The group stage matches of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) concluded on Wednesday night with Morocco defeating Zambia and Tanzania holding DR Congo to a draw.
Morocco’s victory brought positive news for hosts Ivory Coast as they qualified as one of the four best losers.
However, for some coaches, the tournament has been challenging, leading to their dismissal or resignation.
Here are five coaches who have resigned or been sacked so far.
- Chris Hughton
The Ghana Football Association showed Irish trainer Chris Hughton the exit on Tuesday night, shortly after the official confirmation of the Black Stars’ elimination from the Africa Cup of Nations.
Hughton had led Ghana to the tournament in Ivory Coast but managed to secure only two points out of a possible nine in the group stage.
- Jean-Louis Gasset
Despite Ivory Coast securing a spot in the next round of the competition, head coach Jean-Louis Gasset has also been relieved of his duties.
The Frenchman guided the Elephants to just one win from three games in the group stage. They experienced consecutive defeats against Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea, resulting in a third-place finish in the group.
- Tom Saintfiet
After Gambia’s inability to qualify from their group in this year’s AFCON, Tom Saintfiet announced his resignation during the press conference at the end of the game against Cameroon.
The Scorpions lost all of their group games and were unable to secure a point this year, contrasting their progress from the first round two years ago.
- Djamel Belmadi
After five years in charge of the national team, Djamel Belmadi resigned from his role as the head coach of the Algeria national team.
This decision came after the team’s elimination in the group stage for the second consecutive time since winning the trophy in 2019.
An agreement was reached with the Algerian Football Association for Belmadi to step down from his position following the latest setback.
- Jalel Kadri
With Tunisia also failing to advance past the group stage, Jalel Kadri stepped down from his role as the head coach of the Carthage Eagles on Wednesday.
The North African side finished at the bottom of their group, securing only two points from their three games played.
