CHAN countdown: Coaches who led teams to title wins

By Peter Ochieng

It is slightly over two weeks before the 8th edition of the African Nations Champions (CHAN) kick-off on February 01, 2025, in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

On the final day of the tournament – 28th February 2025, one team out of the 18 that booked their slots will be crowned champions.

And that team will have a coach who will join a growing list of managers who led their teams to the CHAN title triumphs.

No coach in the tournament’s 16-year history has won the championship twice.

Here is the list of CHAN’s successful coaches:

1. Jean-Santos N'Diela Muntubila

The Congolese tactician led his DRC side to the title during CHAN’s first edition in 2009, hosted by Ivory Coast.

A 2-0 win was the score in favor of DRC against Ghana in the final.

2. Sami Trabelsi     

The former player aided his Tunisian side to the title in 2011, courtesy of a 3-0 win against Angola.

Sudan played host to the 2011 tournament.

3. Javier Clemente

The only none-African coach to win the CAF title. With South Africa hosting the tournament, Javier Clemente, a Spanish football manager led Libya to victory in 2014.

The North Africans beat Ghana 4-3 via post-match spot kicks, after a 0-0 stalemate in the final.

4. Florent Ibengé

In 2014 in Rwanda, DRC became the first team to win the CHAN title twice. This time round, Florent Ibengé was the man in the dugout.

DRC thrashed Mali 3-0 in the final.

5. Jamal Sellami

Morocco became the first nation to host and win the CHAN tournament, after the previous four hosts had failed.

The team, coached by Jamal Sellami handed Nigeria a football lesson, with a 4-0 battering in the final.

6. Hussein Ammouta

More history for Morocco two years later in Cameroon as the team coached by Hussein Ammouta, became the first in history to defend its CHAN crown.

A 2-0 win against Mali was enough to hand Morrocco the second title on the trot, in 2020.

7. Pape Thiaw

Thiaw was the man who led Senegal to victory in 2022, in Algeria. The West Africans beat hosts Algeria 5-4 via post-match penalties.

However, Thiaw will not be on the sidelines when the Teranga Lions try to defend their title in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. He replaced Aliou Cisse as Senegal head coach, but the CHAN squad is under the tutelage of one Souleymane Diallo.