Story by Lawrence Trusida, Sports Editor
THERE was a time when the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) was seen through borrowed lenses.
Success was often measured by the pedigree of imported tacticians on the touchline, the European accents in technical areas, the belief that authority had to be outsourced.
That era is quietly and confidently ending.
As the 2025 AFCON reaches its semi-final stage, the story being written across Morocco is not just about tactics and trophies, it is about ownership.
Four African coaches, Walid Regragui of Morocco, Hossam Hassan of Egypt, Pape Thiaw of Senegal and Eric Chelle of Nigeria made it into the last four, while a long list of high-profile expatriate coaches are only watching from a distance.
This is more than coincidence, it is a continental coming of age.
Each of these coaches represents a different strand of African football’s evolving identity.
Regragui’s Morocco blends tactical discipline with cultural familiarity, drawing strength from players who feel both understood and challenged.
Hossam Hassan carries Egypt’s storied tradition with the authority of a legend who knows the weight of the shirt from the inside.
Pape Thiaw’s Senegal is built on continuity and belief, refining a winning culture rather than chasing reinvention.
Eric Chelle, at the helm of Nigeria, has given structure to talent, proving that clarity of ideas can unlock even the most complex footballing nations.
What unites them is not just geography, but perspective.
These are coaches, who understand the rhythm of African football the emotion in the stands, the pressure of national expectation, the delicate balance between flair and discipline.
They speak the language of their players not merely in words, but in experience.
The game is no longer being interpreted for Africa; it is being expressed by Africa.
History has been nudging the continent in this direction, the last two AFCON titles were claimed under African leadership.
In 2023, Emerse Faé guided Côte d’Ivoire through turmoil and transformation to lift the trophy on home soil.
Two years earlier, Aliou Cissé completed Senegal’s long wait for continental glory, crafting a team defined by unity, resilience and belief.
These triumphs were not accidents of circumstance. They were statements of capability, and this year’s semi-finals have amplified that message.
For decades, the narrative suggested that progress required external validation that tactical sophistication, organisation and calm under pressure had to be imported.
Yet, the evidence on the pitch now tells a different story.
Africa’s best teams are being shaped by men who grew within the game’s own ecosystems, who understand its textures and tensions, who do not need translation to lead.
There is also a quiet symbolism in who is not here.
The absence of high-cost expatriate coaches from the tournament’s decisive stages is not an indictment of foreign expertise, but a reminder that identity matters.
Football is not played in spreadsheets or reputations, it is played in culture, in trust, in shared history.
Increasingly, Africa is discovering that its strongest competitive edge lies in believing in itself.
The significance of these achievements stretches beyond one tournament, young coaches across the continent are watching and learning.
Administrators, too, are being challenged to rethink long-held assumptions about leadership.
For players, there is something powerful about being led by those who understand not only the game, but the journey.
As the semi-finals unfold, the spectacle will be fierce, the margins fine, the drama inevitable, however beneath the tactics and the tension runs a deeper current.
African football is no longer waiting for approval, it is defining itself.
The Africa Cup of Nations has always been a celebration of talent, now it is also a declaration of maturity.
On the touchlines, Africa is leading its own future and doing so with authority, confidence and unmistakable pride.
