Otto Pfister, Claude Le Roy, Tom Saintfiet… the coaches who have managed the most African national teams

The great globe-trotters of African dugouts

Africa Today at 06:04

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Otto Pfister, Claude Le Roy, Tom Saintfiet… the coaches who have managed the most African national teams

The return of Hervé Renard to the helm of Côte d'Ivoire once again highlights the phenomenon of 'globe-trotting' head coaches in Africa. These managers are capable of racking up experience on the benches of multiple national teams. By returning to the Elephants for a second spell, the French tactician marks his sixth stint in charge of an African team, while remaining at five different nations managed. This journey brings him closer to the greatest travelers in the continent's history, even if he still stands some way off the all-time record held by Otto Pfister.

No coach has traversed African football quite like Otto Pfister. The German manager has been at the helm of eight different national teams: Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso), Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Zaire (now DR Congo), Ghana, Togo, Cameroon, and Nigeria.

Spending over three decades on African benches, Pfister built a reputation as a continental football expert, thanks to his ability to rebuild squads and make them competitive in major tournaments.

Tom Saintfiet and Claude Le Roy: seven teams each

Right behind Pfister are two stalwarts of African football, each having managed seven different national teams. Tom Saintfiet has coached Namibia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Malawi, Togo, Gambia, and Mali. The Belgian tactician has made a name for himself as one of the most sought-after coaches in Africa, thanks to his knack for developing teams with limited resources.

The same tally for Claude Le Roy, a true legend of African football. The Frenchman has managed Cameroon, Senegal, DR Congo, Ghana, Congo, Togo, and Madagascar. Winner of the 1988 AFCON with Cameroon, he remains one of the most influential foreign coaches in the continent's history.

Hervé Renard: a unique record in Africa

With his return to the Ivorian bench, Hervé Renard now totals six stints on African sidelines, but only five different teams: Zambia, Angola, Côte d'Ivoire (twice), Morocco, and Tunisia.

Many French coaches have made their mark on the Africa Cup of Nations, but two of them have achieved feats worth mentioning: Claude Le Roy and Hervé Renard.#TotalAFCON
— CAF - FR (@caf_online_FR) June 6, 2020

His journey is especially highlighted by an achievement no one else has matched: he remains the only coach to have won the Africa Cup of Nations with two different countries—Zambia in 2012 and Côte d'Ivoire in 2015. This feat makes him one of the most iconic managers in African football history.

Philippe Troussier completes the top five

Another great traveler of African dugouts, Philippe Troussier, has managed five national teams: Nigeria, Burkina Faso, South Africa, Morocco, and Benin.

Nicknamed the "White Witch Doctor," he also built a remarkable international career in Asia, notably with Japan, confirming his reputation as a specialist in managing national teams.

The return of Hervé Renard to Côte d'Ivoire is a reminder that African federations continue to place their trust in experienced coaches who truly understand the realities of the continent. While Otto Pfister still holds the record with eight teams managed, the paths of Claude Le Roy, Tom Saintfiet, and Hervé Renard underscore the importance of experience and adaptability in African football, where sporting and institutional challenges demand in-depth knowledge of the game on the ground.