African football icons Jay-Jay Okocha (Nigeria), El Hadji Diouf (Senegal), and South African defender Mark Fish will be among a distinguished group of African football legends attending the highly anticipated Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Côte d’Ivoire 2023 Coaches Symposium in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The symposium is scheduled for Thursday and Friday, September 12-13, 2024.
Former Cameroon goalkeeper Joseph-Antoine Bell, Côte d’Ivoire legend Gadji Celi and Ghana’s Otto Addo, who is currently the coach of the Black Stars are also expected at the inaugural event. These football greats will be part of a star-studded lineup that includes former Nigerian defender Augustine Eguavoen, Fulham legend and current Guinea-Bissau coach Luis Boa Morte, and Senegal’s Pape Thiaw, among others.
This symposium will be the first of its kind, bringing together 50 national team coaches from Confederation of African Football (CAF)’s Member Associations for a unique exchange of ideas and experiences among Africa’s top coaches, including Emerse Faé, who led Côte d’Ivoire to victory in the Africa Cup of Nations 2023. Former Super Eagles head coach, Jose Peseiro is among the panelists selected by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to attend the two-day event.
The event organised by CAF in partnership with FIF Fédération Ivoirienne de Football (FIF) will kick-off on with a legacy discussion by CAF President Patrice Motsepe, Ivorian government and Yacine Idriss Diallo, FIF President. According to CAF, the coaches and global experts including FIFA and UEFA will reflect on the AFCON 2023. It will also focus on analyzing the performance of national teams during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.