Former Black Stars coach James Kwesi Appiah believes the exploits of Morocco at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar under coach Walid Regragui is a testament of the undermined capabilities of African coaches.
Regragui led the Atlas Lions of Morocco to an unprecedented achievement by reaching the semifinals of the World Cup in Qatar, the first African team to do so. This milestone highlighted the potential of home-grown coaches in Africa.
For the first time in World Cup history, all five African teams—Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia—were led by local coaches. Appiah, who is currently the head coach of Sudan's national team, emphasized that Regragui's success is a clear indication that African coaches can thrive at the highest level.
“When Sudan called on my services, I felt really honored, as it shows that African teams believe in the expertise of their coaches,” Appiah said. “During the last World Cup, all CAF teams had African coaches at the helm. They’ve shown the world, in the shape of Walid Regragui and Morocco, that they can perform when given the opportunity. African coaches have proven themselves when they’ve been afforded the chance.”
Since taking charge of Sudan, Appiah has made a strong impact, with the Falcons of Jediane currently topping Group B of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The 63-year-old tactician is now preparing to lead Sudan in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers, which commence next month.