A historic shift in African football leadership will be on display at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, with a majority of participating teams now entrusted to African head coaches.

Out of the 24 nations set to compete at the continent’s flagship tournament, 13 will be led by African nationals, marking the first time in AFCON history that local coaches outnumber their foreign counterparts.

The remaining 11 teams are managed by coaches from Europe and South America.

Tournament hosts Morocco are led by Walid Regragui, whose reputation soared after guiding the Atlas Lions to a historic semi-final finish at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

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Senegal, the 2021 champions, will be coached by former international Pape Thiaw, while Egypt have turned to national legend Hossam Hassan in their bid to reclaim continental dominance.

Nigeria’s Super Eagles will be handled by Malian coach Éric Sékou Chelle, Sudan are under the guidance of Ghanaian tactician Kwesi Appiah, and defending AFCON champions Ivory Coast continue with Emerse Faé, who steered the Elephants to glory in dramatic fashion in 2023.

Elsewhere, African coaches are also in charge of Mozambique, Zambia, Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Botswana and Burkina Faso.

For decades, African football federations largely depended on European coaches, often citing tactical sophistication and experience as justification.

That narrative is now shifting, with federations increasingly backing homegrown expertise and former players who understand the unique demands of African football.

Many of the African coaches at AFCON 2025 are ex-national team stars, bringing not only technical knowledge but also cultural awareness, emotional intelligence and a strong sense of national identity.

Their familiarity with local player mentality and football environments is seen as a key advantage.

The foreign contingent still features notable names, including Vladimir Petkovic (Algeria), Hugo Broos (South Africa), Gernot Rohr (Benin) and Sébastien Desabre (DR Congo).

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