Arsene Wenger, African Coaches to Dissect Record 2026 World Cup Run

FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, Arsène Wenger, will lead a panel of African coaches to examine the continent’s record-breaking performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The discussion will take place during the Confederation of African Football Strategy Conference scheduled for October 7 to 9 in Cabo Verde.

The conference will bring together coaches from CAF’s 54 member associations, football legends and other stakeholders to discuss the development and future of African football.

Wenger will be joined on the panel by coaches who played prominent roles in Africa’s impressive World Cup campaign, including Cabo Verde’s Pedro “Bubista” Leitão Brito, Egypt’s Hossam Hassan, Morocco’s Mohamed Ouahbi and Democratic Republic of Congo coach Sébastien Desabre.

Africa had 10 representatives at the expanded 2026 World Cup, with nine progressing to the knockout stages, the best collective performance by the continent at the tournament.

Cabo Verde made its World Cup debut under Bubista and advanced beyond the group stage, marking a significant milestone for the island nation.

Morocco also continued its recent progress on the global stage, reaching the quarter-finals under Ouahbi.

Hossam Hassan guided Egypt to its first victory at a FIFA World Cup and oversaw the Pharaohs’ campaign, which included a closely contested encounter with Argentina.

Desabre, meanwhile, led the Democratic Republic of Congo back to the World Cup after a 52-year absence and guided the team into the round of 32.

The coaches are expected to share their experiences and examine the tactical, technical and organisational factors behind their teams’ performances.

The panel will also provide an opportunity to discuss how African football can build on the progress achieved at the 2026 tournament.

CAF said the broader strategy conference would focus on ways to advance football development across the continent and create sustainable pathways for continued progress.

The growing involvement of African coaches in the continent’s national teams is also expected to feature prominently in discussions.

CAF previously noted that six of Africa’s 10 World Cup representatives were coached by Africans in 2026, compared with five in 2022 and one at the 2010 tournament.

Several sessions of the conference will be broadcast by CAF TV, while some technical discussions involving coaches and officials will be held behind closed doors.

CAF said details of the broadcast schedule would be announced ahead of the conference.

The meeting comes as African football authorities seek to translate the continent’s strong 2026 World Cup showing into sustained technical and developmental gains ahead of the 2030 tournament.