In a classic African showdown held at Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Ebimpe, the 40-year-old led the hosts to secure their third continental title with a remarkable comeback, clinching a 2-1 victory over the Super Eagles of Nigeria on February 11.
PUNCH Online reports that Fae joins the other 10 coaches of African roots to win the 34th edition of Africa’s premier tournament.
Fae took over from sacked coach Jean-Louis Gasset midway through the tournament.
“The contracts of coach Jean-Louis Gasset and his assistant Ghislain Printant are terminated due to insufficient results,” the FIF had said in a statement.
However, the team secured a lifeline by emerging as one of the third-best-placed teams in the group stages.
Subsequently, they surged to a pole position, marking a remarkable turnaround.
Since the inception of the competition in 1957, a total of 11 African coaches have won the title, According to CAF Online.
This number is anticipated to expand in the forthcoming editions, reflecting the rising presence of talented young African tacticians, both male and female, emerging from various corners of the continent.
Here is a full list of African coaches who have conquered and won the AFCON since its inaugural edition:
Sudan 1957: Mourad Fahmy (Egypt)
Ghana 1963: Charles Gyamfi (Ghana)
Tunisia 1965: Charles Gyamfi (Ghana)
Ghana 1978: Fred Osam Doudu (Ghana)
Libya 1982: Charles Gyamfi (Ghana)
Algeria 1990: Abdelhamid Kermali (Algeria)
Senegal 1992: Martial Yeo (Cote d’Ivoire)
South Africa 1996: Clive Barker (South Africa)
Burkina Faso 1998: Mohamed Al Gohari (Egypt)
Egypt 2006: Hassan Shehata (Egypt)
Ghana 2008: Hassan Shehata (Egypt)
Angola 2010: Hassan Shehata (Egypt)
South Africa 2013: Stephen Keshi (Nigeria)
Egypt 2019: Djamel Belmadi (Algeria)
Cameroon 2021: Aliou Cisse (Senegal)
Cote d’Ivoire 2023: Emerse Fae (Cote d’Ivoire)
PUNCH Online also reports that Morocco will host the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations in 2025.
Meanwhile, Fae also won the Best Coach award at the tournament’s closing ceremony.
