Morocco, Senegal and Egypt exited in the round of 16… The “White Wizard” Claude Le Roy explains the massacre of the favorites

The first French coach to win an African Cup of Nations is not surprised by the redistribution of cards on the continent. He would see South Africa, Cape Verde or Mali in the final.

You probably have to have the flair and experience of Claude Le Roy, 75, not to be surprised by the massacre underway at the African Cup of Nations. Algeria, Ghana and Tunisia were eliminated in the group stage, Senegal, Egypt and Morocco in the round of 16. “Everything exploded”, summarizes the former “White Wizard”, the first French coach to win a CAN, in 1988 with Cameroon. Indeed: no quarter-finalist had reached this stage of the competition during the previous edition, in 2022.

“The Moroccans made a lot of mistakes that were surprising for them, notes Claude Le Roy. Their round of 16 being scheduled last, Tuesday January 30, they may have thought the road was clear. Instead of liberating the players, this opportunity seemed to tense them up.” And South Africa took advantage (2-0), after Achraf Hakimi missed the equalizing penalty five minutes from time, while the score was still 1-0.

Bafana Bafana is no surprise for the man who has managed five African selections and had named three outsiders before the opening match: Mali, Cape Verde and South Africa, therefore. With around twenty players from the local championship, “structured and coherent”the country titled in 1996 has formed a homogeneous group, led by a Belgian septuagenarian, Hugo Broos, who knows the recipe: he was at the head of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, winners of the CAN in 2017.

In this team, Le Roy cites the goalkeeper, Ronwen Williams, whom he considers to be the best performer in the tournament. He will have work to do in the quarter-final against the speedy attackers of Cape Verde on Saturday February 3. In particular Ryan Mendes, who passed through Le Havre and Lille at the start of his career, and scored twice in this CAN. Le Roy, seduced, recognizes that coach Pedro Leitao Brito “knows how to lead a group” and has “a real gaming identity”.

Nigeria has been able to adapt

The Eagles of Mali, third shot heart of the former PSG manager, will try to stop the return to favor of the Ivory Coast, the organizing country in pain, qualified among the best thirds and which lost its coach, Jean-Louis Gasset, on the way, after the slap at the first round against Equatorial Guinea (0-4).

With Ivory Coast, Nigeria is the last favorite in the table still present. The team reacted well to the withdrawal of Victor Boniface, revelation of the German season with Bayer Leverkusen, who was to form an attractive attacking duo with Victor Osimhen. Without him, the Super Eagles have “adopted another tactical organization”which finally “rendered service”. Facing Angola, Friday February 2, the most populous country on the continent will try to survive the bad luck of the favorites.