Stacked shortlist for CAF Men’s Coach of the Year

Monday Oct 27, 2025. 13:40

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced the 10 nominees for its Men’s Coach of the Year Award.

The association announced the shortlist on 20 October along with its nominations for its other men’s awards.

Those nominated for the award are Bubista, Hossam Hassan, Krunoslav Jurcic, Sami Trabelsi, Romuald Rakotondrabe, Moine Chaabani, Tarik Sektioui, Mohamed Ouahbi, Walid Regragui and Pape Thiaw.

Bubista led the Cape Verde national team to 2026 World Cup qualification, securing the nation’s place at the tournament for the first time. The Blue Sharks finished with a record of seven wins, two draws and one loss in qualifying to claim top spot in group D, edging continental heavyweights Cameroon by four points on the final matchday.

With a population of around 525,000, according to the World Bank, the island nation is the second smallest country by population to qualify for the World Cup in history, behind only Iceland.

Hossam Hassan kept an undefeated record with Egypt on the way to securing qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, finishing atop group A with eight wins and two draws. In their eight fixtures in 2025, including World Cup qualifiers and international friendlies, the Pharaohs did not concede a goal.

Krunoslav Jurčić is a continental champion, having led Egyptian club Pyramids FC to Champions League glory. Pyramids triumphed over Mamelodi Sundowns, winning 3-2 on aggregate with a 2-1 win at home in the second leg. Jurčić narrowly lost out on the Egyptian Premier League title as his side finished second, two points behind Al Ahly.

Sami Trabelsi pushed Tunisia to World Cup qualification, securing the nation’s participation in the tournament for a seventh occasion. The Eagles of Carthage snapped up the best record of any African team in World Cup qualifying, with nine wins and one draw from ten games.

Romuald Rakotondrabe oversaw Madagascar’s fantastic performance at the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in August. Heavily regarded as underdogs, The Barea reached the final undefeated before falling 3-2 to Morocco in a tightly contested affair. Rakotondrabe took his side to new heights and showed they could compete with the best on the continent.

Moïne Chaâbani claimed glory in the Botola Pro 1, guiding RS Berkane to the club’s first Moroccan league title. Chaâbani’s side dominated, recording 21 wins, seven draws and two losses en route to finishing thirteen points above second-placed AS FAR.

Tarik Sektioui continued Morocco’s status as one of the continent’s premier footballing nations, winning the African Nations Championship with the country’s home-based players. His side lost to hosts Kenya in the group stage but recovered well, advancing to the final where they defeated Madagascar in a 3-2 thriller to lift the trophy.

Mohamed Ouahbi is a world champion, having won the FIFA U-20 World Cup with Morocco in October. Ouahbi and his team qualified for the tournament with a strong performance at the U-20 AFCON, finishing second after a loss to South Africa in the final. The Atlas Cubs won all of their games at the World Cup, almost stumbling against France in the semi-finals and winning on penalties, before netting two first-half goals against favourites Argentina in the final.

Walid Regragui also contributed to an impressive year for Moroccan football, securing the nation’s spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Atlas Lions finished atop group E in qualifying with a perfect eight wins from eight games after Eritrea’s withdrawal from qualifying.

Senegal’s national coach, Pape Thiaw, is also up for the award. The 44-year-old guided Senegal to the top of group B is World Cup qualifying without loss, recording seven wins and three draws. Thiaw also oversaw Senegal’s historic 3-1 win over England in an international friendly in June, handing the European country its first ever loss to an African nation.

One notable absence from the nominees is South African national team coach Hugo Broos, who successfully guided Bafana Bafana to automatic qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Strangely, South Africa is nominated for the Men’s National Team of the Year award but the man who guided the team to the game’s biggest tournament is not up for the coach’s award.

CAF Men’s Coach of the Year nominees:

Bubista (Cape Verde)

Hossam Hassan (Egypt)

Krunoslav Jurčić (Pyramids)

Sami Trabelsi (Tunisia) – one draw, most points in qualifying

Romuald Rakotondrabe (Madagascar CHAN) – final

Moïne Chaâbani (RS Berkane) – first ever Moroccan league title for the club.

Tarik Sektioui (Morocco CHAN) – winners

Mohamed Ouahbi (Morocco U-20) – WC, U20 AFCON

Walid Regragui (Morocco)

Pape Thiaw (Senegal) – CHAN as well?, beating England