The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign will mark the beginning of new assignments for several established coaches, with six notable names taking charge of different national teams.
Hervé Renard, Claude Le Roy, Patrick Vieira, Sébastien Migné, Aliou Cissé and Moïn Chaabani are among the coaches beginning new spells as countries across the continent start their push for places at AFCON 2027.
The qualifying group stage features 48 countries competing across 12 groups, with the successful teams progressing to the tournament scheduled to be hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
HervĂ© Renard â Ivory Coast
Hervé Renard returns to Ivory Coast more than a decade after leading the Elephants to the Africa Cup of Nations title.
The French coach guided Ivory Coast to continental glory in 2015, three years after winning the same competition with Zambia.
His return gives him another opportunity to work with a country where he previously enjoyed major success, although the current squad is considerably different from the team he managed during his first spell.
Renard will begin the qualification campaign with a West African encounter against Ghana as he looks to quickly establish his approach with the Elephants.
Claude Le Roy â Congo
Veteran French coach Claude Le Roy has returned to Congo for his second spell in charge of the Red Devils.
The 78-year-old previously managed the country between 2013 and 2015 and brings decades of experience in African football to his latest assignment.
Le Roy has worked with several national teams on the continent and has managed at nine Africa Cup of Nations tournaments during his career.
His latest spell with Congo begins with an away encounter against Namibia as the Red Devils start their bid to reach the 2027 tournament.
Patrick Vieira â Senegal
Patrick Vieira begins a new chapter in his coaching career after taking charge of Senegal, the country of his birth.
The former France midfielder, who was part of the team that won the 1998 FIFA World Cup, enters senior international management after previously working at club level.
Vieiraâs coaching career has included spells with Nice, Crystal Palace and Genoa.
Managing Senegal presents a different challenge, with the former midfielder now responsible for a national team accustomed to competing among Africaâs leading sides.
The AFCON qualifiers will provide Vieira with his first competitive opportunity to establish his methods and assess his squad in an international setting.
SĂ©bastien MignĂ© â Gabon
Sébastien Migné has added Gabon to the list of African national teams he has managed during his coaching career.
The Frenchman previously worked with Kenya, Equatorial Guinea and the Republic of Congo, giving him considerable experience of international football on the continent.
Migné is expected to rely on that familiarity as he attempts to organise Gabon for what could be a demanding qualifying campaign.
One of his early assignments comes against Morocco, providing an immediate challenge for the new Gabon coach.
Aliou CissĂ© â Angola
Aliou Cissé begins another chapter in African football after taking charge of Angola.
The former Senegal international spent almost a decade managing his country and achieved his biggest success when he guided the Teranga Lions to their first Africa Cup of Nations title.
After leaving Senegal and later taking charge of Libya, Cissé has now moved to Angola to lead the Palancas Negras.
His knowledge of African international football will be important as he attempts to introduce his ideas to a new group of players.
Angola begin their campaign with a difficult trip to Cairo to face Egypt, giving Cissé a demanding opening assignment with his new team.
MoĂŻn Chaabani â Tunisia
MoĂŻn Chaabani takes charge of Tunisia after establishing his reputation through his achievements in African club football.
The Tunisian coach enjoyed considerable success with Espérance de Tunis, where he won consecutive CAF Champions League titles.
Managing the national team, however, brings different demands, particularly because international coaches have shorter periods to work with their players.
Chaabani will be expected to combine Tunisiaâs experienced internationals with other options available to him as the Carthage Eagles begin their AFCON qualification campaign.
New Coaches Face Immediate Qualifying Demands
Although the six coaches arrive with different levels of international experience, they share the immediate responsibility of producing results during the AFCON qualifying campaign.
Vieira enters senior international management for the first time, while Renard and Le Roy are returning to countries they have previously coached. Cissé, Migné and Chaabani, meanwhile, begin fresh assignments with teams seeking successful qualification campaigns.
Their performances will form part of the major storylines during the opening rounds as 48 countries begin the journey towards AFCON 2027.
The tournament will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, bringing the continental championship to East Africa.
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