitter.com/ERdjyIezlL— BBC News Africa (@BBCAfrica) September 19, 2026
Vieira was only a child when he and his mother left Dakar for France, whom he helped win the 1998 World Cup.
“I have lots of flashes, such as the place where I used to play football with a tennis ball,” he said after returning to the country as an adult.
However, there is no home debut for Vieira this month with Senegal playing Mozambique and Ethiopia away and then playing a friendly against the Comoros in Marseille.
Winning Afcon coaches Aliou Cissé (Senegal 2021) and Hervé Renard (Zambia 2012 and Ivory Coast 2015) have new jobs, with Cissé coaching Angola, who face Egypt in Cairo on Friday. Renard has an equally tough return to the role of Ivory Coast coach as they host neighbours Ghana.
Pitso Mosimane on Olwethu Makhanya as Bafana prepares for Afcon qualifier against Guinea. WATCH press conference➡️➡️➡️https://t.co/43WISafy6V pic.twitter.com/G4bnJOUKDk— Mahlatse Mphahlele (@BraMahlatse) September 21, 2026
Renard was drafted in as an emergency to coach Tunisia at the World Cup, after Sabri Lamouchi was dismissed following a heavy defeat in their first game. The North Africans have since appointed Moin Chaabani, a former international defender, to revive their fortunes.
Sebastien Migné is the new coach of Gabon, who begin their campaign away to Morocco on Friday. The Frenchman should know their opponents well, having coached Haiti when they twice led Morocco in a World Cup group game in Atlanta before losing 4-2.
There is also a return for 78-year-old Claude Le Roy, as coach of Congo, who are away against Namibia on Thursday. Le Roy last coached Togo five years ago.
It will be the veteran French coach’s 12th national team appointment and a second stint with the Congolese, where he was coach from 2013 to 2015.
Le Roy holds the record for the most tournament appearances (9) and matches (38) coached at the Cup of Nations finals.