Legends to win AFCON title as player, coach

By Peter Ochieng

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco will be the 35th edition, since the tournament was first staged in 1957.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) conducted the draw on Monday, January 27, 2025 in Rabat, with the 24 teams getting to know their group opponents, ahead of the tournament set to run from December 21, 2025 to January 18, 2026.

During the tourney, records will be broken and new ones set, but one record will continue standing the test of time. It is about two African legends who have won an AFCON title as both player and coach.

Who are they? Read on.

1. Mahmoud El Gohary

Red hot Mahmoud El Gohary led Egypt to the 1959 AFCON title as a player, finishing as top scorer with three goals.

He scored a hat-trick when Egypt defeated Ethiopia 4-0 in the opening game, before scoring another in a 2-1 win over Sudan in the final.

However, his time as a player was short lived, a persistent knee injury forcing him to hang up his boots in 1961.

He ventured into coaching, taking charge of various clubs in and out of Egypt before being appointed Pharaoh’s head coach for the first time in 1988, for a period of two years.

He made a return to the Egypt national football team dugout in 1997, leading the team to the 1998 AFCON title – becoming the first man to win an AFCON title as both player and coach.

He died on August 31, 2012, aged 74.   

2. Stephen Okechukwu Keshi

Centre-back Stephen Keshi was an integral part of the Nigeria squad that won the 1994 AFCON title in Tunisia.

The Super Eagles defeated then defending champions Ivory Coast in the semis, enroute to beating Kalusha Bwalya led Zambia’s Chipolopolo 2-1 in the final.

The team comprised of stars such as Rashid Yekini, Daniel Amokachi, Augustine Jay Jay Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu, Benedict Iroha, Emmanuel Amunike, Peter Rufai, Uche Okechukwu, Augustine Eguavoen, Taribo West, Sunday Oliseh, Tijani Babangida, Victor Ikpeba, Samson Siasia and Michael Emanalo, making it one of the finest Nigerian squads in history.

Upon retiring, he delved into coaching with his major breakthrough coming when he helped the Togolese national team to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.

He then managed the Mali national football team, before taking over as Nigeria head coach in 2011.

Keshi led Nigeria to the 2013 AFCON title in South Africa, courtesy of a 1-0 win over Burkina Faso in the final.

The win etched his name in the annals of AFCON history, as the second man to win the title both as a player and as a coach.

He died on June 07, 2016 aged 54.