Newly appointed Simba SC head coach in line for CAF Coach of the Year Award

• Abdelhak Benchikha has been nominated for Coach of the Year Award
• He recently joined Simba after the firing of Roberto Oliveira
• Also nominated is Morocco’s Walid Regragui and Senegal’s Aliou Cisse

Newly appointed Simba SC head coach Abdelhak Benchikha has been nominated in the coach of the year category at the CAF Awards set for Monday night. Benchikha, who recently joined Simba after the firing of Roberto Oliveira led his former club USM Alger to their first ever continental title, when they won the CAF Confederation Cup.

He faces tough competition for the award with two national team coaches, Walid Regragui of Morocco and Alliou Cisse of Senegal. Regragui led his country to shine at the highest level of world football when he guided Morocco to Africa’s first-ever semi-final appearance at a FIFA World Cup finals.

After his succeeding at club level with Wydad, the Moroccan tactician has established himself at national level as one of the best coaches on the continent as he continues to set benchmarks in his coaching career on the continent with the Moroccan national team.

Reigning CAF coach of the year, Cisse will be hoping to retain the award that he deservedly won in 2022 after his brilliance with the Senegalese national team, which he led to being crowned TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations champions.

Post his success on the continent, Cisse guided the Lions of Teranga to a Round of 16 finish at the recent FIFA World Cup before exiting the tournament at the hands of England.

Cisse hopes to win twice in succession 

Senegal Aliou Cisse. PHOTO/FSF

Senegal’s continued performance, through the guidance of Cisse has led to the coach being shortlisted in the list of top 3 African coaches where he is hoping to make history by winning it twice in succession.

Meanwhile, Morocco and Senegal have also been nominated for team of the year, with Gambia also named in.

Morocco has had a run to remember, with history tagged on their shoulders at least for the foreseeable future. The Atlas Lions became the first ever African country to reach the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup, surpassing an earlier mark set by Senegal, who became the first African country to reach the quarters in 1998.

The Moroccans did so with a brilliant run, beating giants Spain in the round of 16 and Portugal in the quarter finals. They had erstwhile topped their group, with wins over Belgium and Canada as well as a draw against 2018 finalists Croatia.

Senegal dominated most of the continental events. The team clinched their first ever Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) title at the start of the year, adding on to their first ever AFCON title the year before.

The Senegalese teams also dominated the youth tournaments, winning the Under-20 in Egypt and the Under-17 in Algeria.

At the FIFA World Cup Senegal reached the round of 16, where they unfortunately lost to England.

Gambia with a memorable AFCON debut 

Gambia national team. Photo/Sky Sports

The Gambia has continued to make strides in African football. In 2022, they played at the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time ever, and they marked that performance by not just being part of the statistic, but going on to qualify for the quarter finals in their debut year.

They finished second in Group F and had victories against fabled Tunisia and Mauritania and went to edge out Guinea 1-0 in the round of 16 before losing 2-0 to Cameroon in the last eight.

At the same time, Egypt’s Al Ahly, Wydad Athletic Club of Morocco and South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns will compete for the club of the year award.

Ahly were in brilliant form, where they continued their dominance of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League, clinching a record extending 11^th title with victory over Morocco’s Wydad Athletic Club. They also won a domestic double, clinching both the league and the Cup to add on to what was further a brilliant year for them.

At the FIFA Club World Cup, they finished fourth after losing to Brazil’s Flamengo in the bronze medal match. Victories over Auckland City and Seattle Sounders saw them reach the semis, but lost to record European champions Real Madrid.

Wydad with decent year 

Wydad Athletic Celebrate after their victory. PHOTO/Wydad

The Red Castle, Wydad, also had a decent outing, reaching back to back Champions League finals. They had hoped to defend their title for a fourth diadem, but lost to Ahly in the final.

They also reached the final of the first ever African Football League, further cementing their status as one of the best teams on the continent.

They also played at the FIFA Club World Cup, where they lost on penalties to Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal in the second round. Domestically, they finished second in the Botola Pro, missing out on the title by a point to AS FAR.

Sundowns had a year to remember in 2023, where they clinched the first ever edition of the African Football League (AFL). Masandawana edged out Wydad Athletic Club 3-2 on aggregate, following their 2-0 victory at home to clinch the title.

They had also reached the semi-final of the CAF Champions League, where they lost out to Wydad on the away goal rule.

Domestically, Sundowns clinched the Premier Soccer League (PSL) title in emphatic fashion with seven matches to go. This was their sixth consecutive league title in South Africa.