Former Uganda Cranes head coach and current manager of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sebastien Desabre, has been nominated for the Coach of the Year accolade at the upcoming 2024 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards.
The event is scheduled to take place on December 16th in Marrakech, Morocco.
Desabre will compete against a notable lineup of African football managers, including 2023 AFCON-winning coach Emerse Fae of Ivory Coast, South Africa’s Hugo Broos, Al Ahly’s Marcel Koller, Florent Ibenge from Al Hilal, and Kwesi Appiah of Sudan.
This nomination follows an impressive year for Desabre, highlighted by his leadership of DR Congo to the semifinals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), early this year, where they ultimately fell to eventual champions Ivory Coast.
Beyond AFCON, Desabre further solidified his credentials, as he has already secured DR Congo’s spot in the 2025 continental tournament with two games still remaining in the qualification rounds.
During his tenure with the Uganda Cranes, where he served from December 2017 to July 2019, Desabre successfully guided the country to qualify for AFCON 2019 and led the team to the Round of 16.
This was significant milestone for Uganda, as it marked their first knockout stage appearance since 1978.